If Lions hire Urban Meyer, will they trade up for Justin Fields?
Ohio State fans need to keep a close eye on the Lions. Both Urban Meyer and Justin Fields could end up in Detriot next season.
Urban Meyer may become one of the NFL’s hottest free agents this offseason. The Lions are one team that will take a run at the former Ohio State head coach. If Meyer does land in Detroit, don’t discount the idea that he’ll arrange a high-profile partnership with Justin Fields in the Motor City.
The arrival of former Buckeyes’ standout Chris Spielman in the Lions’ front office does increase the possibility that Meyer may be the team’s new head coach when the 2021 season begins. Detroit won’t be the only franchise interested in pulling Meyer out of the broadcast booth, but the connection between Spielman and the high-profile head coach could tilt things in the Lions’ favor.
If Meyer does take control in Detroit, one of his top priorities will be to acquire a quarterback capable of leading the team’s offense into the future. Matthew Stafford may still be an above-average starter, but the 32-year-old doesn’t fit the team’s timeline for contention. It’s time for a new, younger option to be installed as the team’s franchise signal-caller.
Trevor Lawrence is the consensus No. 1 prospect in this year’s draft class, but Justin Fields also has numerous admirers in NFL circles. Meyer is certainly very aware of what Fields can bring to the table. He didn’t coach him at Ohio State, but his protege, Ryan Day, will undoubtedly give Meyer all of the intel he asks for regarding the athletic quarterback.
Fields could easily become Meyer’s top choice to lead his offense due to his ability to impact the game with both his arm and legs. He isn’t the pure passer that Lawrence is, but Fields does offer superior mobility in comparison to the Clemson standout. It’s possible Meyer could prefer Fields to Lawrence no matter where they come off the board in the draft.
If the Lions do want to land Fields, they’ll likely need to trade up in the draft to acquire his services. Detroit currently projects to have a top 10 selection, but Fields could easily go off the board as high as No. 2 depending on what franchise ends up with that selection.
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It’s still a smart decision for Detriot to move up to grab Fields if they believe he’s the right guy to make Meyer’s offense operate at a high level. There’s nothing more important in the NFL than getting the right quarterback and head coach combination. The Lions may take a big swing with a Meyer/Fields partnership in 2021.