The Lions did not have a pick in the 2nd round due to moving up to the first round to get RB Jahvid Best. So the fans had to wait until the 66th pick of the draft (34th of Friday night) before the Lions were finally on the clock. With their 3rd round draft pick the Lions took Cornerback, Amari Spievey from Iowa.
Watching the forums, the initial reaction by many of the fans was more in the lines of "Who is he?" Trust me, even if we do not know him, the Lions brass has studied him well. Remember in 2009 when the Lions selected DeAndre Levy? I did not know him. The only reason I did not get upset was because he was a linebacker, which they needed. At least they addressed the defense I figured. It turns out that Mayhew and company knew very well what they were doing in selecting Levy, so now we need to give them due respect that they know what they are doing with selecting Spievey.
Keep in mind, whether you know him or not, he is a cornerback and that is a position the Lions needed badly. But it is not like they just selected a cornerback because they needed a cornerback. Spievey is actually quite a decent player from the sounds of it. Here is the basics of what CBS says about him.
Not overly fast as he ran a 4.53 in the forty yard dash and though he is a bit slow to recognize the rushing play or double move when they are coming, he is adequate at reading routes. He is best when reacting to plays in front of him as a zone corner. Spievey is strong enough to be good in the press coverage and is good at staying on the receivers hip down the sidelines but tends to lose track of the receiver some when he turns around to look for the ball. He is very experienced in the zone coverage and reacts to the ball thrown in any direction. Can use either hand to defend the pass and shows flashes of great hands to catch the ball. He flashes explosive tackling on the edge and plants running backs into the turf. He has matured and improved his work ethics and is not afraid of contact between the lines.
My simple opinion of Spievey is that it sounds like he is a good worker and a very good tackler. He shows some good hands and is good in the zone defense. He can stay with receivers down the line.
I think the Lions will give him the opportunity to play cornerback and if that doesn't work out, he may be moved to the swing safety to compliment Delmas. He has the size and the tackling ability to play the safety position as well as decent hands to take advantage of the position. Because he sounds like he is better reacting to plays in front of him, that sounds more like a safety as well.
I believe the Lions are sure they can use him and develop him into a starter in one of those positions but it would not surprise me if they went ahead and signed Pacman Jones after the draft to solidify things up in the secondary.
Showing posts with label 2010 NFL Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010 NFL Draft. Show all posts
4/22/10
Lions 2010 Draft - Round 1
The beginning of the first round started as most fans expected and wanted as the Rams took quarterback Sam Bradford and the Lions drafted the defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
Check out the Ndamukong Suh song "A Man Named Suh" near the top of this blog.
The Lions got the most Ndominating defensive tackle to come out of college in a long time and he should take the already improved and solid defensive line and make it a line for offenses to fear. With Suh and Corey Williams penetrating the middle on pass plays, the offensive lines will have a hard time stopping them and not allowing the defensive ends to get around the outsides as well.
The new and improved penetrating defensive line should make the whole defense a lot better as well as the cornerbacks will not have to cover as long. The linebackers will not have as many holes to fill on run stops and a blitzing linebacker will find more room to get through to the quarterback.
All and all, the Detroit Lions first pick of the 2010 year was a great choice and a possible gold mine. Yet, the Lions were not finished with the first round as they traded to move back into the first round. The Lions gave the Minnesota Vikings their 2nd round (#34 overall) pick and swapped 4th round picks for Minnesota's 1st round (#30 overall) draft pick. With the 30th overall pick in the draft, the Detroit Lions addressed their running back need with Jahvid Best.
Some fans are worried about Jahvid Best and his concussion that ended his season. It was a freak injury where he dove into the endzone and was hit while in the air. He flipped head over heels and landed on the back of his head and neck. The result was a bad concussion that hurt his draft value in many eyes. Before the injury he was ranked even with CJ Spiller who was drafted with the 9th pick of the draft. So as long as he does not get injured again, the Lions got a top 10 value with the 30th pick.
Some are afraid that he will have more concussions because it is believed that once a person has a concussion, they become more prone to them. Yet one only has to look to a player the Lions recently traded away to answer that. Ernie Sims had multiple concussions in college but after 4 seasons in the NFL, he has yet to have one concussion. If the same will happen for Jahvid Best, the Lions may have their franchise running back of the future and a running back with the speed to take one to the house on any given play.
Check out the Ndamukong Suh song "A Man Named Suh" near the top of this blog.
The Lions got the most Ndominating defensive tackle to come out of college in a long time and he should take the already improved and solid defensive line and make it a line for offenses to fear. With Suh and Corey Williams penetrating the middle on pass plays, the offensive lines will have a hard time stopping them and not allowing the defensive ends to get around the outsides as well.
The new and improved penetrating defensive line should make the whole defense a lot better as well as the cornerbacks will not have to cover as long. The linebackers will not have as many holes to fill on run stops and a blitzing linebacker will find more room to get through to the quarterback.
All and all, the Detroit Lions first pick of the 2010 year was a great choice and a possible gold mine. Yet, the Lions were not finished with the first round as they traded to move back into the first round. The Lions gave the Minnesota Vikings their 2nd round (#34 overall) pick and swapped 4th round picks for Minnesota's 1st round (#30 overall) draft pick. With the 30th overall pick in the draft, the Detroit Lions addressed their running back need with Jahvid Best.
Some fans are worried about Jahvid Best and his concussion that ended his season. It was a freak injury where he dove into the endzone and was hit while in the air. He flipped head over heels and landed on the back of his head and neck. The result was a bad concussion that hurt his draft value in many eyes. Before the injury he was ranked even with CJ Spiller who was drafted with the 9th pick of the draft. So as long as he does not get injured again, the Lions got a top 10 value with the 30th pick.
Some are afraid that he will have more concussions because it is believed that once a person has a concussion, they become more prone to them. Yet one only has to look to a player the Lions recently traded away to answer that. Ernie Sims had multiple concussions in college but after 4 seasons in the NFL, he has yet to have one concussion. If the same will happen for Jahvid Best, the Lions may have their franchise running back of the future and a running back with the speed to take one to the house on any given play.
4/21/10
NFL 2010 Mock Draft
I know what you are thinking. Just another NFL Mock Draft right? Well this one is slightly different. This is not just my opinion of who each NFL team will take. I know I dont know the minds of every teams brass in the league. I dont believe anyone does. No not even Mel Kiper knows every team that well. So I got to thinking. Who does know better than any expert what the teams general managers and coaches will do? The answer is simply, the fans!
The fans hear every remark from their teams management. They know their teams habits. They know what their teams have done in the past. Not every fan knows their team well or is intelligent enough to figure things out, but the consensus of their fans will know their teams far better than any expert would.
So I went into some forums for each team and took a poll on who they think their team will draft in the first round. The following is how it ended up. Keep in mind however that this is strictly what the fans thought their team would do. I did not veto any picks no matter how much I disagreed with it. This was also done without any trades.
1) St.Louis ......... QB .... Sam Bradford
2) Detroit .......... DT .... Ndamukong Suh
3) Tampa Bay ........ DT .... Gerald McCoy
4) Washington ....... OT .... Russell Okung
5) Kansas City ...... S ..... Eric Berry
6) Seattle .......... DE .... Derrick Morgan
7) Cleveland ........ CB .... Joe Haden
8) Oakland .......... OT .... Trent Williams
9) Buffalo .......... OT .... Brian Bulaga
10) Jacksonville .... ILB ... Rolando McClain
11) Denver .......... DT .... Dan Williams
12) Miami ........... S ..... Earl Thomas
13) San Fransisco ... RB .... CJ Spiller
14) Seattle ......... QB .... Jimmy Claussen
15) NY Giants ....... DT .... Brian Price
16) Tennessee ....... DE .... Jason Pierre-Paul
17) San Fransisco ... OG .... Mike Iupati
18) Pittsburgh ...... CB .... Kyle Wilson
19) Atlanta ......... OLB ... Sean Weatherspoon
20) Houston ......... RB .... Ryan Mathews
21) Cincinnati ...... S ..... Taylor Mays
22) New England ..... WR .... Dez Bryant
23) Breen Bay ....... OLB ... Brandon Graham
24) Philadelphia .... CB .... Kareem Jackson
25) Baltimore ....... TE .... Jermaine Gresham
26) Arizona ......... OLB ... Jerry Hughes
27) Dallas .......... OT .... Anthony Davis
28) San Diego ....... DT .... Jared Odrick
29) NY Jets ......... DE .... Everson Griffin
30) Minnesota ....... CB .... Devin McCourty
31) Indianapolis .... OT .... Bruce Campbell
32) New Orleans ..... C ..... Maurkice Pouncey
The fans hear every remark from their teams management. They know their teams habits. They know what their teams have done in the past. Not every fan knows their team well or is intelligent enough to figure things out, but the consensus of their fans will know their teams far better than any expert would.
So I went into some forums for each team and took a poll on who they think their team will draft in the first round. The following is how it ended up. Keep in mind however that this is strictly what the fans thought their team would do. I did not veto any picks no matter how much I disagreed with it. This was also done without any trades.
1) St.Louis ......... QB .... Sam Bradford
2) Detroit .......... DT .... Ndamukong Suh
3) Tampa Bay ........ DT .... Gerald McCoy
4) Washington ....... OT .... Russell Okung
5) Kansas City ...... S ..... Eric Berry
6) Seattle .......... DE .... Derrick Morgan
7) Cleveland ........ CB .... Joe Haden
8) Oakland .......... OT .... Trent Williams
9) Buffalo .......... OT .... Brian Bulaga
10) Jacksonville .... ILB ... Rolando McClain
11) Denver .......... DT .... Dan Williams
12) Miami ........... S ..... Earl Thomas
13) San Fransisco ... RB .... CJ Spiller
14) Seattle ......... QB .... Jimmy Claussen
15) NY Giants ....... DT .... Brian Price
16) Tennessee ....... DE .... Jason Pierre-Paul
17) San Fransisco ... OG .... Mike Iupati
18) Pittsburgh ...... CB .... Kyle Wilson
19) Atlanta ......... OLB ... Sean Weatherspoon
20) Houston ......... RB .... Ryan Mathews
21) Cincinnati ...... S ..... Taylor Mays
22) New England ..... WR .... Dez Bryant
23) Breen Bay ....... OLB ... Brandon Graham
24) Philadelphia .... CB .... Kareem Jackson
25) Baltimore ....... TE .... Jermaine Gresham
26) Arizona ......... OLB ... Jerry Hughes
27) Dallas .......... OT .... Anthony Davis
28) San Diego ....... DT .... Jared Odrick
29) NY Jets ......... DE .... Everson Griffin
30) Minnesota ....... CB .... Devin McCourty
31) Indianapolis .... OT .... Bruce Campbell
32) New Orleans ..... C ..... Maurkice Pouncey
4/19/10
Ndamukong Suh or Russell Okung? Who Should the Lions Draft?
This is one of the most heated debates in any Lions forum these days. As we draw closer to the 2010 NFL Draft, it will likely heat up to another level. Yet when one looks at all of the facts, it really is not worthy of a real debate.
If you haven't read my earlier article, "Left Tackle or Defensive Tackle - Which is More Important?", go read it before reading this one.
As I pointed out in the article mentioned above, to the contrary of common belief,the defensive tackle is actually more important than the left tackle on an NFL team. So this already gives Ndamukong Suh a head start over Russell Okung. Now let us look at other facts.
TALENT LEVEL
I have read many forums postings by fans and I have read plenty of articles in blogs and major sporting websites. This is what I find....
Russell Okung - Many believe he is the best left tackle in this years draft. Yet there are some articles that say he is more polished than Trent Williams, but Williams may be the better talent for the long term. So Okung is POSSIBLY the best left tackle in the 2010 NFL Draft. No where have I read anyone saying he is the best left tackle to come out of college in recent years. No place have I read that he is ranked with Jake Long coming out of college. He is only stated as the best left tackle in this years draft alone. And a few even argue that point.
Ndamukong Suh - The most common belief by the experts is that Suh is the best defensive tackle to come out of college in the last ten years. He is widely considered to be a "Once in a lifetime" type of player. His college stats back that up.
There are a few who rate defensive tackle Gerald McCoy as high as Suh and fewer still who think McCoy is better. Their arguments have little ground to stand on. In college, Suh's stats destroys McCoy's in every category. Suh's 12 sacks in 2009 alone are the equal to the 12 sacks McCoy had in 2008 and 2009 added together. Yet it was McCoy and not Suh who played in the one-gap defensive scheme that is meant for attacking the quarterback. Suh played in a stop the run first defense.
INTANGIBLES
A quick look at some of the non statistical points why they may fail in the NFL.
Russell Okung - The biggest one is that he payed on a spread offense scheme. In the spread offense the linemen are not expected to hold their blocks for as long because the plays are meant for the quarterbacks to get rid of the ball much quicker. In every position, players coming from the spread offense into the NFL have a much higher bust rate. The ones who are talented enough to become good players in the NFL often take a longer time to adjust to the NFL schemes before they actually start to play up to par. This is a very strong reason not to draft Okung in the first round.
Ndamukong Suh - The only knocks I have seen against him are the fears of his two knee surgeries. Understandably this is a good reason to worry. But it turns out that both of those surgeries are considered minor surgeries, so there is little fear they will blow out at any time. Plus, since his last surgery, Suh has had two extremely high performance seasons in a row without a problem. So it does not look as if his knees should be a problem.
My Opinion
The Lions are not a team that has been close to the Superbowl and needs to worry about specific positions. A team like the Lions have to follow some strict rules in drafting.
1) Draft the player who has the best chance of being a star and not a bust. They cannot afford to take chances on high upside in the first round or two. They need to minimize their risk of failure. IMO, Ndamukong Suh has a much better chance of being a star and Okung has a better chance of being a bust due to his coming from a spread offense.
2) They need to add real play makers in the early rounds. As a team gets better, they will begin to draft later in the drafts. The chances of adding a true play maker is not as high. Great teams look to add one good play maker every year and maybe get lucky if a second player works out. But that is all a good team needs to fill each year. A team like the Lions have a need for several play makers and thus it is important to address that early in the drafts. IMO, Ndamukong Suh is a much higher play maker than Okung. Okung will not make game changing plays. Suh will.
3) Take Best Player Available in positions of need! Usually there are a whole lot of positions of need, so that part is not an issue. Unfortunately in this case, the Lions are not as destitute. They do not have a need for Linebacker very much. They have addressed the left guard position and believe Backus is a good left tackle. Many if not most fans disagree with that but it doesn't change the fact. As bad as Backus has looked, he only gave up 2 sacks in his last 9 games and the left guard has been so horrible it has hurt the players around it. If the Lions draft Okung, in his first year he may not be any better than Backus. Suh on the other hand would make the defense all around him much better. Suh is the better player and he is in a position of higher need.
Conclusion
However much you think it is important to protect Stafford, it makes more sense to draft Ndamukong Suh in the first round. Suh is a greater talent in a position of as much need if not more need and has less chance of being a bust.
Suh is not just the best DT in this years draft, he is the best in the last decade. You do not pass up on a once in a lifetime type of player just to take a player the likes of which you see in the draft every year.
If you draft Suh #2 overall, you can still draft a LT later who can be groomed into a good LT and very much improve your offensive line. If you draft Okung, there is not another DT you can take later who will be much more than added depth to the defensive line. If he does improve the line, he certainly will not make it a fearsome line as Suh would do.
If one thinks only with their heart and worries about protecting Stafford, then Okung is the pick. But if one looks at the whole story, all of the evidence and tangibles, then Ndamukong Suh becomes the clear choice.
If you haven't read my earlier article, "Left Tackle or Defensive Tackle - Which is More Important?", go read it before reading this one.
As I pointed out in the article mentioned above, to the contrary of common belief,the defensive tackle is actually more important than the left tackle on an NFL team. So this already gives Ndamukong Suh a head start over Russell Okung. Now let us look at other facts.
TALENT LEVEL
I have read many forums postings by fans and I have read plenty of articles in blogs and major sporting websites. This is what I find....
Russell Okung - Many believe he is the best left tackle in this years draft. Yet there are some articles that say he is more polished than Trent Williams, but Williams may be the better talent for the long term. So Okung is POSSIBLY the best left tackle in the 2010 NFL Draft. No where have I read anyone saying he is the best left tackle to come out of college in recent years. No place have I read that he is ranked with Jake Long coming out of college. He is only stated as the best left tackle in this years draft alone. And a few even argue that point.
Ndamukong Suh - The most common belief by the experts is that Suh is the best defensive tackle to come out of college in the last ten years. He is widely considered to be a "Once in a lifetime" type of player. His college stats back that up.
There are a few who rate defensive tackle Gerald McCoy as high as Suh and fewer still who think McCoy is better. Their arguments have little ground to stand on. In college, Suh's stats destroys McCoy's in every category. Suh's 12 sacks in 2009 alone are the equal to the 12 sacks McCoy had in 2008 and 2009 added together. Yet it was McCoy and not Suh who played in the one-gap defensive scheme that is meant for attacking the quarterback. Suh played in a stop the run first defense.
INTANGIBLES
A quick look at some of the non statistical points why they may fail in the NFL.
Russell Okung - The biggest one is that he payed on a spread offense scheme. In the spread offense the linemen are not expected to hold their blocks for as long because the plays are meant for the quarterbacks to get rid of the ball much quicker. In every position, players coming from the spread offense into the NFL have a much higher bust rate. The ones who are talented enough to become good players in the NFL often take a longer time to adjust to the NFL schemes before they actually start to play up to par. This is a very strong reason not to draft Okung in the first round.
Ndamukong Suh - The only knocks I have seen against him are the fears of his two knee surgeries. Understandably this is a good reason to worry. But it turns out that both of those surgeries are considered minor surgeries, so there is little fear they will blow out at any time. Plus, since his last surgery, Suh has had two extremely high performance seasons in a row without a problem. So it does not look as if his knees should be a problem.
My Opinion
The Lions are not a team that has been close to the Superbowl and needs to worry about specific positions. A team like the Lions have to follow some strict rules in drafting.
1) Draft the player who has the best chance of being a star and not a bust. They cannot afford to take chances on high upside in the first round or two. They need to minimize their risk of failure. IMO, Ndamukong Suh has a much better chance of being a star and Okung has a better chance of being a bust due to his coming from a spread offense.
2) They need to add real play makers in the early rounds. As a team gets better, they will begin to draft later in the drafts. The chances of adding a true play maker is not as high. Great teams look to add one good play maker every year and maybe get lucky if a second player works out. But that is all a good team needs to fill each year. A team like the Lions have a need for several play makers and thus it is important to address that early in the drafts. IMO, Ndamukong Suh is a much higher play maker than Okung. Okung will not make game changing plays. Suh will.
3) Take Best Player Available in positions of need! Usually there are a whole lot of positions of need, so that part is not an issue. Unfortunately in this case, the Lions are not as destitute. They do not have a need for Linebacker very much. They have addressed the left guard position and believe Backus is a good left tackle. Many if not most fans disagree with that but it doesn't change the fact. As bad as Backus has looked, he only gave up 2 sacks in his last 9 games and the left guard has been so horrible it has hurt the players around it. If the Lions draft Okung, in his first year he may not be any better than Backus. Suh on the other hand would make the defense all around him much better. Suh is the better player and he is in a position of higher need.
Conclusion
However much you think it is important to protect Stafford, it makes more sense to draft Ndamukong Suh in the first round. Suh is a greater talent in a position of as much need if not more need and has less chance of being a bust.
Suh is not just the best DT in this years draft, he is the best in the last decade. You do not pass up on a once in a lifetime type of player just to take a player the likes of which you see in the draft every year.
If you draft Suh #2 overall, you can still draft a LT later who can be groomed into a good LT and very much improve your offensive line. If you draft Okung, there is not another DT you can take later who will be much more than added depth to the defensive line. If he does improve the line, he certainly will not make it a fearsome line as Suh would do.
If one thinks only with their heart and worries about protecting Stafford, then Okung is the pick. But if one looks at the whole story, all of the evidence and tangibles, then Ndamukong Suh becomes the clear choice.
4/11/10
Mayhew's Worst Nightmare
Taking a last sip from his wine glass, Martin Mayhew holds it up and stares through the crystal at the reddish glow. The glass is empty, the glow coming from his high rise window. The red and orange hues of the deepest sunset he had seen in his entire life. Setting the glass gently on his desk, he turns his wrist so he can see his watch. Only quarter after five.
With a slight groan, he gets to his feet and crosses the room to the windows and stands by Williams Clay Ford senior. Neither man says a word for a long moment as they stare out the windows in resignation. The reddish glow is not from a sunset. It is from the thousands of torches being held by the descending Lions fans outside the building.
"It was a stupid mistake you know. You should have known better." Ford says just before going into a coughing fit as he clears a wad of phlegm from his throat.
The look that Mayhew gives the ancient man is one of pure hatred mixed with a shock of wonder. A stupid mistake? That bastard made the mistake! Mayhew wanted to do the sensible thing, but it was the old man who insisted on doing things his way. Mayhew considered the idea of throwing the old fart to the wolves. Let the fans below have the blood they want. If he thought it would save him, he would do it. It wouldn't though. The fans would never believe him. Turning back to the torch carrying fans below, Mayhew let his thoughts fall back to the moment everything went to hell.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had just scored a long touchdown after the Lions defense failed to put any pressure on the quarterback. Four seconds, five seconds passed by and the Bucs quarterback still had not had to scramble. Then he finally cocked his arm back and let the ball fly, forty-seven yards in the air to a wide open receiver who ran another twenty yards for the score.
Now it was the Lions chance to even things up and Matthew Stafford took the snap and dropped back in the pocket. Then the unthinkable happened.
Ndamukong Suh shot out of his stance like a blood thirsty beast and ran a stunt to the left side, put his hands on the chest of the Lions star rookie left tackle, Russell Okung, and shoved. The ease in which he tossed Okung to the side was as if he was handling an unruly child then he was into his sprint. In exactly one point five seconds Suh was driving his shoulder into the back of Matthew Stafford. One tenth of a second later the sound of the young quarterbacks back snapping echoed through the stadium.
As Ndamukong Suh jumped up and began waving the medical team over, the 55,000 fans went silent. Their highly loved franchise quarterback laid their unmoving because the player the Lions drafted could not stop the player who eighty percent of the fans had wanted.
Mayhew knew that Suh was the right draft pick. He knew that when he caved into Ford's pressure to protect his quarterback, the decision would come back to bite him. He just never imagined it would be a rabid wolf that bit him. In his wildest nightmares he never would have thought it would be nearly a million of those rabid wolves coming for him.
A commotion in the mob below drew his eyes and he watched with a solemn horror as the gates caved in and the angry fans surged into the building. It wouldn't be long now he thought. Looking at old lord Ford, he fantasized wrapping his hands around the old geezers throat. If he was going to die, maybe he should allow himself that one last pleasure of knowing it was him that finished the old fart and not the fans.
The sounds of the fans screaming for blood somewhere in the building floated to his ears. Giving the old man another tempting glare, Mayhew walked back to his desk and sat down. He did not blame the fans actually. They had gone so long without seeing a competitive team on the field and when they finally had signs of getting one, it all fell apart because of one bad decision. He should have taken Suh. Whatever the old man said, he should have taken Suh. He was the better player. He was the better choice for the success of the team. Suh was the right draft pick. But Ford wanted Okung and he had caved in to the old man's desires. Now he would die for it.
The screams suddenly grew much louder and he knew the mob had made it onto his floor. Mayhew hardly had a chance to rise from his desk before the doors crashed open and the fans came rushing in. They filled the room to bursting and he began to scream as their hands fell upon him. They pulled him in different directions and he screamed again as he felt his hair being yanked out of his head. Then his eyes fell on the old man.
Old Lord Ford was fairing no better, but Mayhew could not help but to wish he was doing much worse. "It was your choice old man!" Mayhew shouted. "Your choice! I should never have listened to you! Do you hear me? I should never have...."
Mayhew sat up straight in his bed as he screamed the last words. "... listened to you!" Realizing he was no longer being torn limb from limb he looked around. He was in his own bed, the sheets soaked with his own sweat. In his right hand he held a lock of his own hair.
Gathering his wits, Mayhew whispered a promise. "I won't listen to you old man!"
With a slight groan, he gets to his feet and crosses the room to the windows and stands by Williams Clay Ford senior. Neither man says a word for a long moment as they stare out the windows in resignation. The reddish glow is not from a sunset. It is from the thousands of torches being held by the descending Lions fans outside the building.
"It was a stupid mistake you know. You should have known better." Ford says just before going into a coughing fit as he clears a wad of phlegm from his throat.
The look that Mayhew gives the ancient man is one of pure hatred mixed with a shock of wonder. A stupid mistake? That bastard made the mistake! Mayhew wanted to do the sensible thing, but it was the old man who insisted on doing things his way. Mayhew considered the idea of throwing the old fart to the wolves. Let the fans below have the blood they want. If he thought it would save him, he would do it. It wouldn't though. The fans would never believe him. Turning back to the torch carrying fans below, Mayhew let his thoughts fall back to the moment everything went to hell.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had just scored a long touchdown after the Lions defense failed to put any pressure on the quarterback. Four seconds, five seconds passed by and the Bucs quarterback still had not had to scramble. Then he finally cocked his arm back and let the ball fly, forty-seven yards in the air to a wide open receiver who ran another twenty yards for the score.
Now it was the Lions chance to even things up and Matthew Stafford took the snap and dropped back in the pocket. Then the unthinkable happened.
Ndamukong Suh shot out of his stance like a blood thirsty beast and ran a stunt to the left side, put his hands on the chest of the Lions star rookie left tackle, Russell Okung, and shoved. The ease in which he tossed Okung to the side was as if he was handling an unruly child then he was into his sprint. In exactly one point five seconds Suh was driving his shoulder into the back of Matthew Stafford. One tenth of a second later the sound of the young quarterbacks back snapping echoed through the stadium.
As Ndamukong Suh jumped up and began waving the medical team over, the 55,000 fans went silent. Their highly loved franchise quarterback laid their unmoving because the player the Lions drafted could not stop the player who eighty percent of the fans had wanted.
Mayhew knew that Suh was the right draft pick. He knew that when he caved into Ford's pressure to protect his quarterback, the decision would come back to bite him. He just never imagined it would be a rabid wolf that bit him. In his wildest nightmares he never would have thought it would be nearly a million of those rabid wolves coming for him.
A commotion in the mob below drew his eyes and he watched with a solemn horror as the gates caved in and the angry fans surged into the building. It wouldn't be long now he thought. Looking at old lord Ford, he fantasized wrapping his hands around the old geezers throat. If he was going to die, maybe he should allow himself that one last pleasure of knowing it was him that finished the old fart and not the fans.
The sounds of the fans screaming for blood somewhere in the building floated to his ears. Giving the old man another tempting glare, Mayhew walked back to his desk and sat down. He did not blame the fans actually. They had gone so long without seeing a competitive team on the field and when they finally had signs of getting one, it all fell apart because of one bad decision. He should have taken Suh. Whatever the old man said, he should have taken Suh. He was the better player. He was the better choice for the success of the team. Suh was the right draft pick. But Ford wanted Okung and he had caved in to the old man's desires. Now he would die for it.
The screams suddenly grew much louder and he knew the mob had made it onto his floor. Mayhew hardly had a chance to rise from his desk before the doors crashed open and the fans came rushing in. They filled the room to bursting and he began to scream as their hands fell upon him. They pulled him in different directions and he screamed again as he felt his hair being yanked out of his head. Then his eyes fell on the old man.
Old Lord Ford was fairing no better, but Mayhew could not help but to wish he was doing much worse. "It was your choice old man!" Mayhew shouted. "Your choice! I should never have listened to you! Do you hear me? I should never have...."
Mayhew sat up straight in his bed as he screamed the last words. "... listened to you!" Realizing he was no longer being torn limb from limb he looked around. He was in his own bed, the sheets soaked with his own sweat. In his right hand he held a lock of his own hair.
Gathering his wits, Mayhew whispered a promise. "I won't listen to you old man!"
4/9/10
Lions Fans Having Emotions Thought to be Long Lost
It has been a long time. A long time since the Detroit Lions fans have had reasons to feel the way they do now. It is a feeling that has been missing for so long they have forgotten what it even feels like. It is a feeling of hope.
Hope had been fading year after year since the Lions lost to the Washington Redskins 41 to 10 in the NFC Championship in 1991. A large chunk of hope was lost in 1999 when the fans learned Barry Sanders, the most electrifying running back in NFL history decided to retire. The last threads of hope faded away as Matt Millen repeatedly drafted players who would end up as busts in the NFL and then in 2008, when the Lions became the first team to ever finish the season winless (o-16), hope was something many thought would never exist again. Not for a Lions fan.
One of the more common sayings I have heard from those fans without hope was... "The Lions are bad, they have always been bad and they always will be bad." There were calls from radio stations for fans to choose a new team to be their favorite teams.
I cannot count how many times I have had to laugh along with someone making fun of the fact I would wear a Lions coat and a Lions hat. They would be amazed to find out I never liked the hats I found, so I had one made up in the style I liked. I was not one of those who believed the Lions would never be good. I always believed that someday they would be great, but I feared it would not be in my lifetime.
Today there is hope again. The fans are feeling more excitement than they have in decades and the Lions havent even played one preseason game yet. That hope comes from the aggressiveness that GM - Martin Mayhew, and coach Jim Schwartz has shown in the off-season with free agents.
On the first day of free agency the fans learned of the Lions acquiring DE, Kyle Vanden Bosch and WR Nate Burleson, along with the trade to get DT Corey Williams and a 7th round pick for a 5th round pick. Not too many days later the Lions signed CB Jonathan Wade, a fast player who will help with depth in a position the Lions were hurting in. Then they gave the Falcons a 5th and a 6th round pick for CB Chris Houston and a 5th round pick. Chris Houston is expected to be a much faster CB who will start for the Lions.
Soon after, the Lions addressed their back-up QB spot by trading with the 49ers. The Lions gave them a 2011 7th round pick for Shaun Hill.
Recently the Lions gave up a 5th round pick in this years draft to the Seattle Seahawks for LG Rob Sims.
In a couple of short weeks the Lions have acquired two starting Defensive linemen, both who have a history of double digit sacks, a wide receiver who might open things up for Calvin Johnson, a starting cornerback with speed and a left guard who should stabilize the revolving door at the position in recent years, and added a decent back-up quarterback.
This coming on the heels of a 2-14 season that had the bright spots of two rookie defensive players, S- Louis Delmas and MLB- DeAndre Levy, who both showed signs of greatness. Along with Delmas and Levy were three other rookies who showed flashes they could all be very good in the near future. QB- Matthew Stafford, TE- Brandon Pettigrew and DT- Sammie Lee Hill.
Now the Lions are heading into the NFL Draft with the #2 overall pick. With the Rams releasing of Mark Bulger, it is all but definite that they will draft QB- Sam Bradford, leaving the Lions with what most experts believe is the best defensive tackle to come out of college in may year, Ndamukong Suh. Adding Suh would likely give the Lions one of the best defensive lines in the NFL and a huge improvement in the pass rush.
The 2010 draft is one of the deepest drafts in memory and the Lions should be able to fill a few of their holes with quality players.
Any way you look at it, the Detroit Lions are already a much improved team on paper and Mayhew has shown he knows how to judge talent as well as make trades that cost the Lions very little.
The Lions may not be good yet, but the moves the Lions have made have given fans a reason to hope. To hope that the future may actually be brighter than we have seen in a long time.
Hope had been fading year after year since the Lions lost to the Washington Redskins 41 to 10 in the NFC Championship in 1991. A large chunk of hope was lost in 1999 when the fans learned Barry Sanders, the most electrifying running back in NFL history decided to retire. The last threads of hope faded away as Matt Millen repeatedly drafted players who would end up as busts in the NFL and then in 2008, when the Lions became the first team to ever finish the season winless (o-16), hope was something many thought would never exist again. Not for a Lions fan.
One of the more common sayings I have heard from those fans without hope was... "The Lions are bad, they have always been bad and they always will be bad." There were calls from radio stations for fans to choose a new team to be their favorite teams.
I cannot count how many times I have had to laugh along with someone making fun of the fact I would wear a Lions coat and a Lions hat. They would be amazed to find out I never liked the hats I found, so I had one made up in the style I liked. I was not one of those who believed the Lions would never be good. I always believed that someday they would be great, but I feared it would not be in my lifetime.
Today there is hope again. The fans are feeling more excitement than they have in decades and the Lions havent even played one preseason game yet. That hope comes from the aggressiveness that GM - Martin Mayhew, and coach Jim Schwartz has shown in the off-season with free agents.
On the first day of free agency the fans learned of the Lions acquiring DE, Kyle Vanden Bosch and WR Nate Burleson, along with the trade to get DT Corey Williams and a 7th round pick for a 5th round pick. Not too many days later the Lions signed CB Jonathan Wade, a fast player who will help with depth in a position the Lions were hurting in. Then they gave the Falcons a 5th and a 6th round pick for CB Chris Houston and a 5th round pick. Chris Houston is expected to be a much faster CB who will start for the Lions.
Soon after, the Lions addressed their back-up QB spot by trading with the 49ers. The Lions gave them a 2011 7th round pick for Shaun Hill.
Recently the Lions gave up a 5th round pick in this years draft to the Seattle Seahawks for LG Rob Sims.
In a couple of short weeks the Lions have acquired two starting Defensive linemen, both who have a history of double digit sacks, a wide receiver who might open things up for Calvin Johnson, a starting cornerback with speed and a left guard who should stabilize the revolving door at the position in recent years, and added a decent back-up quarterback.
This coming on the heels of a 2-14 season that had the bright spots of two rookie defensive players, S- Louis Delmas and MLB- DeAndre Levy, who both showed signs of greatness. Along with Delmas and Levy were three other rookies who showed flashes they could all be very good in the near future. QB- Matthew Stafford, TE- Brandon Pettigrew and DT- Sammie Lee Hill.
Now the Lions are heading into the NFL Draft with the #2 overall pick. With the Rams releasing of Mark Bulger, it is all but definite that they will draft QB- Sam Bradford, leaving the Lions with what most experts believe is the best defensive tackle to come out of college in may year, Ndamukong Suh. Adding Suh would likely give the Lions one of the best defensive lines in the NFL and a huge improvement in the pass rush.
The 2010 draft is one of the deepest drafts in memory and the Lions should be able to fill a few of their holes with quality players.
Any way you look at it, the Detroit Lions are already a much improved team on paper and Mayhew has shown he knows how to judge talent as well as make trades that cost the Lions very little.
The Lions may not be good yet, but the moves the Lions have made have given fans a reason to hope. To hope that the future may actually be brighter than we have seen in a long time.
4/6/10
Lions Add a Left Guard
The Detroit Lions traded with the Seattle Seahawks, giving them Robert Henderson from their practice squad and a 5th round draft pick for Seattle's 7th rounder and LG- Rob Sims.
This fills the hole at Left Guard the Lions have had vacant for far too many years. It may also end the on going debates over if the Lions will draft Ndamukong Suh or Russel Okung.
Simple logic states that if you are happy with a player, you do not use a first round pick to draft a player to replace him. Schwartz has said he thinks Jeff Backus is a very good Left Tackle and has even said he should have gone to the pro-bowl. The argument before was that if the Lions drafted Okung, a LT, then Backus would have moved over to play Left Guard. Now the Lions have added a LG in Rob Sims. With both, the LT and LG position set, it is much more unlikely the Lions would spend their first round pick to add Okung.
However, it is not the same with Defensive Tackles. As it stands, the Lions have two solid DTs in Sammie Lee Hill and Corey Williams. Hill was coming on strong at the end of last year, but still is not5 considered dominant. Williams has had a couple of dominant seasons, but was then moved into a DE position and did not perform. Moving back to DT should help him return to form but until he does, he is not considered dominant.
In the NFL, an offensive lineman is expected to play most of the snaps. The defensive tackles however are rotated in to keep them fresh. With two solid DTs, the Lions still need one more. They have a couple guys in place who could fill that spot, but they are considered nothing more than depth guys right now. Schwartz has stated he wants a dominant defensive line. If you want a big pass rush, you need dominating defensive tackles to draw double teams and open things up for the defensive ends. The Lions needing another DT who will be a force, makes it still likely they will draft Ndamukong Suh.
And that my friends, is a very good thing!
This fills the hole at Left Guard the Lions have had vacant for far too many years. It may also end the on going debates over if the Lions will draft Ndamukong Suh or Russel Okung.
Simple logic states that if you are happy with a player, you do not use a first round pick to draft a player to replace him. Schwartz has said he thinks Jeff Backus is a very good Left Tackle and has even said he should have gone to the pro-bowl. The argument before was that if the Lions drafted Okung, a LT, then Backus would have moved over to play Left Guard. Now the Lions have added a LG in Rob Sims. With both, the LT and LG position set, it is much more unlikely the Lions would spend their first round pick to add Okung.
However, it is not the same with Defensive Tackles. As it stands, the Lions have two solid DTs in Sammie Lee Hill and Corey Williams. Hill was coming on strong at the end of last year, but still is not5 considered dominant. Williams has had a couple of dominant seasons, but was then moved into a DE position and did not perform. Moving back to DT should help him return to form but until he does, he is not considered dominant.
In the NFL, an offensive lineman is expected to play most of the snaps. The defensive tackles however are rotated in to keep them fresh. With two solid DTs, the Lions still need one more. They have a couple guys in place who could fill that spot, but they are considered nothing more than depth guys right now. Schwartz has stated he wants a dominant defensive line. If you want a big pass rush, you need dominating defensive tackles to draw double teams and open things up for the defensive ends. The Lions needing another DT who will be a force, makes it still likely they will draft Ndamukong Suh.
And that my friends, is a very good thing!
3/23/10
Lions May Not Want to Trade #2 Pick
There is always talk, every year, that the Lions should try and trade their first round pick away to gain more picks. This year with such a deep talent pool in the draft, it is a larger subject that usual. Yet this year might be the one year that it would not make sense.
The Lions own the #2 overall pick in this years draft. By most every account, the Rams who own the first pick overall are expected to draft either DT, Ndamukong Suh or QB, Sam Bradford. What the Rams do should weigh heavily on whether the Lions are willing to trade down.
If the Rams take Bradford, that would leave Suh standing there for the Lions to take. Suh is the most dominant Defensive Tackle to come out of college in a very long time. His talent should take the Lions already solid Defensive Line and make it a great one. That would in turn, immensely improve the Lions defense. Nowhere else in the draft are the Lions going to be able to draft a player who would single-handedly improve their defense to the extreme that Suh would.
Another thought to consider is that more often than not, a rookie needs time to develop. Even the better rookies often need time to get accustomed to the speed and talent level of the NFL. As it stands, the Lions have QB-Matthew Stafford, TE-Brandon Pettigrew, S-Louis Delmas, MLB-DeAndre Levy, and DT-Sammie Lee Hill, all rookies last year as starters on their team. That is already five players who are very young and do not have a lot of experience behind their belts. Even as good as Delmas played, he is still learning. If the Lions do not trade their picks, they would very possibly be adding another 4 or 5 starters who will be rookies. So, as it stands, the Lions could very possibly have 9 to 10 starters with 16 or less games of experience. That is nearly half of the team! Now I am a believer that it is always good to have some good young talent on the team, but to add more than that this soon would be asking for trouble. However good a player is, he usually still benefits from having veterans to help him along. The Lions right now are on the verge of spreading those veterans too thin.
However, if the Rams were to take Ndamukong Suh in the first round, I may have a different opinion. I am not a believer that McCoy is as good as he is touted. His stats in college do not come close to Suh's and then he did not come close to matching Suh in the combine. Other than people touting him because they fell for the hype, I have no reason to really believe he is anything special. So if the Lions cannot get Suh, I am a believer that there is not another player they can draft who will dramatically improve the team. Some may argue S-Eric Berry or CB-Joe Haden. Both are players who would improve the Lions in their prospective positions. Same with LT-Russel Okung. If the Rams take Suh, and the Lions took any one of these players, I would be fine with it. Yet if Suh is not available and then the Lions traded down, they may very well still end up with one of those players as well as the extra pick.
Either way about it the Lions are going to have a very young team. A very inexperienced team. When a team has this many inexperienced players, it is important to add players who will make as big of a difference as possible. Add the surest things you can. If you cannot add a player who will make a huge difference, who you are sure is a sure thing, then you add quantity over quality and hope that some turn out to be good.
The Lions own the #2 overall pick in this years draft. By most every account, the Rams who own the first pick overall are expected to draft either DT, Ndamukong Suh or QB, Sam Bradford. What the Rams do should weigh heavily on whether the Lions are willing to trade down.
If the Rams take Bradford, that would leave Suh standing there for the Lions to take. Suh is the most dominant Defensive Tackle to come out of college in a very long time. His talent should take the Lions already solid Defensive Line and make it a great one. That would in turn, immensely improve the Lions defense. Nowhere else in the draft are the Lions going to be able to draft a player who would single-handedly improve their defense to the extreme that Suh would.
Another thought to consider is that more often than not, a rookie needs time to develop. Even the better rookies often need time to get accustomed to the speed and talent level of the NFL. As it stands, the Lions have QB-Matthew Stafford, TE-Brandon Pettigrew, S-Louis Delmas, MLB-DeAndre Levy, and DT-Sammie Lee Hill, all rookies last year as starters on their team. That is already five players who are very young and do not have a lot of experience behind their belts. Even as good as Delmas played, he is still learning. If the Lions do not trade their picks, they would very possibly be adding another 4 or 5 starters who will be rookies. So, as it stands, the Lions could very possibly have 9 to 10 starters with 16 or less games of experience. That is nearly half of the team! Now I am a believer that it is always good to have some good young talent on the team, but to add more than that this soon would be asking for trouble. However good a player is, he usually still benefits from having veterans to help him along. The Lions right now are on the verge of spreading those veterans too thin.
However, if the Rams were to take Ndamukong Suh in the first round, I may have a different opinion. I am not a believer that McCoy is as good as he is touted. His stats in college do not come close to Suh's and then he did not come close to matching Suh in the combine. Other than people touting him because they fell for the hype, I have no reason to really believe he is anything special. So if the Lions cannot get Suh, I am a believer that there is not another player they can draft who will dramatically improve the team. Some may argue S-Eric Berry or CB-Joe Haden. Both are players who would improve the Lions in their prospective positions. Same with LT-Russel Okung. If the Rams take Suh, and the Lions took any one of these players, I would be fine with it. Yet if Suh is not available and then the Lions traded down, they may very well still end up with one of those players as well as the extra pick.
Either way about it the Lions are going to have a very young team. A very inexperienced team. When a team has this many inexperienced players, it is important to add players who will make as big of a difference as possible. Add the surest things you can. If you cannot add a player who will make a huge difference, who you are sure is a sure thing, then you add quantity over quality and hope that some turn out to be good.
3/19/10
A Look at the Lions Present Needs 3-19-2010
The Lions have made some big additions in the free agent market and are still looking at players. For the first time in years the fans have hopes of seeing a decent product on the field, but are those hopes justified?
Quarterback
Matthew - Stafford showed some flashes of greatness as a rookie as he hit some deep passes and threw the touchdown with a separated non-throwing shoulder. The young gun slinger also showed plenty of mistakes that comes with a rookie growing into his position. There are two worries on Stafford. One is that he suffered two different injuries in his rookie season making one question if he can hold up to the NFL punishment. Hopefully the Lions will help him out and address the offensive line woes this year. Secondly, Stafford had a problem with accuracy on short routes. With no pressure on him, he often threw behind or over wide open receivers.
Shaun Hill - has been signed to be Stafford's main back-up and it was a good choice by the Lions. Hill is not set up to be a starter a team can count on but he is a veteran who can step in and play fairly well if needed.
Conclusion = This position is set for 2010
Running Back
Kevin Smith - is still recovering from a serious knee injury. It doesn't matter because he was not a good enough starter to begin with. He ran with the speed and mind set of a power runner but was not big enough to break through or carry tacklers.
Maurice Morris - Had a couple of pretty good games in 2009 after Smith went down but he also had a bad game in between those games. Morris is nothing more than an average running back who has never had a very good season in his 7 or 8 year career.
Aaron Brown - Has the speed to break some long ones, but made enough rookie mistakes in 2009 to get into Schwartz doghouse. After Smith went down with injury, it was time to see what Brown could do but he was never given a chance. If Schwartz wasn't willing to see what he had when the season was lost, I do not see him handing over the reigns to start a fresh season.
Conclusion = The Lions have a couple other RBs on their roster, but none who will make any kind of splash. This is one position they really need to address yet.
Receiver
Calvin Johnson - Nicked named "Megatron" for good reason. Standing 6' 5" tall and weighing 236 lbs, Johnson is one of the more imposing WRs in the NFL. However, he has faced double and triple teams most of his career and has played injured much of that time. It was reported that Calvin Johnson has been working with a special trainer to strengthen up the muscles around his joints to help prevent injuries to the knees and elbows and such. If he can find some room and he is healthy, Johnson can be one of the best in the NFL.
Nate Burleson - Signed to replace Bryant Johnson as the guy opposite Calvin Johnson, he should do a better job of taking advantage of the single coverage. He is not overly fast but he has decent speed and is very quick. With sure hands, Burleson plays hard every play.
Derrick Williams - Struggled to pick up the playbook and routes in his rookie season and soon lost some favor with the coaches. With another year to learn it all, one can only hope a light switch turns on in his head and his speed comes in to play more often.
Conclusion = If the Lions can add another solid receiver, it would help but it is a secondary need at this time.
Tight End
Brandon Pettigrew - Was just truly turning things on when he went down with an injury in his rookie year. With a year behind him and his health back, he should be a force at TE for years to come.
Will Heller - Does not have great speed, great hands or exceptional quickness, but he is solid in every area making him a prime second TE to have on the roster.
Conclusion = This position is set for 2010
Offensive Line
After three consecutive seasons of allowing 50+ sacks, they settled down in 2009, sort of, and gave up only 45 sacks.
Jeff Backus (LT) - At the ripe age of 31 years old, Backus actually showed signs of learning how to play in 2009. The first few games were rough for him but then he settled down and his name was rarely called off for penalties or mistakes the rest of the season. Most fans hate Backus but I am of a different opinion. The worst position on the Lions offensive line is right guard and its extremely poor play can make its surrounding players look worse than they are. Backus may not be a great Left Tackle but he is serviceable and could be better if he ever had a good left guard beside him. Unfortunately he may not have many more seasons to get that chance.
Dominic Raiola (C) - Raiola, of an age with Backus, is not so bad at pass blocking. He is quick and it is said that he is very good at reading defenses. He may be but if the players along sidfe of him don't do their job, he will look bad. The problem with Raiola is that he does not have the lower leg power to drive defensive tackles backwards. Instead, he is pushed back himself in short yardage situations.
Dylan Gandy (RG) - Started the last 5 games of 2009 at right guard. At this time it is not known if he will perform well or not as he has not a lot of experience. My belief is that he will be nothing more than an average guard at best.
Gosder Cherilus (RT) - At 6'7" and 325 lbs, Cherilus is a beast on the offensive line. He has talent as his first round draft status in 2008 should suggest. The problem is that he gets caught up mentally. When the Lions are losing, he loses focus and often begins to commit penalties. If he ever matures, he could become a solid figure at the right tackle position.
Conclusion = Left Tackle or Left Guard are immediate positions of need. If the Lions get a left tackle, it is accepted that Backus would move over and play the left guard position. If they get a left guard, Backus would stay where he is. Either way, they need to fill one of those positions immediately and with Backus and Raiola growing older, they will both need to be replaced in the near future.
Defensive Tackle
Sammie Lee Hill - A rookie in 2009, Hill began to play stronger late in the season. Though he is not a huge pass rusher, he will be strong in stuffing the run and filling running lanes. If Hill continues to grow into the position, he could become a solid defensive tackle for many years.
Corey Williams - The Lions got Williams in a trade on the first day of free agency and he may be a very good addition. After two consecutive seasons of 7 sacks with Green Bay, Williams was traded to the Browns who used him as a defensive end. The change to the outside of the line never agreed with him. In Detroit it is expected he will move back to the inside and hopefully return to form.
Conclusion = Andre Fluellen and Landon Cohen are nothing more than back ups. Hill and Williams should be good defensive tackles but while one is a pass rusher the other is a run stuffer and they should compliment each other. This could be a pretty solid unit but nothing for opposing defenses to fear.
Defensive Ends
Cliff Avril - Has fought through injuries as well as lousy talent along side of him and has had 5 and 5.5 sacks the last two seasons respectively. In 2009 he had three of his sacks in the last five games, which could be a sign he was getting things together. It will be interesting to see what he can do with a decent interior to the defensive line to open things up for him some.
Kyle Vanden Bosch - Going into his ninth season, Vanden Bosch is near the end of his career, but the thinking on him is that he has a motor that plays hard every down and he needs a good interior to the defensive line to get him loose. When he had a good line around him a few years ago he had two seasons of 12 sacks each.
Jason Hunter - With 5 sacks in 2009, Hunter showed he does have some talent, but that being his best of 4 seasons doesn't say a lot for him. He is a good enough player to add decent depth to the position.
Conclusion = Vanden Bosch and Avril have some talent, but they are not dominant players. They need the Defensive tackles to create some havoc for them to get open and get to the quarterbacks. The Defensive Line as a whole is a very solid line and far better than any the Lions have fielded in some time now. They are not great though and if the Lions pass up on drafting Ndamukong Suh with the #2 overall pick, the defensive backs will be forced to play much better to make up for the lack of domination in the line.
Linebacker
Julian Peterson - He is getting older but he is still a solid outside linebacker who will only look much better playing behind a strong defensive line. His ability to rush the quarterback makes him a solid asset.
DeAndre Levy - One of the better surprises of the 2009 rookie class, Levy ended the season playing middle linebacker and calling all of the defensive plays on the field. If he continues to grow into his position, he could become one of the better inside linebackers of the NFL.
Ernie Sims - Injured early and seeming a little lost in the new defensive scheme, Sims began picking it up in the latter part of the year. He has decent speed and loves to hit. Sims could still become a very solid outside linebacker with a good supporting cast around him.
Zach Follett - Great on special teams, Follett could yet develop into a very good linebacker. He has the ability to rock a ball carrier out of his shoes; a talent that cannot be ignored if a team wants to place some fear in offenses.
Conclusion = The Lions Linebacker unit is solid and set for 2010
Cornerback
Chris Houston - In three seasons, Houston started 37 of 44 games he played in for the Atlanta Falcons. He is young (25), healthy and has decent size at 5'11". I recently saw a Falcons fan comment in a forum that he is glad to be rid of him because Houston never learned to turn around and face the ball when defending a pass. This would say to me that he was at least with the receiver that he would be in that predicament. Hopefully with new surroundings he can be taught to turn and defend the ball.
Conclusion = As things stand, Houston is the Lions only viable starter at cornerback. It is a position of dire need in the upcoming draft, though as I write this the Lions are looking at Adam Pacman Jones. If they sign him to a one year deal, this could set the starting unit for the upcoming season.
Safety
Louis Delmas - The best rookie of 2009 for the Lions. Delmas ended the season making the secondary call for the defense. He has speed and is not hesitant to charge in and make a tackle rather than shuddle stepping and waiting for the ball carrier to make the first move.
Conclusion = Whoever is the other starting safety on the team now, he can definitely be upgraded. It is not as important to address as the RB, CB or LG, but far more important than other positions.
Overall Conclusion = The one upgrade the Lions can make in the draft is to get Ndamukong Suh. The pressure he would place on a QB would make the rest of the defense much better. The other defensive linemen would have easier times breaking lose. The young CBs would not have to cover nearly as long. The safeties would be freed up to play the ball more rather than worrying about supporting the run quite as often. The Linebackers would have fewer lanes to fill on run plays and have more room to run on blitzes.
After Suh (DT),the Lions must address the running back, Left guard, and Cornerback positions and add a good safety to compliment Delmas if they can. That is five spots that need to be addressed and in a deep draft they should be able to do all five.
Quarterback
Matthew - Stafford showed some flashes of greatness as a rookie as he hit some deep passes and threw the touchdown with a separated non-throwing shoulder. The young gun slinger also showed plenty of mistakes that comes with a rookie growing into his position. There are two worries on Stafford. One is that he suffered two different injuries in his rookie season making one question if he can hold up to the NFL punishment. Hopefully the Lions will help him out and address the offensive line woes this year. Secondly, Stafford had a problem with accuracy on short routes. With no pressure on him, he often threw behind or over wide open receivers.
Shaun Hill - has been signed to be Stafford's main back-up and it was a good choice by the Lions. Hill is not set up to be a starter a team can count on but he is a veteran who can step in and play fairly well if needed.
Conclusion = This position is set for 2010
Running Back
Kevin Smith - is still recovering from a serious knee injury. It doesn't matter because he was not a good enough starter to begin with. He ran with the speed and mind set of a power runner but was not big enough to break through or carry tacklers.
Maurice Morris - Had a couple of pretty good games in 2009 after Smith went down but he also had a bad game in between those games. Morris is nothing more than an average running back who has never had a very good season in his 7 or 8 year career.
Aaron Brown - Has the speed to break some long ones, but made enough rookie mistakes in 2009 to get into Schwartz doghouse. After Smith went down with injury, it was time to see what Brown could do but he was never given a chance. If Schwartz wasn't willing to see what he had when the season was lost, I do not see him handing over the reigns to start a fresh season.
Conclusion = The Lions have a couple other RBs on their roster, but none who will make any kind of splash. This is one position they really need to address yet.
Receiver
Calvin Johnson - Nicked named "Megatron" for good reason. Standing 6' 5" tall and weighing 236 lbs, Johnson is one of the more imposing WRs in the NFL. However, he has faced double and triple teams most of his career and has played injured much of that time. It was reported that Calvin Johnson has been working with a special trainer to strengthen up the muscles around his joints to help prevent injuries to the knees and elbows and such. If he can find some room and he is healthy, Johnson can be one of the best in the NFL.
Nate Burleson - Signed to replace Bryant Johnson as the guy opposite Calvin Johnson, he should do a better job of taking advantage of the single coverage. He is not overly fast but he has decent speed and is very quick. With sure hands, Burleson plays hard every play.
Derrick Williams - Struggled to pick up the playbook and routes in his rookie season and soon lost some favor with the coaches. With another year to learn it all, one can only hope a light switch turns on in his head and his speed comes in to play more often.
Conclusion = If the Lions can add another solid receiver, it would help but it is a secondary need at this time.
Tight End
Brandon Pettigrew - Was just truly turning things on when he went down with an injury in his rookie year. With a year behind him and his health back, he should be a force at TE for years to come.
Will Heller - Does not have great speed, great hands or exceptional quickness, but he is solid in every area making him a prime second TE to have on the roster.
Conclusion = This position is set for 2010
Offensive Line
After three consecutive seasons of allowing 50+ sacks, they settled down in 2009, sort of, and gave up only 45 sacks.
Jeff Backus (LT) - At the ripe age of 31 years old, Backus actually showed signs of learning how to play in 2009. The first few games were rough for him but then he settled down and his name was rarely called off for penalties or mistakes the rest of the season. Most fans hate Backus but I am of a different opinion. The worst position on the Lions offensive line is right guard and its extremely poor play can make its surrounding players look worse than they are. Backus may not be a great Left Tackle but he is serviceable and could be better if he ever had a good left guard beside him. Unfortunately he may not have many more seasons to get that chance.
Dominic Raiola (C) - Raiola, of an age with Backus, is not so bad at pass blocking. He is quick and it is said that he is very good at reading defenses. He may be but if the players along sidfe of him don't do their job, he will look bad. The problem with Raiola is that he does not have the lower leg power to drive defensive tackles backwards. Instead, he is pushed back himself in short yardage situations.
Dylan Gandy (RG) - Started the last 5 games of 2009 at right guard. At this time it is not known if he will perform well or not as he has not a lot of experience. My belief is that he will be nothing more than an average guard at best.
Gosder Cherilus (RT) - At 6'7" and 325 lbs, Cherilus is a beast on the offensive line. He has talent as his first round draft status in 2008 should suggest. The problem is that he gets caught up mentally. When the Lions are losing, he loses focus and often begins to commit penalties. If he ever matures, he could become a solid figure at the right tackle position.
Conclusion = Left Tackle or Left Guard are immediate positions of need. If the Lions get a left tackle, it is accepted that Backus would move over and play the left guard position. If they get a left guard, Backus would stay where he is. Either way, they need to fill one of those positions immediately and with Backus and Raiola growing older, they will both need to be replaced in the near future.
Defensive Tackle
Sammie Lee Hill - A rookie in 2009, Hill began to play stronger late in the season. Though he is not a huge pass rusher, he will be strong in stuffing the run and filling running lanes. If Hill continues to grow into the position, he could become a solid defensive tackle for many years.
Corey Williams - The Lions got Williams in a trade on the first day of free agency and he may be a very good addition. After two consecutive seasons of 7 sacks with Green Bay, Williams was traded to the Browns who used him as a defensive end. The change to the outside of the line never agreed with him. In Detroit it is expected he will move back to the inside and hopefully return to form.
Conclusion = Andre Fluellen and Landon Cohen are nothing more than back ups. Hill and Williams should be good defensive tackles but while one is a pass rusher the other is a run stuffer and they should compliment each other. This could be a pretty solid unit but nothing for opposing defenses to fear.
Defensive Ends
Cliff Avril - Has fought through injuries as well as lousy talent along side of him and has had 5 and 5.5 sacks the last two seasons respectively. In 2009 he had three of his sacks in the last five games, which could be a sign he was getting things together. It will be interesting to see what he can do with a decent interior to the defensive line to open things up for him some.
Kyle Vanden Bosch - Going into his ninth season, Vanden Bosch is near the end of his career, but the thinking on him is that he has a motor that plays hard every down and he needs a good interior to the defensive line to get him loose. When he had a good line around him a few years ago he had two seasons of 12 sacks each.
Jason Hunter - With 5 sacks in 2009, Hunter showed he does have some talent, but that being his best of 4 seasons doesn't say a lot for him. He is a good enough player to add decent depth to the position.
Conclusion = Vanden Bosch and Avril have some talent, but they are not dominant players. They need the Defensive tackles to create some havoc for them to get open and get to the quarterbacks. The Defensive Line as a whole is a very solid line and far better than any the Lions have fielded in some time now. They are not great though and if the Lions pass up on drafting Ndamukong Suh with the #2 overall pick, the defensive backs will be forced to play much better to make up for the lack of domination in the line.
Linebacker
Julian Peterson - He is getting older but he is still a solid outside linebacker who will only look much better playing behind a strong defensive line. His ability to rush the quarterback makes him a solid asset.
DeAndre Levy - One of the better surprises of the 2009 rookie class, Levy ended the season playing middle linebacker and calling all of the defensive plays on the field. If he continues to grow into his position, he could become one of the better inside linebackers of the NFL.
Ernie Sims - Injured early and seeming a little lost in the new defensive scheme, Sims began picking it up in the latter part of the year. He has decent speed and loves to hit. Sims could still become a very solid outside linebacker with a good supporting cast around him.
Zach Follett - Great on special teams, Follett could yet develop into a very good linebacker. He has the ability to rock a ball carrier out of his shoes; a talent that cannot be ignored if a team wants to place some fear in offenses.
Conclusion = The Lions Linebacker unit is solid and set for 2010
Cornerback
Chris Houston - In three seasons, Houston started 37 of 44 games he played in for the Atlanta Falcons. He is young (25), healthy and has decent size at 5'11". I recently saw a Falcons fan comment in a forum that he is glad to be rid of him because Houston never learned to turn around and face the ball when defending a pass. This would say to me that he was at least with the receiver that he would be in that predicament. Hopefully with new surroundings he can be taught to turn and defend the ball.
Conclusion = As things stand, Houston is the Lions only viable starter at cornerback. It is a position of dire need in the upcoming draft, though as I write this the Lions are looking at Adam Pacman Jones. If they sign him to a one year deal, this could set the starting unit for the upcoming season.
Safety
Louis Delmas - The best rookie of 2009 for the Lions. Delmas ended the season making the secondary call for the defense. He has speed and is not hesitant to charge in and make a tackle rather than shuddle stepping and waiting for the ball carrier to make the first move.
Conclusion = Whoever is the other starting safety on the team now, he can definitely be upgraded. It is not as important to address as the RB, CB or LG, but far more important than other positions.
Overall Conclusion = The one upgrade the Lions can make in the draft is to get Ndamukong Suh. The pressure he would place on a QB would make the rest of the defense much better. The other defensive linemen would have easier times breaking lose. The young CBs would not have to cover nearly as long. The safeties would be freed up to play the ball more rather than worrying about supporting the run quite as often. The Linebackers would have fewer lanes to fill on run plays and have more room to run on blitzes.
After Suh (DT),the Lions must address the running back, Left guard, and Cornerback positions and add a good safety to compliment Delmas if they can. That is five spots that need to be addressed and in a deep draft they should be able to do all five.
3/12/10
Are Lions Setting Up to Draft Suh and Best?
The Detroit Lions have gone a long ways to improving their defensive line for 2010. As it stands, they have a pretty solid line with Hill and Williams in the middle and Vanden Bosch and Avril on the ends. But is a solid defensive line what the Lions are after?
Schwartz has stated that he would like to have a dominant defensive line in Detroit. HE knows that a defense feeds off of its defensive line play. The best defenses in the NFL are defenses with great defensive lines. A pretty solid D-line just isn't good enough. The fact that the Lions released White recently says that they are not set at DT. Schwartz knows that neither Williams or Hill are dominant players in the middle. If the Lions were set at defensive tackle, I don't believe they would have released White. They know that to have a dominant line, they will have to add a dominant defensive tackle. This screams that they will draft Suh if he is still there.
Schwartz has also stated that the running back position needs to be addressed. Kevin Smith was the Lions most talented runner and he simply does not have enough speed. Schwartz has said he wants to be more explosive at the position.
With Thomas Jones available in free agency, the Lions never even looked his way. Even though Jones is 31 years old, he had over 1400 yards last season. Yet they didn't even blink an eye at that? With Tomlinson still out there, the Lions have not even tried to look at him. Though he is older and has not had a big year in the last couple seasons, Tomlinson is still far more explosive than any RB on the Lions present roster. He also scored double digit touchdowns in 2009. So why aren't the Lions interested? I believe it is because they are set to take Jahvid Best in the 2nd round of the draft.
Best is widely regarded as the third best running back in this years crop. In no mock draft that I have seen do they have three running backs going in the 1st round. Almost all of the experts have Spiller and Mathews going in the 1st round and Best still there when the Lions draft at #34 overall. With Best being the 2nd fastest running back in this years draft, he would have that explosiveness that Schwartz wants to see from his running back.
There is another point to consider. The Lions are also needing to address the offensive line as well as the Cornerback positions. Yet both of these positions are deep enough to still get a starter in the 3rd and 4th rounds. However, they will not get another RB with Best's speed if they don't take him in the 2nd round. The draft is also extremely deep at DT but the fact is, you just can't get another player as dominant as Suh after the first round. You might not get a chance at another player as dominant as Suh ever again.
Of course, the Lions being the Lions, it will not surprise me to see them draft completely different, but for my money, the way things stand, I would bet on them drafting Suh or McCoy in the first round, then Best in the 2nd round, knowing they can fill out the LG and CB spots in the following rounds.
Schwartz has stated that he would like to have a dominant defensive line in Detroit. HE knows that a defense feeds off of its defensive line play. The best defenses in the NFL are defenses with great defensive lines. A pretty solid D-line just isn't good enough. The fact that the Lions released White recently says that they are not set at DT. Schwartz knows that neither Williams or Hill are dominant players in the middle. If the Lions were set at defensive tackle, I don't believe they would have released White. They know that to have a dominant line, they will have to add a dominant defensive tackle. This screams that they will draft Suh if he is still there.
Schwartz has also stated that the running back position needs to be addressed. Kevin Smith was the Lions most talented runner and he simply does not have enough speed. Schwartz has said he wants to be more explosive at the position.
With Thomas Jones available in free agency, the Lions never even looked his way. Even though Jones is 31 years old, he had over 1400 yards last season. Yet they didn't even blink an eye at that? With Tomlinson still out there, the Lions have not even tried to look at him. Though he is older and has not had a big year in the last couple seasons, Tomlinson is still far more explosive than any RB on the Lions present roster. He also scored double digit touchdowns in 2009. So why aren't the Lions interested? I believe it is because they are set to take Jahvid Best in the 2nd round of the draft.
Best is widely regarded as the third best running back in this years crop. In no mock draft that I have seen do they have three running backs going in the 1st round. Almost all of the experts have Spiller and Mathews going in the 1st round and Best still there when the Lions draft at #34 overall. With Best being the 2nd fastest running back in this years draft, he would have that explosiveness that Schwartz wants to see from his running back.
There is another point to consider. The Lions are also needing to address the offensive line as well as the Cornerback positions. Yet both of these positions are deep enough to still get a starter in the 3rd and 4th rounds. However, they will not get another RB with Best's speed if they don't take him in the 2nd round. The draft is also extremely deep at DT but the fact is, you just can't get another player as dominant as Suh after the first round. You might not get a chance at another player as dominant as Suh ever again.
Of course, the Lions being the Lions, it will not surprise me to see them draft completely different, but for my money, the way things stand, I would bet on them drafting Suh or McCoy in the first round, then Best in the 2nd round, knowing they can fill out the LG and CB spots in the following rounds.
3/9/10
Lions Trade for CB Chris Houston
On Monday, the Detroit Lions acquired cornerback, Chris Houston, in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons. For Houston, the Lions gave up a 6th round in this years 2010 draft as well as swapping 5th round picks.
After landing CB - Dunta Robinson, the Falcons made some room by trading Houston. Houston has started 36 of the Falcons last 38 games. Is he a great NFL cornerback? No! But Houston is a viable starter and young enough at 25 years old that he can still get better. If the Lions draft Suh in April's draft, Houston's job will become that much easier.
I saw one post from an Atlanta fan in a forum that eluded to Houston never learning to turn around and face the ball so her didn't get hit with an interference penalty. If this is a problem of his, then I am not worried. For him to get called, he must be covering well enough to stay with the opposing receivers. Besides, sometimes it just takes a new atmosphere and a different coach telling you something for it to finally sink in.
The fact remains.... the Detroit Lions needed to address both CB positions and they started by getting a starter in trade for what is essentially a late round pick. Good trade!
After landing CB - Dunta Robinson, the Falcons made some room by trading Houston. Houston has started 36 of the Falcons last 38 games. Is he a great NFL cornerback? No! But Houston is a viable starter and young enough at 25 years old that he can still get better. If the Lions draft Suh in April's draft, Houston's job will become that much easier.
I saw one post from an Atlanta fan in a forum that eluded to Houston never learning to turn around and face the ball so her didn't get hit with an interference penalty. If this is a problem of his, then I am not worried. For him to get called, he must be covering well enough to stay with the opposing receivers. Besides, sometimes it just takes a new atmosphere and a different coach telling you something for it to finally sink in.
The fact remains.... the Detroit Lions needed to address both CB positions and they started by getting a starter in trade for what is essentially a late round pick. Good trade!
3/7/10
Detroit Lions Off Season - What's Next?
The Detroit Lions got off to a strong start with the additions of two free agents in Nate Burleson and Kyle Vanden Bosch along with a trade to acquire Corey Williams . So what is next in line for the Lions brass?
According to Tom Kowalski, in an article on Mlive.com, the Lions are backing off of free agency to an extent as they stick to their strategy. Their plan was to sign only players who will be seen as starters for the next several years. That being done, they are now only looking at younger players who might add some competition and may become a starter in the future. What they do not want to do is add stop gap players who will be gone after next year. After the draft, they will look at what positions they did not address and then look to fill them with those stop gap type of veteran players. So which positions will be looked at in the draft now?
1) Cornerback - With the release of Philip Buchanon, the Lions have put themselves in dire straits to address both of the corner back positions. The lack of any starters in that position makes the cornerback one of the most important players to draft early.
2) Defensive Tackle - Though the Lions have signed two defensive linemen, it is still a position that needs to be looked at. Sammie Hill is looked at as a good up and comer but he has yet to prove he can be a true starter. Corey Williams had two consecutive seasons of 7 sacks before being moved to defensive end where he was a sub par player. Now he should be back on the inside but he is still a bit of a question mark. Vanden Bosch may be a very good DE as he was a few years back. He needs the DTs to create some havoc for him to beat his man one-on-one. The Lions would be making a big mistake not to still draft a beast like Ndamukong Suh if he is there.
3) Left Guard - There is no doubt that the Lions need to add a good Left Guard to their offensive line. Some fans believe this is the most important position to address. Unlike many fans, I am not so down on Jeff Backus at Left Tackle anymore. I used to hate him there, but in 2009 he settled down after the first few games and played well the rest of the year. If the Lions add a good solid, steady, left guard, Backus might be fine. If the Lions do not address the Left Guard position however, they will be entering the season with basically the same line that has given up around 200 sacks in the last four years.
4) Running Back - Kevin Smith is recovering from a bad knee injury. Let's face the facts here. Smith was too slow as it was. I don't expect him to get any faster after knee surgery. Even when healthy Smith is not a RB to make a defense worry. Neither is Maurice Morris. Morris has been in the league for 7 or 8 years. If he hasn't had a big year by now he probably isn't going to. However well he played in the last few games last year, he isn't going to do that for a full season. As much as many fans love Aaron Browns speed, he is not an every down back and Schwartz is not going to give him the chance to be one. When Smith went down with an injury and the season was virtually over, that was the time to see what Brown could do. If Schwartz was not willing to find out then, I don't see him wanting to when they are still in the run early on. So the Lions absolutely need a solid RB with enough speed to hit the home runs. Without that, defenses will not respect the Lions running game and they will focus on the pass.
5) Strong Safety - Louis Delmas showed great talent at the Free Safety position, and should even be better in 2010 with another season behind him and a much better defensive line to pressure the opposing quarterbacks. The Lions need to give him a Strong Safety who will be a strong compliment.
Needing to fill six positions with only seven picks is simply asking the Lions to be too successful in their draft. They will need to fill at least one of those positions with a veteran stop gap player. The most prominent players to do that with would be one of the veteran running backs available in free agency. Particularly Thomas Jones and Ladainian Tomlinson.
Originally, Tomlinson stated that he wanted to go to a team who might contend for a ring, but since has recounted a bit and said it is more important to him to get the carries. Most fans and even most experts believe LT is finished as his last two years have not been very good. Nobody wants to consider the fact that the Chargers run blocking was horrible. Don't forget that many thought Sproles would play well and he was no better than LT. The fact that LT had double digit touchdowns in 2009 makes him an interesting addition all on itself. Even if you are not a fan and think he is finished, can you honestly believe he is not a huge upgrade from what the Lions have now?
The most intriguing of the two however would be Thomas Jones. Though he is 31 years of age, he has improved the last three years straight; running for over 1400 yards in 2009. The problem with him however is that he will likely require a much larger salary.
Either one of these backs would be a great upgrade over the Lions current players. They would come with the prestige to draw fans and sell tickets as well as memorabilia. Most importantly though, would be that they would give the Lions a RB that opposing defenses would have to respect.
Another back I can now add to this list would be Justin Fargas as the Raiders have released him earlier today. He would not command the respect which the other two would from opposing defenses, but he would still be a big improvement over the current Lion running backs and he would likely come at a much cheaper price.
So long as one of these players are available, I would expect the Lions to talk to them going into the draft. If one is willing to sign with the Lions, it will be one less position they need to focus on in this years draft.
According to Tom Kowalski, in an article on Mlive.com, the Lions are backing off of free agency to an extent as they stick to their strategy. Their plan was to sign only players who will be seen as starters for the next several years. That being done, they are now only looking at younger players who might add some competition and may become a starter in the future. What they do not want to do is add stop gap players who will be gone after next year. After the draft, they will look at what positions they did not address and then look to fill them with those stop gap type of veteran players. So which positions will be looked at in the draft now?
1) Cornerback - With the release of Philip Buchanon, the Lions have put themselves in dire straits to address both of the corner back positions. The lack of any starters in that position makes the cornerback one of the most important players to draft early.
2) Defensive Tackle - Though the Lions have signed two defensive linemen, it is still a position that needs to be looked at. Sammie Hill is looked at as a good up and comer but he has yet to prove he can be a true starter. Corey Williams had two consecutive seasons of 7 sacks before being moved to defensive end where he was a sub par player. Now he should be back on the inside but he is still a bit of a question mark. Vanden Bosch may be a very good DE as he was a few years back. He needs the DTs to create some havoc for him to beat his man one-on-one. The Lions would be making a big mistake not to still draft a beast like Ndamukong Suh if he is there.
3) Left Guard - There is no doubt that the Lions need to add a good Left Guard to their offensive line. Some fans believe this is the most important position to address. Unlike many fans, I am not so down on Jeff Backus at Left Tackle anymore. I used to hate him there, but in 2009 he settled down after the first few games and played well the rest of the year. If the Lions add a good solid, steady, left guard, Backus might be fine. If the Lions do not address the Left Guard position however, they will be entering the season with basically the same line that has given up around 200 sacks in the last four years.
4) Running Back - Kevin Smith is recovering from a bad knee injury. Let's face the facts here. Smith was too slow as it was. I don't expect him to get any faster after knee surgery. Even when healthy Smith is not a RB to make a defense worry. Neither is Maurice Morris. Morris has been in the league for 7 or 8 years. If he hasn't had a big year by now he probably isn't going to. However well he played in the last few games last year, he isn't going to do that for a full season. As much as many fans love Aaron Browns speed, he is not an every down back and Schwartz is not going to give him the chance to be one. When Smith went down with an injury and the season was virtually over, that was the time to see what Brown could do. If Schwartz was not willing to find out then, I don't see him wanting to when they are still in the run early on. So the Lions absolutely need a solid RB with enough speed to hit the home runs. Without that, defenses will not respect the Lions running game and they will focus on the pass.
5) Strong Safety - Louis Delmas showed great talent at the Free Safety position, and should even be better in 2010 with another season behind him and a much better defensive line to pressure the opposing quarterbacks. The Lions need to give him a Strong Safety who will be a strong compliment.
Needing to fill six positions with only seven picks is simply asking the Lions to be too successful in their draft. They will need to fill at least one of those positions with a veteran stop gap player. The most prominent players to do that with would be one of the veteran running backs available in free agency. Particularly Thomas Jones and Ladainian Tomlinson.
Originally, Tomlinson stated that he wanted to go to a team who might contend for a ring, but since has recounted a bit and said it is more important to him to get the carries. Most fans and even most experts believe LT is finished as his last two years have not been very good. Nobody wants to consider the fact that the Chargers run blocking was horrible. Don't forget that many thought Sproles would play well and he was no better than LT. The fact that LT had double digit touchdowns in 2009 makes him an interesting addition all on itself. Even if you are not a fan and think he is finished, can you honestly believe he is not a huge upgrade from what the Lions have now?
The most intriguing of the two however would be Thomas Jones. Though he is 31 years of age, he has improved the last three years straight; running for over 1400 yards in 2009. The problem with him however is that he will likely require a much larger salary.
Either one of these backs would be a great upgrade over the Lions current players. They would come with the prestige to draw fans and sell tickets as well as memorabilia. Most importantly though, would be that they would give the Lions a RB that opposing defenses would have to respect.
Another back I can now add to this list would be Justin Fargas as the Raiders have released him earlier today. He would not command the respect which the other two would from opposing defenses, but he would still be a big improvement over the current Lion running backs and he would likely come at a much cheaper price.
So long as one of these players are available, I would expect the Lions to talk to them going into the draft. If one is willing to sign with the Lions, it will be one less position they need to focus on in this years draft.
3/4/10
Free Agency, the Next Step to Lions Respectability
The NFL Free Agency period begins at midnight tonight. It is the next step for the Lions to take toward being respectable. It is an important step and one that will have huge ramifications on the upcoming NFL draft.
The Lions are expected to chase Defensive Ends and Running backs the hardest. In particular, the two defensive ends they are expected to talk to are Aaron Kampman of Green Bay and Kyle Vandan Bosch of Tennessee. If they can land one of these two, it will give them more leeway as to where they spend their upcoming draft picks. Many believe that the Lions might draft a DE in the 2nd or 3rd round. If they land Kampman or Vandan Bosch, they can use that early pick somewhere else.
The Runningback they seem interested in is Thomas Jones. Which to be honest is news to me since I just read something of that nature this morning. Yet this makes great sense. There are a lot of fans who are not real high on Thomas Jones, but you have to step back and look at this. Thomas Jones just might be one of the most under rated players in the league. In Arizona, Jones did not play much and did not play well. When the Bucs got him in 2003, he only got 137 carries but he averaged 4.6 yards per carry. They did not find him worthy and the next season he ended up in Chicago. In 14 games he had 948 yards and the following two seasons he ran for 1,335 yards and 1,210 yards. For some reason that was not good enough and in 2007 Jones started for the New York Jets. In three years there he has ran for 1,119 yards, 1,312 yards, and 1,402 yards. Yet that isn't good enough for them.
Thomas Jones has ran for 5 consecutive seasons of over 1,100 yards. In his last three years he has improve each of those years. Yes he is 31 years old and there is this general belief that a running back suddenly becomes worthless when he hits 30. Well Jones just ran for over 1,400 yards as a 30 year old. Until he actually shows he is slowing down, he is worth having on your team. If you are worried he is not fast enough, don't! In his last two seasons he has 14 carries of 20+ yards and 3 carries of 40+ yards. That is far better than what Kevin Smith has done, or Kevin Jones before him. The best part is that he is durable. Jones has not missed a game in his last four years.
Understandably, Jones is not the long term answer. Still, he is a very good running back who still has a couple years left in him. If the Lions do a good job drafting, they will be much more ready to draft an elite running back in the next couple of years to take over for Jones.
As it stands, there has been plenty of talk that the Lions could draft a RB in the second round and a DE in the 3rd round. If they can address both of those needs in free agency, then both of those rounds can be used for other positions like cornerback, left guard or safety. All things considered, the Lions could add good players at OL, RB, DT, DE, CB, and S. This would be with free agency and only the first four rounds of the draft. Tell me that would not help the Lions move back to respectability!
The Lions are expected to chase Defensive Ends and Running backs the hardest. In particular, the two defensive ends they are expected to talk to are Aaron Kampman of Green Bay and Kyle Vandan Bosch of Tennessee. If they can land one of these two, it will give them more leeway as to where they spend their upcoming draft picks. Many believe that the Lions might draft a DE in the 2nd or 3rd round. If they land Kampman or Vandan Bosch, they can use that early pick somewhere else.
The Runningback they seem interested in is Thomas Jones. Which to be honest is news to me since I just read something of that nature this morning. Yet this makes great sense. There are a lot of fans who are not real high on Thomas Jones, but you have to step back and look at this. Thomas Jones just might be one of the most under rated players in the league. In Arizona, Jones did not play much and did not play well. When the Bucs got him in 2003, he only got 137 carries but he averaged 4.6 yards per carry. They did not find him worthy and the next season he ended up in Chicago. In 14 games he had 948 yards and the following two seasons he ran for 1,335 yards and 1,210 yards. For some reason that was not good enough and in 2007 Jones started for the New York Jets. In three years there he has ran for 1,119 yards, 1,312 yards, and 1,402 yards. Yet that isn't good enough for them.
Thomas Jones has ran for 5 consecutive seasons of over 1,100 yards. In his last three years he has improve each of those years. Yes he is 31 years old and there is this general belief that a running back suddenly becomes worthless when he hits 30. Well Jones just ran for over 1,400 yards as a 30 year old. Until he actually shows he is slowing down, he is worth having on your team. If you are worried he is not fast enough, don't! In his last two seasons he has 14 carries of 20+ yards and 3 carries of 40+ yards. That is far better than what Kevin Smith has done, or Kevin Jones before him. The best part is that he is durable. Jones has not missed a game in his last four years.
Understandably, Jones is not the long term answer. Still, he is a very good running back who still has a couple years left in him. If the Lions do a good job drafting, they will be much more ready to draft an elite running back in the next couple of years to take over for Jones.
As it stands, there has been plenty of talk that the Lions could draft a RB in the second round and a DE in the 3rd round. If they can address both of those needs in free agency, then both of those rounds can be used for other positions like cornerback, left guard or safety. All things considered, the Lions could add good players at OL, RB, DT, DE, CB, and S. This would be with free agency and only the first four rounds of the draft. Tell me that would not help the Lions move back to respectability!
2/28/10
Who Should Be the Lions First Round Pick in 2010?
In recent days, there has been a lot of reason to believe the St.Louis Rams will be drafting quarterback Sam Bradford with their #1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. If this should happen, the Lions will find themselves having to choose between the defensive tackles, Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy. It almost seems split on who wants Suh and who wants McCoy. Yes, there is a lot of talk that Detroit would like to trade down to accumulate more picks. It is unlikely this will actually happen however, so we are back to picking at #2.
No they will not draft Eric Berry at #2 and they are definitely not taking Joe Haden that early. As great as both of those players are, they would not improve the team near as much as one of the defensive tackles would. However good they may be, they cannot consistently cover players for 6 to 7 seconds every play. A defensive line that puts a lot of pressure on a quarterback will disrupt an offense far more than any other position. So the question becomes which DT do they take?
It seems as the days pass by, there are more and more believers that McCoy is the better choice. It is said that Gerald McCoy has a little more quickness and better technique while Suh uses more power to dominate the offensive linemen. Many believe that the quicker, better technique will translate to better success in the NFL. It is believed that Suh might not be able to over power linemen in the NFL like he did in college.
Last night I was suffering through a cold and was lying awake, staring into the darkness. While not blowing my nose, I was thinking about the Lions draft and it hit me. I have not seen where anyone has reversed the theories on these two players!
If it is held against Ndamukong Suh that he might not be able to over power linemen in the NFL, why doesn't anyone question if McCoy's quickness and technique will dominate NFL linemen? Which of these two players would have a better chance of getting better in the NFL? Many say McCoy because he is younger, but I see it differently. You can teach a player like Suh better technique, but you cannot teach McCoy more power. As powerful as Suh is, imagine how great he may become if he polished his technique in the pass rush!
Then there is the small fact that they will only be rushing the passer on maybe 50 to 60% of the plays. On the others, they will have to stop the run. The Lions are horrid when stopping the run. Suh is the better run stuffer.
However much technique McCoy may have, he has used it against the same quality players that Suh has overpowered. Nobody knows which of these players will help them more in the next level. Either could be a bust. Maybe both. I would rather have the more powerful guy who can be taught better technique and can stuff the run better.
If the Lions do not trade down and have the choice between Suh and McCoy, the choice has to be Suh.
No they will not draft Eric Berry at #2 and they are definitely not taking Joe Haden that early. As great as both of those players are, they would not improve the team near as much as one of the defensive tackles would. However good they may be, they cannot consistently cover players for 6 to 7 seconds every play. A defensive line that puts a lot of pressure on a quarterback will disrupt an offense far more than any other position. So the question becomes which DT do they take?
It seems as the days pass by, there are more and more believers that McCoy is the better choice. It is said that Gerald McCoy has a little more quickness and better technique while Suh uses more power to dominate the offensive linemen. Many believe that the quicker, better technique will translate to better success in the NFL. It is believed that Suh might not be able to over power linemen in the NFL like he did in college.
Last night I was suffering through a cold and was lying awake, staring into the darkness. While not blowing my nose, I was thinking about the Lions draft and it hit me. I have not seen where anyone has reversed the theories on these two players!
If it is held against Ndamukong Suh that he might not be able to over power linemen in the NFL, why doesn't anyone question if McCoy's quickness and technique will dominate NFL linemen? Which of these two players would have a better chance of getting better in the NFL? Many say McCoy because he is younger, but I see it differently. You can teach a player like Suh better technique, but you cannot teach McCoy more power. As powerful as Suh is, imagine how great he may become if he polished his technique in the pass rush!
Then there is the small fact that they will only be rushing the passer on maybe 50 to 60% of the plays. On the others, they will have to stop the run. The Lions are horrid when stopping the run. Suh is the better run stuffer.
However much technique McCoy may have, he has used it against the same quality players that Suh has overpowered. Nobody knows which of these players will help them more in the next level. Either could be a bust. Maybe both. I would rather have the more powerful guy who can be taught better technique and can stuff the run better.
If the Lions do not trade down and have the choice between Suh and McCoy, the choice has to be Suh.
2/24/10
McCoy Over Suh?
All eyes are on the St.Louis Rams and who they will pick with the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. Most expect the Rams to take Ndomakung Suh and the Lions to end up with Gerald McCoy. However, there is the faction who believe that the Rams will take Sam Bradford and the Lions will get Suh. If the Rams are to take Suh, how would you feel if the Lions still took McCoy and passed by Suh?
There are a lot of fans who believe McCoy is the better DT, despite Suh's far superior numbers. Citing that Suh uses more of a strength dominance while McCoy has more quickness and technique, they believe McCoy is better for the Lions defense. Even some experts have claimed as much.
Another fact that might push the Detroit Lions to rank McCoy over Suh would be Suh's three knee surgeries. Though he has stayed healthy for two straight years now, with the Lions propensity to players getting injured, they might feel safer taking the more durable McCoy.
There are a lot of fans who believe McCoy is the better DT, despite Suh's far superior numbers. Citing that Suh uses more of a strength dominance while McCoy has more quickness and technique, they believe McCoy is better for the Lions defense. Even some experts have claimed as much.
Another fact that might push the Detroit Lions to rank McCoy over Suh would be Suh's three knee surgeries. Though he has stayed healthy for two straight years now, with the Lions propensity to players getting injured, they might feel safer taking the more durable McCoy.
2/22/10
Could Lions Take a Running Back in the First Round?
I have posted in many forums that I think the Lions should take a DT, DE and an OG in the first three rounds. There are a few who think the Lions should take a Safety and even a few who think they should draft RB - CJ Spiller in the first round. I have argued against this until recently I have found myself leaning the other way. Please don't get me wrong. I still think they should take one of the top DT's in the first round, but I do admit, I see some logic in Spiller.
The only way I would draft CJ Spiller in the first round however, is if they could trade down by swapping 1st round picks and gain a 2nd round pick. Now allow me to explain why this interests me.
Recently I read a post where some fans feel that the RB position can be addressed in the later rounds of a draft. So, naturally, I had to dig into this line of thought. . .
RBs Drafted in 1st round =
Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Steve Jackson, Thomas Jones, Rashard Mendenhall, DeAngelo Williams, Joseph Addai, Cedric Benson, Knowshon Moreno, Ricky Williams, Jonathan Stewart, LaDanian Tomlinson, Beanie Wells, Lawrence Maroney, Ronnie Brown, Carnell Williams, Darren McFadden, and Donald Brown.
RBs Drafted in 2nd round =
Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice, LeSean McCoy, and Matt Forte
RBs Drafted in 3rd round =
Jamaal Charles, Frank Gore, Steve Slaton, and Justin Fargas
RBs Drafted AFTER the 3rd round =
Michael Turner, Brandon Jacobs, Pierre Thomas, Ryan Grant, Tim Hightower, Jerome Harrison, Justin Forsett, Fred Jackson, Marion Barber, Ahmad Bradshaw, Mike Bell, Michael Bush, and Correl Buckhalter
Notice that almost ALL of the elite RBs were drafted in the first 3 rounds and most of those were in the 1st round. After the 3rd round there are only a handful who are proven good runningbacks.
Can you get a good RB later in the draft? Yes. Are the odds very good? Not at all. If the Lions are going to address the RB position, they should do it in FA. If not then, then they are far better off taking one in the first few rounds.
So let's say the Lions choose to go that route. There are other teams who draft in the middle of the first round who might love a chance to get Suh or McCoy or even Bradford or Claussen. There are no teams in the first round however that have a glaring hole at running back, so Spiller would likely still be available in the middle of the first round. With the extra pick in the 2nd round, it is highly likely the Lions could still get their hands on a very good DT. Remember, this draft will be heavy with good Defensive Tackles. So rather than getting a DT, DE, and a OG in the first three rounds, if the Lions were to trade down and take Spiller, they very well could end up with a DT, DE, OG, and a very good RB.
In more simpler terms, I would be very interested in dropping from a great DT to a good DT if I can add a very good RB to boot.
I am still not sold this is the way to go, but I have to admit, if you really look at it, a move like this might make a lot of sense.
The only way I would draft CJ Spiller in the first round however, is if they could trade down by swapping 1st round picks and gain a 2nd round pick. Now allow me to explain why this interests me.
Recently I read a post where some fans feel that the RB position can be addressed in the later rounds of a draft. So, naturally, I had to dig into this line of thought. . .
RBs Drafted in 1st round =
Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Steve Jackson, Thomas Jones, Rashard Mendenhall, DeAngelo Williams, Joseph Addai, Cedric Benson, Knowshon Moreno, Ricky Williams, Jonathan Stewart, LaDanian Tomlinson, Beanie Wells, Lawrence Maroney, Ronnie Brown, Carnell Williams, Darren McFadden, and Donald Brown.
RBs Drafted in 2nd round =
Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice, LeSean McCoy, and Matt Forte
RBs Drafted in 3rd round =
Jamaal Charles, Frank Gore, Steve Slaton, and Justin Fargas
RBs Drafted AFTER the 3rd round =
Michael Turner, Brandon Jacobs, Pierre Thomas, Ryan Grant, Tim Hightower, Jerome Harrison, Justin Forsett, Fred Jackson, Marion Barber, Ahmad Bradshaw, Mike Bell, Michael Bush, and Correl Buckhalter
Notice that almost ALL of the elite RBs were drafted in the first 3 rounds and most of those were in the 1st round. After the 3rd round there are only a handful who are proven good runningbacks.
Can you get a good RB later in the draft? Yes. Are the odds very good? Not at all. If the Lions are going to address the RB position, they should do it in FA. If not then, then they are far better off taking one in the first few rounds.
So let's say the Lions choose to go that route. There are other teams who draft in the middle of the first round who might love a chance to get Suh or McCoy or even Bradford or Claussen. There are no teams in the first round however that have a glaring hole at running back, so Spiller would likely still be available in the middle of the first round. With the extra pick in the 2nd round, it is highly likely the Lions could still get their hands on a very good DT. Remember, this draft will be heavy with good Defensive Tackles. So rather than getting a DT, DE, and a OG in the first three rounds, if the Lions were to trade down and take Spiller, they very well could end up with a DT, DE, OG, and a very good RB.
In more simpler terms, I would be very interested in dropping from a great DT to a good DT if I can add a very good RB to boot.
I am still not sold this is the way to go, but I have to admit, if you really look at it, a move like this might make a lot of sense.
2/16/10
Should the Lions Trade Down? I'm Not SO Sure.
Constantly I am hearing or reading how the Lions should trade down to accumulate more picks in the 2010 NFL Draft.
If this was any normal year, I would say it would be a mistake. I know many think the Lions have too many glaring needs to fill and need bodies to fill them. More importantly however is that the Lions need real talent to fill those holes. On any normal draft, you cannot count on more than 2 or 3 players working out. More often than not, of those three, only one might become a truly good player. Far more often than not, players who are drafted turn out to be nothing more than average players in the NFL. Considering these points, usually it would be more important for the Lions to get the sure thing rather than more possibles. However, this is not the normal year.
With the CBA and no cap year coming next season, far more underclassmen are coming out of college. The field for the 2010 draft is much deeper than in years past and the 2011 draft will be much thinner because much of the best talent left early. With this in mind, it would be much better to trade the lesser talented 2011 picks to move up or gain more picks in the 2010 draft.
Holding the #2 overall pick in the draft, the Lions are in prime position to make such a trade. If the Rams, who pick first, were to draft one of the two top quarterbacks coming out, the other quarterback's value would skyrocket and make the Lions #2 pick that much more valuable to a team who wants a quarterback. There are also plenty of rumors that the Buccaneers would want to move up even though they draft right after the Lions. It is a pretty sure thing they want a defensive tackle. So if the Rams draft one of the two top defensive tackles, the Bucs might be willing to trade to move up to get the other.
There is still a question however, if the Lions should trade down. Even in this talent filed year. So many fans seem to believe that the Lions would be just as well off drafting a top safety or cornerback as they would drafting a top defensive tackle. This is a foolish thought process and one that sets the team up for failure. The Lions NEED a good defensive tackle more than any other position on the team right now. They need someone who can create some havoc at the line of scrimmage.
In 2009, the Lions defensive line put very little to no pressure at all on opposing quarterbacks. Far, far too often those QBs had five, six or seven seconds to find an open receiver. The fact is, the best cornerback in the NFL cannot keep even a decent to good receiver covered for that long consistently. When a quarterback has that long to get rid of the ball and is that comfortable in the pocket, he will find an open receiver. The worst quarterback in the NFL would look good if he has decent receivers and six seconds to throw the ball on every play.
If the Lions had the best defensive backs in the NFL next year, their passing defense will still be below par if they cannot find a way to place pressure on the quarterbacks. That is why it is so important for the Lions to get a top defensive back this off season. When a defense pressures a quarterback, they force him to get rid of the ball early. This ruins the timing between QBs and WRs. This keeps the receivers from finishing their routes correctly. This causes the quarterback to worry about where the pressure is coming from, making it harder for him to focus on his receivers.
There are reasons such sayings as "A team is built from the inside out" or "The game is won in the trenches" are such common quotes in the NFL. Because they are true!
The only way the Detroit Lions should trade away their 2nd overall pick in the 2010 draft, is if they can be sure to get a top player as well as still fill that defensive tackle position with a player who can get into the backfield. In this case, they would be better suited to stay where they are and draft McCoy or Suh. The defensive tackle is far more important for the Lions defense than any other position right now. It would be foolish to pass up one two players who are considered the best to come out in that position in many years.
If this was any normal year, I would say it would be a mistake. I know many think the Lions have too many glaring needs to fill and need bodies to fill them. More importantly however is that the Lions need real talent to fill those holes. On any normal draft, you cannot count on more than 2 or 3 players working out. More often than not, of those three, only one might become a truly good player. Far more often than not, players who are drafted turn out to be nothing more than average players in the NFL. Considering these points, usually it would be more important for the Lions to get the sure thing rather than more possibles. However, this is not the normal year.
With the CBA and no cap year coming next season, far more underclassmen are coming out of college. The field for the 2010 draft is much deeper than in years past and the 2011 draft will be much thinner because much of the best talent left early. With this in mind, it would be much better to trade the lesser talented 2011 picks to move up or gain more picks in the 2010 draft.
Holding the #2 overall pick in the draft, the Lions are in prime position to make such a trade. If the Rams, who pick first, were to draft one of the two top quarterbacks coming out, the other quarterback's value would skyrocket and make the Lions #2 pick that much more valuable to a team who wants a quarterback. There are also plenty of rumors that the Buccaneers would want to move up even though they draft right after the Lions. It is a pretty sure thing they want a defensive tackle. So if the Rams draft one of the two top defensive tackles, the Bucs might be willing to trade to move up to get the other.
There is still a question however, if the Lions should trade down. Even in this talent filed year. So many fans seem to believe that the Lions would be just as well off drafting a top safety or cornerback as they would drafting a top defensive tackle. This is a foolish thought process and one that sets the team up for failure. The Lions NEED a good defensive tackle more than any other position on the team right now. They need someone who can create some havoc at the line of scrimmage.
In 2009, the Lions defensive line put very little to no pressure at all on opposing quarterbacks. Far, far too often those QBs had five, six or seven seconds to find an open receiver. The fact is, the best cornerback in the NFL cannot keep even a decent to good receiver covered for that long consistently. When a quarterback has that long to get rid of the ball and is that comfortable in the pocket, he will find an open receiver. The worst quarterback in the NFL would look good if he has decent receivers and six seconds to throw the ball on every play.
If the Lions had the best defensive backs in the NFL next year, their passing defense will still be below par if they cannot find a way to place pressure on the quarterbacks. That is why it is so important for the Lions to get a top defensive back this off season. When a defense pressures a quarterback, they force him to get rid of the ball early. This ruins the timing between QBs and WRs. This keeps the receivers from finishing their routes correctly. This causes the quarterback to worry about where the pressure is coming from, making it harder for him to focus on his receivers.
There are reasons such sayings as "A team is built from the inside out" or "The game is won in the trenches" are such common quotes in the NFL. Because they are true!
The only way the Detroit Lions should trade away their 2nd overall pick in the 2010 draft, is if they can be sure to get a top player as well as still fill that defensive tackle position with a player who can get into the backfield. In this case, they would be better suited to stay where they are and draft McCoy or Suh. The defensive tackle is far more important for the Lions defense than any other position right now. It would be foolish to pass up one two players who are considered the best to come out in that position in many years.
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