Despite all of the rumors, the Detroit Lions stayed put at the trade deadline. After making several coaching changes, the Lions decided to stick with their current roster as trade talk swirled around their biggest names. General manager Martin Mayhew made it very clear that Matthew Stafford was not going anywhere while Calvin Johnson is clearing up his status.
This offseason will be one of a lot of change for the Lions as they will likely look to dismantle a portion of the roster and rebuild with a new coaching staff. With Stafford appearing to be safe after an endorsement from Mayhew, will Johnson have the same fate considering his value in the league? According to the wide receiver, he has no plans of asking to go elsewhere regardless of the team's record.
"I want to win here, you know," Johnson said, via ESPN.com. "This is where I've been. So, definitely want to create a winning culture where I'm at. ... I'm fortunate enough to play in this league, that the Lions took me where I'm at. They brought me here and I have a great cast of teammates, you know, guys I have been playing with for a long time. I love where I'm at right now but definitely want to win."
Johnson's contract is having the biggest impact on the team right now as he still has four years and a lot of money owed to him on his current deal. That is not ideal for a rebuilding team and the Lions could really get a lot in exchange for Johnson. The wide receiver remains hopeful that he stays put, but at the end of the day it might be out of his hands. Right now, Johnson is focused on trying to win this year. He defended his teammates saying that frustration is growing on the roster.
"It's not where you want to be, clearly," Johnson said, via ESPN.com. "Definitely expected better. Kind of upset with where you're at right now but the only thing you can do right now is keep putting good film out there."
Currently on a bye week, the Lions are focused on improving. Eric Ebron is helping lead the charge as he returned from injury to begin having a breakout year for the team. The tight end is quickly developing into a top target for Stafford. Joique Bell is also starting to improve after dealing with injuries. As Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick struggle with consistency, Bell is becoming a saving grace in the run game and someone that can really help turn the season around for Detroit.
