Notes: Are the Detroit Lions being overhyped?

It’s only been a few weeks since I have written or said it aloud, so here we go. Never in my life have the Detroit Lions had this much positive discourse surrounding them during an offseason. However, has there been too much? Mike Jones of The Athletic takes a look at why the Lions might be one of the more overhyped teams in the NFL.

Sure, there have been other years where some national writer tried to buck the trends, and picked the Lions as their NFC North champion, but this is different. Local and national writers alike have been picking the Lions since the end of the 2022 season, and for good reason. The up-and-coming Lions won eight of their final ten games last season, and have bolstered a young, talented roster with sound free agent acquisitions.

Still, there are those out there like Jones that don’t necessarily buy all of the hype.

“While some rival scouts believe the Lions are legit, others classify them as another overhyped team, and you can see why,” wrote Jones. “It’s true that the NFC North is wide open, and that 9-8 finish does represent improvement after four straight double-digit loss seasons. However, the Lions still have more growing to do before they can truly contend.”

You can read the entirety of the article on overhyped and overlooked teams here.

And now, onto the rest of today’s notes:

• Who are the best free agents still available? Alex Kay of Bleacher Report highlights six players that can still help teams in 2023.

• Have you ever wondered which teams have had the most turnover at the quarterback position? Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports ranks all 32 franchises by stability at QB.

• Justin Rogers has a nice profile on linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard and his rapid ascent.

• What kind of player qualifies as a “Superstar?” Dan Hanzus of NFL.com takes a look at who is in and who is out in 2023.