Brad Holmes and the Lions traded second- and third-round picks to move up 20 spots in last year's draft and take Jameson Williams 12th overall.
He spent most of his rookie season recovering from a torn ACL. And after Friday's news that Williams has been suspended six games for violating the NFL's gambling policy, he will near the midway point of his second season having played in six career games with one total catch.
"They made a major move to go up and get this kid and these are the types of moves that go a long way in defining what your grade is as a GM," says Mike Valenti. "Look, it's got time to work. But this is off to just about as bad of a start as it could be. He took forever to get back. I mean, guys blow out their ACL and some are back in eight, nine months. The season was basically over by the time he came back. You would have liked to see him back a little earlier. Didn't happen, he didn't give you much. And now you know he won't be there until late October. It's a problem. There's no other way around it. I'm not going to panic and say, 'Trade up and take a receiver in the draft,' but I'm not laughing at people who want one."
Valenti says the Lions should sign a receiver "from the bargain bin" to help make up for Williams' absence. He says someone like Sammy Watkins is worth bringing in for a visit.
"You gotta get comfortable with the new world, which is, you love it when people say nice things about you. Well, there's a cost," Valenti says. "When someone on your team does something that is just brain-dead, it's OK to say, 'That's a problem' and have a conversation about whether they should do something about it or not."
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