The more I hear about this Titus Young incident, the more I am convinced that the Lions drafted Ryan Broyles in the 2nd round to replace him. Which means that they traded a 5th round pick at the trade deadline for Mike Thomas as insurance for Nate Burleson who broke his leg earlier.
I don’t blame the Lions to be honest, this is absolutely ridiculous. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Titus Young lined up in the wrong place on the field multiple times because he was upset that he wasn’t getting enough targets on the football field. Then he mouthed off to the wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, which led to this confrontation, and resulted in his benching.
The Lions have had serious issues with their recent draft picks and off the field issues. It is becoming more and more apparent to me that they need to do a much better job of checking the backgrounds of these players. You can’t have locker room cancers and players getting in trouble when the team is already struggling. It’s not like this is the first time Young has been in trouble either, he punched Louis Delmas in the face during training camp and was sent home.
I mean how ridiculous is it for Young to think that he should get more targets? You play on a team with the best receiver in the NFL and you’re whining about wanting more looks in the passing game? Maybe run better routes or be more of a team player and you will. It’s a team sport, not an individual stat show.
Titus is now back and practicing with the Lions second team offense, but Calvin Johnson said that they team is progressing and moving forward with Ryan Broyles and Mike Thomas. When you lose your teammates in the locker room and don’t have them to back you up, you know you’re truly in trouble.
H/T: Pro Football Talk