Detroit Lions Weblog

The Lions Linebacker Situation

Ty from Lions in Winter, a fellow traveler in the hoisting of the Lions millstone around our necks, is as energetic and informed as any blogger currently devoting their attention to the Lions.

The Lions Are a Weighty Beast of Burden. Is It Bad Form to Use One Cliche In the Service of Another?

Recently, Ty had the good fortune of increasing his exposure by contributing to MLive.com’s “Highlight Reel” blog. After the envy subsided, I read Ty’s compelling argument for the Lions need to utilize one of their few personnel groups (their only one?) that could be remotely construed as an area of strength as a bargaining chip.

This move would comprise of one of the personnel executive’s most common gambits for deal-making. By utilizing an area of strength in a deal, in order to strengthen another personnel group, hypothetically, sacrificing little (hopefully) of the level of performance in the stronger personnel group in the process, the team improves holistically.

Ty does a very good job explaining that Martin Mayhew exhibited a light-on-his-feet ability to negotiate the treacherous waves of the most difficult and under-utilized modes of altering a team’s roster (in the NFL at least), making trades. Ty rightfully commends Mayhew’s ability to trade Roy Williams, and even more improbably turn a player with limited value to the Lions, Cory Redding, to one of value, Julian Peterson (ironically, a player who added to the relative strength of the Lions linebacking corps). He Posits:

Is there another Cory Redding on this roster?

The easy answer is “Yes, Julian Peterson.” Why? He’s now an expensive asset at a position of sudden surplus. With the emergence of DeAndre Levy, the Lions have four “starting” linebackers for their base 4-3 defense. Peterson played well in several games, but was far from a consistent impact performer; he didn’t approach justifying his lofty salary.

However, Julian Peterson is the exact type of player that Schwartz and Mayhew want at OLB: a big, strong, fast outside linebacker, who can generate pass rush off the blitz. If the Lions could wave a magic wand, they’d have a young JP man both OLB positions. No, Peterson still has value in this defense; the trade bait has to be someone else: an undersized, overpaid, underperforming defender with no clear role.

Ernie Sims.

Sims was locked in constant battle with Levy for starting reps and playing time, and has been maddeningly inconsistent throughout his four-year career. He’ll flash breathtaking quickness and incredible hitting ability one week, and a total inability to hit the correct hole or tackle well the next. That reckless, undisciplined play is bad enough when it comes from an otherwise excellent defender – but when it comes from Sims, it’s inexcusable. All that freelancing has generated only 2.5 sacks, 5 passes defensed, and 1 INT in his entire career.

So, if Sims is the bait on the hook, who’s the prey?

This is where I deviate. I think, assuming that Larry Foote (more on that later…) re-signs, that the Lions should do absolutely nothing to diminish DeAndre Levy’s versatility. By committing to Levy as the weakside LB, I believe that the Lions will limit Levy’s ability, using Jim Schwartz’s term, to be a multi-dimensional player.

Levy gives the Lions a player who can play nickel MLB, serve as a starting weakside LB, and gives them someone who seems surpemely adaptable, a rare commodity. By trading Sims, the Lions would be calling upon either Jordan Dizon or Zack Follett, collectively known as the “Pain Train” to step forward and assume a much larger role, which may actually be beyond their capabilities at this point.

The Lions would also hinder their ability to utilize the occasional 3-4 defensive alignment, even though Follett began to earn playing time in those situations, later in the ‘09 season.

Ernie Sims Ponders a Fickle Lions Fan Base?

Ernie Sims Game Log
Week Solo Ast Total
1 4 1 5
2 4 5 9
weeks 3-5 DNP
6 1 0 1
7 Bye
8 3 4 7
9 2 1 3
weeks 10-13 DNP
14 4 0 4
15 6 2 8
16 4 1 5
17 4 3 7

Sims’ ‘09 performance was less than inspiring, that goes without debate. He was injured throughout the season, and is not entirely a natural fit in the Lions current defensive scheme. Sims is inarguably better suited for the Tampa-2 defensive scheme, which is becoming an endangered species among NFL defenses.

That being said, Sims did have several games where he approached 10 tackles and still can be a relentless, nettlesome presence to opposing offense’s.

Ultimately, I believe that it will be difficult for the Lions to obtain anything other than a low-ball offer for Sims, since he is undersized, and considering last season’s injuries, could become an increasingly injury-prone player. The Lions would not be able to maximize his value at this point. Moving Sims would be akin to re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Denizens of Lions Nation Are Not Surprised to See Another Matt Millen Draft Pick De-Value Exponentially

Meanwhile, having “four starting linebackers”, two of whom are veterans operating on borrowed time, would allow the Lions the luxury of a valuable replacement in the unfortunate event that one of their starters succumbs to injury.

With Larry Foote angrily declaring that the Lions lethargy in providing him with a new deal will force him to consider testing the free agent market, the Lions vaunted “surplus” at the linebacker position could be vanishing before our very eyes.

But now it’s looking like the two parties may be going their separate ways after 2009, which saw the 29-year-old Foote register 99 tackles – the second-highest season total in his career.

Feb. 4, The Detroit News: “We’re just going to free agency and see from there,” said Foote, citing unproductive talks between his agent, Brian Levy, and Lions general manager Martin Mayhew.
“I mean, obviously, I’m not a big priority for them. So that’s just how I’m taking it.”

Foote Believes That the More Linebackers the Lions Have the Merrier

But Foote, who, including signing bonus, earned $1.5 million in 2009, said he isn’t looking for a huge increase in pay; the main thing he wants is a multiyear deal.

Whether or not Foote re-signs with the Lions will depend mostly on what he can earn in free agency, and what the Lions coaching staff thinks the Detroit native’s role would be, especially considering defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham’s explicit desire to see Levy manning the middle linebacker spot.

Foote doesn’t necessarily agree that it’s either he or Levy in the middle.

“I mean, I don’t look at it like that. Me and Levy played all year together, practically,” Foote said, noting Levy started eight games at outside linebacker. “You want to stack up enough good linebackers as you can.“

Truer words have never been spoken, Larry. The fiery, pernicicious leadership that Foote posesses, along with his solid performance, all strike me as good reasons for the Lions to extend Foote.

The Lions don’t have the luxury of being able to take risks with their incredibly awful defense. Determining how they can improve their defense, with additional components, not by weakening a vulnerable position group, strikes me as the best plan of attack.

Lions Acknowledge Need at RB, Is McCoy the Most Efficacious Pick at #2?

Obviously, there are a lot of things that can happen between now and April’s NFL draft, but as times presses on, it seemingly becomes increasingly clear that the St. Louis Rams will select DT Ndamukong Suh, the consensus best available player, leaving the Lions to make the subsequent decision to select DT Gerald McCoy.

Not so fast, upon reading this brief entry on Pro Football Talk, I think that the pick at #2 deserves the Lions giving full thought to other options:

Lions have big decision at Number Two
Posted by Evan Silva on January 31, 2010 4:22 PM ET
It’s all but a foregone conclusion that the Rams will draft Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh with the No. 1 overall pick. Suh is the best and most qualified player in the draft, so he is the obvious top selection.

Who goes No. 2 is less certain.

Lions G.M. Martin Mayhew appears to be debating over Oklahoma State left tackle Russell Okung and Oklahoma University defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. McCoy is the popular pick in mock drafts, but was significantly less productive than Suh. And Okung surrendered just one sack all season. He allowed a mere two quarterback hurries as a senior.

McCoy’s loss of Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2009 (McCoy won in 2008) to Suh shouldn’t severely affect his draft stock. It’s clear that Suh is the best player coming from the national ranks. The real issue for Mayhew is whether McCoy is No. 2.

McCoy did have 15.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 12 Qb hurries, 2 passes broken up and 1 forced fumble. He was incredibly productive. There is absolutely no denying that, but look at this :

Lions QB Sacks Allowed Last Five Seasons
2005 31
2006 63
2007 54
2008 52
2009 43

total=243 sacks allowed in 5 seasons

At 6′ 6″ and 305 lbs., Okung Commands
Mayhew’s Attention!

The Lions have missed their opportunity for several franchise left tackle’s during recent drafts, names like Joe Thomas, Ryan Clady, and Michael Oher all make Lions fans wince in agony. The Lions have heavily invested in their potential franchise Qb, is drafting Okung, assuming he produces a quality combine performance, the next logical step? 243 SACKS!!!

Admittedly, a large chunk of those Qb sacks occurred during Mike Martz’s tenure as offensive coordinator, who ill-advisedly designed an offense that left Lions Qb’s particularly vulnerable. Yet, the standard blueprint in the NFL front offices is to place a higher value upon acquiring a franchise left tackle than adding a defensive tackle as a high draft pick.

I have no problem with the Lions going against precedent, if McCoy distinguishes himself significantly at the draft combine. The fact is the Lions need to add help in the trenches and secondary, so any non-skilled player additions, with talent, who become productive, are highly welcome.

The Lions have heavily invested in their offensive line recently, with limited positive results (am I being too kind?). The addition of Okung, would likely mean jockeying Jeff Backus or Gosder Cherilus around to accomodate Okung’s addition. Moving the disappointing Cherilus to one of the guard spots, and Backus to right tackle, seems cogent to me.

Martin Mayhew has made it clear that he believes that the Lions running back situation is unsettled, given the severity of Kevin Smith’s injury, and the lack of production that was provided by that playing group during the 2009 season:

• On the running back position: “I anticipate adding somebody to that position, but the question will be what their role is going to be. Is it going to be a guy you bring in and say, ‘This guy is going to be our starter?’ Or is it going to be a guy you bring in to supplement what you already have?”

Without Denying Blount's Many Troubles, This is a Touching Photo

There are numerous reports that the Lions were infatuated with the performance of 6′2, 240 lb Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount, whose career ended inauspiciously with his now infamous punch out of a Boise State opposing player, and subsequent conflagrant meltdown on national television, and would be a controversial draft pick, to say the least.

Blount’s statements at the Senior Bowl:

The Lions said they relished coaching the North in the Senior Bowl because they got an inside look at some prospects for the NFL draft. It should help them assess them as people, not just players. One member of their team was particularly intriguing for that reason: Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount. General manager Martin Mayhew has said he anticipates adding a running back this off-season. The 6-foot-1, 240-pound Blount brings a powerful package. But it comes with baggage. Asked what he was telling NFL teams about the incident, Blount said: “It was a mistake on my behalf. I shouldn’t have lost my head, my emotions. I was out of control. The expectations for myself and my team was high, and we did not play to the expectations that we wanted to. We didn’t perform like we wanted to. It was just a bad night altogether.” What did he learn? “I’ve just learned that I’ve got to keep my composure, watch my temper,” Blount said. “You’re going to have bad games. You’re going to have bad days. The way I handled that situation was the wrong way.” - Nicholas J. Cotsonika, The Detroit Free Press

Blount has been compared to Raiders running back Michael Bush, but he could become a Jerome Bettis-like force in the NFL. I would much prefer that the Lions devote a mid- to late-round draft pick to a high value, high risk player like Blount, than have them select a smaller, scatback type of option like Dexter McCluster or Jahvid Best, each of whom could slide to the second round, if they don’t provide a blazing 40-yard dash time at the combine.

The addition of a punishing, between-the-tackles runner, would place opposing safeties in a very difficult postion, given the presence of Calvin Johnson, and an anticipated (and hoped for) healty return of TE Brandon Pettigrew. If a punishing runner moves the safeties up closer to the line of scrimmage, the Lions vertical passing game could become absolutely electric. (see above, drafting Okung!)

Lions Left Guard Status, The Saints Making The Super Bowl Scratches Another Name Off From a Dubious List

Of the 32 NFL teams, after Sunday’s NFC Championship victory by the Saints, there are only four who have yet to have had the fortune of playing in the Super Bowl. Those teams, the Lions, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, and Jacksonville Jaguars are on the outside looking in, when it comes to the hype, fanfare, and attainment of filthy lucre, in an event that amounts to being the penultimate, panis et circenses-spectacle in western civilzation.

Dan Orlovsky, Like the Lions, Sees the Game From the Outside Looking In

What is even more painful, for the Lions and their fans, is the harsh reality that they are the lone team, excluding the complicated Browns/Ravens/Browns dichotomy, that existed before the inception of the Super Bowl.

Given the Lions recent abysmal 3-37 run, it is reasonable to wonder with all sincerity if it is possible that the Lions will never play in the world’s premier sporting championship game.

A Super Bowl Has Been Played In Each of the Lions Home Stadiums, But the Lions Have Yet to Play in the Game.

The wild, joyful celebration of Saints fan this weekend, served as a stark reminder of how poorly constructed and coached this team has been through the years. With the 2-14 Lions coaching staff observing and coaching potential talent in Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl, the Lions and their fans are tantalized by the prospect of adding more young talents to the fold, in hopes of edging closer to respectability,

MLive.com’s Phil Zaroo rang a clarion call to the Lions organization imploring them to address a postion of personnel need, that they have neglected to their own detriment for 20 years now, left offensive guard.

In Zaroo’s words, using an impersonation, first:

*Dwight from The Office voice* Question: How many offensive guards have the Detroit Lions drafted in the last 20 years?

Answer: Five. That’s right. Five: Tony Semple (1994 – Rd. 5), Hessley Hempstead (1995 – Rd. 7), Jeff Hartings (1996 – Rd. 1), Manny Ramirez (2007-Rd. 4) and Fred Matua (2003 – Rd. 7).

*Philip from MLive.com voice* Did you hear me? FIVE!

Who the hell, aside from Hartings, were these guys?!?

Matt Millen's Decision to Not Re-Sign Hartings Seems to Be the Beginning of Their Current Troubles

The Lions have had an awful who’s who of players fill their guard positions during recent years names like Brendai Stai, Edwin Mulitalo, Rick DeMulling, Damien Woody, Ross Verba, David Loverne, Daniel Loper, Ray Brown, and Manny Ramirez all stand as cold, harsh reminder of the Lions failings at filling the guard position on their roster.

Matt Millen Says“D’Oh, Brendan Stai?”

It is early in the evaluation process, but Idaho’s Mike Iupati represents a hot commodity who is unlikely to be available when the Lions pick at the top of the second round in April. It remains to be seen what other talents may emerge, but the Lions clearly, if they ever hope to gain any momentum towards competing in a Super Bowl will need to address their gaping organizational hole at the guard position.

The Lions Have Enjoyed Some Past Success With Interior Linemen From the Pacific Islands

Lions Coaching Staff Churns, QB Coach Horton Leaves, Special Teams Coach Crossman In, Defensive Line Karmelowicz Leaving Next?

A much needed, yet underrated component of any particular team’s rebuilding process is establishing organizational continuity. Consistency is developed through repetition and adherence to the integrity of the organizational philosophy.

The Lions began their off-season with the necessary, and expected termination of Special Teams coach Stan Kwan, after Kwan’s units lost (or contributed terminally)2-3 games for the Lions this season, and struggled mightily all year. The mere fact that fans knew Kwan’s name, let alone called for his head, was an obvious symptom of the aggregated problems that determined his eventual fate.

Subsequently, the Lions hired Danny Crossman, who once played for the Lions and was also formerly a coach at Michigan State, and announced that QB coach Jeff Horton was leaving to coach at the University of Minnesota, and that Scott Linehan would now assume the double role of presiding over both the QB’s and the Offense.

Upon first glance, this makes sense. Linehan has been a head coach, and has handled both jobs before in the past. The Lions, at least publicly, have played it off that Linehan’s job description will actually change very little, and that their offensive quality control coach, Todd Downing, will now play a larger role in Horton’s stead.

The thing is, at least publicly, they are downplaying the increased organizational “juice” that Linehan has now accrued, as the team’s offensive coordinator and likely more importantly, as the coach who is most directly responsible for the growth and development of the player that the organization has cast nearly it’s entire lot with, and last year’s first overall draft pick, QB Matthew Stafford.

Alright Linehan, You're It!

Linehan will likely hold an enhanced sway over the scouting and draft processes, given his position in the organization, at this point.

By all accounts, it is apparent, at this early juncture, that the Lions will be drafting defensive player in the first round, and even more likely, a defensive lineman.

Gerald, Your position coach is going to be Bob Karmel...wait, I mean Kris Kocurek.

That fact makes it incredibly interesting that Lions Defensive Line coach, Bob Karmelowicz, did not join the rest of the Lions coaching staff to coach the Senior Bowl. Karmelowicz is believed to be contemplating his retirement, which makes things interesting, since the prize of this season’s draft is likely to be placed under the tutelage of a new position coach, an in-house candidate, Kris Kocurek.

As necessary as adding Crossman was, the inarguable intrinsic value of Linehan’s experience is, and the fact that Karmelowicz’s replacement is likely to be drafted in-house, these changes still shift the sands, and stir up the murk of sediment of that casts a pall over the organization’s intended desire for continuity. Hopefully, this will settle, and the organization will be productive moving forward. Only time will tell.

Cherilus is Heading To His Haitian Homeland With a Team of Doctors

Gosder Cherilus and a team of doctors and nurses are headed to his Haitian homeland, to provide as much assistance as they can to the struggling country.

Cherilus Deserves Respect For Coming to the Aid of His Countrymen

Cherilus says:

“They have a hospital waiting on them, and they’ll be bringing their own antibiotics and everything else they would need to help make a difference out there,” Cherilus said.

Cherilus has partnered up with Haiti Outreach Mission, a group based on Troy, Mich., and he’s gotten help from a friend, Pat Lynch, who he went to school with to assemble the assistance.

Cherilus was raised in Haiti before moving to the U.S. for high school and then attending Boston College. The plan is for the group to spend a week there.

“You’re talking about young kids who lost their mother or their father,” he said. “We wanted to make sure we had a little bit of everything from a surgeon to paramedics, psychologists — all kinds of people.”

I have been critical of Cherilus’ play this past season, but hopefully, whether he ever becomes the player that we hope can become or not, he will be successful in his aid trip.

Please Keep These People In Your Thoughts

Lions Draft Process, Luther Elliss

Recently, “Killer Kowalski”, in his responses to MLive.com reader’s questions, made one of the most concise (and scathing) assessments of the Lions past draft room escapades, which if they are true, reinforce the perceptions that the Matt Millen-regime was truly a rudderless ship.

Entering last season’s draft, many Lions fans demanded a complete overhaul of the scouting department, since it’s success-to-failure rate in the draft was so low. Here are some thoughts by Kowalski:

First, Mayhew has a hands-on approach to the draft. This year, he said he traveled to eight or nine schools during the regular season to scout players - a severe departure from the previous regime. There is a lot more interaction between the personnel heads and the scouts - and the coaching staff. What’s the purpose of drafting a player the coaches don’t like - and won’t play? Perhaps the biggest difference is the preparation in the final weeks. The Lions have added an extra step to what Millen did. Once the work is done and the draft board is complete, they go over it again. They watch more film and argue amongst themselves about the rankings. Mayhew and Schwartz, just the two of them, get together and review film for countless hours.

Where is Millen? What is He Doing In the Bathroom Again? Doesn't He Know That We Are On the Clock?

Hmm…I guess it is too late to question the comparative lack of preparation, but one begs to ask, wouldn’t the team’s draft results signal to Matt Millen and his staffers that their draft process needed to be altered considerably? Does the division of responsibilities between Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew allow Mayhew to take a “more hands-on” approach than Millen ever had the luxury of, while he was team president?

Mayhew said the arguments are all made in the days leading up to the draft so when the Lions are on the clock, they know exactly who they’re going to take. I’ve often recounted the Brian Calhoun story, about how the Lions were debating about whether to take an offensive lineman at that spot in the third round. The argument was whether the Lions would be “reaching” for him at that spot. They went back and forth without resolution and then, as the clock was about to expire, a coach yelled “Take Brian Calhoun.” And that’s what they did.

The Brian Calhoun selection was particularly befuddling, since the Lions had so many other needs at that time, and his draft stock was not particularly high. Between Calhoun, whom the Lions likely envisioned as poor man’s Marshall Faulk, and Drew Stanton, it is clear that Mike Martz’s presence factored heavily into the Lions thinking, even if Martz wasn’t explicitly excited about either player, or their respective futures.

Don't You Ever Compare Me to Mouse Davis, Damn You All to Hell!

Kowalski continues:

That situation won’t happen with Mayhew running the show. If you’re wondering why the Lions don’t announce their pick immediately, it’s because they’re still waiting for the phone to ring to see if they get an offer they like. Mayhew admitted that when the Lions moved too quickly, they’ve later received a call for a deal they would’ve considered. That’s why they wait.

Mayhew’s acumen for deal-making is unquestioned, even if overall, most of the deals that he made have went south on him this past season. That being said, I will concede that in most of the trades that Mayhew made, the Lions were better off than they were prior to the trade being made.

In regards to the draft, Mayhew and his team of scouts, at this early juncture, appear to have done as a high a quality of a job as any Lions staff during recent memory, certainly in the last twenty years.

It’s not that the Lions’ scouts are perfect, they’re not. They make their fair share of mistakes but the reason I didn’t think they should get broomed last year is because of the things I’d heard about the league. The Lions’ scouts had a pretty good reputation with other NFL personnel directors and many of those guys were around in the pre-Millen days when the Lions actually drafted pretty well.

Oh, and that offensive lineman they were debating about? It was Max Jean-Gilles, who is now a starter with the Philadelphia Eagles. Interestingly, the Lions were both right and wrong in their debate about Jean-Gilles. The Lions were on pick No. 74 when they discussed him and he didn’t go until the 99th overall choice so they would’ve been reaching for him.

However, Calhoun gave the Lions absolutely nothing while Jean-Gilles, who started just one game in his first two seasons, has been a starter at right guard in 15 games over the past two years for the Eagles.

Hey, Lions Fans, I Presume You Like
Cream Pie?

These final comments from Kowalski are the most bitter and painful. In most cases, for every botched Millen pick, there is a clear cut, alternate choice who has enjoyed a successful career, effectively rubbing the noses of the Lions fans directly into the “mess” Matt Millen left on William Clay Ford’s rug(Silverdome/Ford Field).

Conveniently, WR Charles Rogers could have been just as easily, and clearly more wisely, perennial Pro Bowl WR Andre Johnson, or even CB Terrence Newman or DT Kevin Williams. WR Mike Williams was followed by OT Jammal Brown, and a pair of LB/DE’s in DeMarcus Ware and Shawne Merriman in the first round of the 2005 draft.

QB Joey Harrington should have been OT Bryant McKinnie, DE Dwight Freeney, DE/LB Terrell Suggs, or DT Albert Haynesworth. Good, but not great, trade chip WR Roy Williams could have been CB Dunta Robinson, QB Big Ben Roethlisberger, or RB Steven Jackson

Many Lions fans would gladly trade increasingly disgruntled, but sublimely talented WR Calvin Johnson for OT Joe Thomas or RB Adrian Peterson, even with his propensity for fumble-itis. OT Gosder Cherilus could have been OT Jeff Otah, QB Joe Flacco, or RB Chris Johnson

Multi-Pro Bowler Thomas Would Look Awfully Good in Honolulu Blue, For Many Lions Fans

I will steadfastly remind people that the Lions could have selected OT Michael Oher, game-changing WR Percy Harvin or DE/LB Clay Matthews, with the pick which they utilized to select TE Brandon Pettigrew. Admittedly, Pettigrew showed a great deal of promise prior to his injury, and he was even selected to the NFL all-rookie team. That being said, you will never convince me that the Lions needed Pettigrew over the addition of a player like Oher, or Harvin, who as a slot companion to Johnson and explosive kick returner, would fill a clear roster void.

Obviously, the benefit of hindsight being 20/20 factors heavily, and several of the defensive players would have been ill-suited for the various defensive schemes at the time of their respective draft selections (Ware, Merriman, Suggs, Matthews).

Still, just analyzing only the Lions first round selections (Oh my, looking at the second round would be an absolute torture and would send me reeling in dejected misery!) it is clear to see why the Lions have only three victories in their last 40 games, a jaw-dropping reality, in itself.

Keep Luther in Your Thoughts

Speaking of jaw-dropping, former stalwart, fan favorite DT Luther Elliss has hit some rocky roads in his personal life recently. From MLive.com:

Retired Detroit Lions defensive lineman Luther Elliss is preparing to abandon his million-dollar suburban Detroit home, the latest in a financial collapse that has forced him to file bankruptcy amid a string of failed investments and debt.

Elliss, 36, who was paid almost $11.6 million from 2000-04, is relying on area churches and friends to pay bills, his savings depleted. He lost one home in Utah to foreclosure and the married father of 11 plans on walking away from his Oakland Township home due to lack of income and high mortgage payments.

“We can’t afford it,” Elliss told The Detroit News for a story published Tuesday.

Regardless of the mistakes Elliss may have made, you hate to see this scenario play out, whether the person has been fortunate in the past, like Elliss, or not.

Here are Elliss’ statements about his unfortunate situation:

“My faith has helped carry us through this,” Elliss said. “If my story can help change somebody’s destiny or future, I pray that it does.”

Elliss and his wife filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in June, one month after the U.S. Bank National Association won a $524,058 civil judgment against them tied to the Utah foreclosure.

“That was the tipping point,” Elliss said.

Here’s hoping that someone who was a enthusiastic and charitable person as a Lions player finds good fortune around the corner, even if it is impossible for him to ever reclaim his vast wealth.

Haitian Tragedy Affects Three Lions

The recent devastating earthquake in Haiti, which was already an incredibly poor and disadvantaged nation, should beckon us to help in any way that we are able to.

Here are several ways to help, monetarily or otherwise:

• Make an unrestricted donation to the Red Cross International Response Fund at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767).

• Text “Haiti” to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross. Funds will go to support relief efforts in Haiti.

Donate your money. There are a host of charities on the ground in Haiti and taking your donations. We’ve highlighted a few of them:

Oxfam has hundreds of people in Haiti helping with relief efforts. You can donate on the American or UK site, depending on where you’re located.

AmeriCares has pledged $5 million to Haitian quake relief, and is soliciting donations to a general emergency disaster relief fund to help it accomplish that.
CARE is sending relief workers into the city of Port-au-Prince and needs funds to support its efforts. Suggested donations range from $50 to $1,000, but you can name your own amount if you prefer.

MSNBC.com has a great list of charitable organizations that are present in Haiti and in need of contributions.

Donate your miles. Delta Air Lines is allowing customers to donate SkyMiles to Red Cross to through SkyWish; United Airlines offers points donations through the Red Cross via its Mileage Plus Charity Miles program; American Airlines is setting up a donation page on its website, and JetBlue is working on additional flights for doctors and nurses who can aide in Haiti.

Go to Haiti: Our friends over at the Matador network are working on organizing a volunteer trip to Haiti to help with rebuilding efforts.

The fact that three Lions have ties to the island (Louis Delmas, Cliff Avril, and Gosder Cherilus) makes the story hit even closer to home, especially since Avril is still awaiting word to hear if his relatives there are okay.

Please keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers.

The 2009 End of Season Review

The end of the NFL season really is a sad occasion for me. The week in, week out ritual of watching football games, even if the Lions are losing, generates an as yet, unmatched excitement. Upon the end of the season, things move rapidly, as team’s evaluate where their respective franchises are headed moving forward, determining who stays within the protective folds of the organization, and who will eventually be looking for work elsewhere.

Stan Kwan, Get On Board!

The Lions are far from immune from this process, besides the recent termination of special teams coordinator Stan Kwan, the Lions are expected to make sweeping personnel and (potentially) coaching changes, as the off-season progresses, in response to their 3-37 record in their last 40 games.

For many football fans, the rapid fire personnel shuffle of the free agency period, the microscopically-analyzed lead up to the draft, and the various camps and activities which set up the whole tableau, are the most exciting part of the season, especially for an interminably failing franchise, like the Lions have so often been. Hope springs eternal, as they say.

Perennially, Half Full Switches to Half Empty Upon the Onset of the Season For Many Lions Fans

Given the seeming fruits the 2009 draft bore for the Lions franchise, Lions fans will be as excited as ever to see the team set to work upon acquiring more young talent to help (hopefully) upgrade their current roster.

Despite many Lions fans strong feelings to the contrary, the Lions believe that they made the right choice in selecting Matthew Stafford in the ‘09 draft over LB Aaron Curry, who was the prohibitive fan favorite entering the draft.

Martin Mayhew on Stafford:

“If Matthew Stafford doesn’t succeed and doesn’t become a great quarterback in the NFL, some of that’s on us, because he’s got all the tools and stuff to be able to do that,” Mayhew said. “It’s on us to put good players around him. It’s on us to coach him, to improve his play.”

Jim Schwartz on Stafford:

“He made some throws that I haven’t seen made in the NFL on a consistent basis,” coach Jim Schwartz said.

Though he was far from perfect, with a 53.3 completion percentage and 20 interceptions in 10 games, Schwartz said he was not disappointed in Stafford’s accuracy or decision-making.

The Lions failed to run consistently and ranked last in the NFL defensively. Stafford often faced adverse situations — from down and distance to the score — and Schwartz said he “made mistakes on those situations.” He often was too aggressive trying to make a play.

“There were times he played exactly like we thought he would,” Schwartz said. “But you also have to temper that with where he is in his career and things like that. Here’s a 21-year-old quarterback who was starting as a rookie. There have been a lot of great players in the NFL that have been thrown into that role that haven’t had a lot of success right away.“

Long. Ware. Mitchell. Batch. Harrington. McMahon. Culpepper. Spell Misery?

If Stafford is not going to join the long list of failed Lions QB’s that have marked the franchise’s history (as AOL’s Michael David Smith exhibits in the above photo), the Lions need to examine exactly where the team failed this season, and what additional pieces can be placed around Stafford so that he, and by proxy, the team will begin to establish a semblance of success.

From the Freep: How Matthew Stafford’s rookie season compares with Mark Sanchez’s and with other Lions’ first-round quarterbacks:

QB YEAR TEAM CMP-ATT YARDS TD-INT RATING RECORD
Matthew Stafford 2009 Lions 201-377 2,267 13-20 61.0 2-8
Mark Sanchez 2009 Jets 196-364 2,444 12-20 63.0 8-7
Joey Harrington 2002 Lions 215-429 2,294 12-16 59.9 3-9
Andre Ware 1990 Lions 13-30 164 1-2 44.3 0-0
Chuck Long 1986 Lions 21-40 247 2-2 67.4 0-0
Greg Landry 1968 Lions 23-48 338 2-7 45.7 0-2

QB: Matthew Stafford C
Daunte Culpepper D
Drew Stanton D

The Lions believe that they have a crucial organizational building block in Stafford. Beyond that, even with the potentially disastrous return of Daunte Culpepper, and the likelihood that the Lions will retain Drew Stanton, their QB situation behind Stafford is muddled, and worthy of committing attention to. The Lions also signed journeyman veteran Patrick Ramsey after placing Stafford upon the injured reserve list. At this point, I hope that the Lions are able to find a more suitable backup than Culpepper this off-season.

Hopefully, This Becomes a Familiar Image For Lions Fans in the Future.

One thing that does need to be mentioned about Stafford, is that he provided the NFL with a memorably compelling, and hard-nosed performance in the Lions late game win against the Browns. Aside from Jon Kitna being hit by a blitzing linebacker uncontested several seasons ago(against the Niners), Stafford getting pancaked by a Browns defensive lineman as he attempted an improbable “Hail Mary” pass, was the most brutal hit I have witnessed in a NFL game. No one will ever question Stafford’s toughness, from that point on.

Kitna Vs. Stafford (advance to 3:30)

Running Backs: Kevin Smith C+
Maurice Morris B-
Aaron Brown C-
Terrelle Smith D
Jerome Felton D

The Lions had four running backs rush for only 1328 yards behind a weak offensive line, often in situations where the team had fallen behind early, necessitating a complete abandonment of rushing plays in their play calling. Many Lions fans lamented the lack of a game-breaking, explosive threat in the team’s backfield this season. Hearing that Kevin Smith played with two injured shoulders, prior to his knee giving out in the most cruel of manners, explains that a) he is tough as hell b) that until we can see him at full strength (that’s assuming that he can ever return to optimum health), his presence as the Lions workmanlike, feature back should not be completely disparaged, yet.

Maurice Morris also performed respectably and the Lions could do much worse than hold onto him as the team’s primary backup. Raw, mistake-prone, utility back Aaron Brown flashed signs of why the Lions chose to draft him, however, their patience will be exceptionally brief next season, especially if they select another back in the upcoming draft.

The Lions were not particularly happy with the performance of either Terrelle Smith (released) or Jerome Felton, so the team may actually add both a fullback and tailback this off-season. In my opinion, the team didn’t do enough to utilize Felton in short yardage situations, the “red” zone, nor fully take advantage of his decent hands as a pass catcher out of the backfield.

Wide Receivers: Calvin Johnson B-
Dennis Northcutt F
Bryant Johnson D-
Derrick Williams F

Calvin Johnson became a sulking, chronically dinged up, representation of vast unmet potential, and a starkly cruel reminder of how personnel mismanagement can reduce a potentially great player to an embarassing, frustrated shadow of himself.

Johnson routinely saw double and triple coverages and no other Lions player was able to successfully exploit the match-up advantages (76 catches, 826 yards, and four TD’s for the Lions three other primary wide receivers) that opponents willingly provided them, in order to avoid Johnson being effective against them.

The Lions will need at least two new faces here. I wager that Dennis Northcutt and Derrick Williams will both be serving “super sized” orders in about six months.

Former Lions Usually Land On Their Feet in a Promising New Profession.

Tight End: Brandon Pettigrew C+/inc.
Will Heller C
Casey FitzSimmons C
Dan Gronkowski inc.

Brandon Pettigrew’s selection with the 20th in the first round of the NFL draft will remain a touchy subject for me, likely throughout the duration of his career as a Lion. The Lions offense under Scott Linehan, with a first round draft pick tight end, was a major disappointment. Especially considering Linehan’s past use of the position as a major aspect of his game plan. That aside, even if I rather that the team had selected OT Michael Oher, Pettigrew showed considerable promise, after a sluggish start.

FitzSimmons and Heller were each valuable role players, who if Pettigrew remains healthy and productive, and they are not depended upon as featured players, are the type of players that the Lions know can be counted upon. Dan Gronkowski could eventually replace one of them, but his presence wasn’t felt this season.

OL: T Jeff Backus C+
T Gosder Cherilus D-
T Jon Jansen C-
T Ephraim Salaam D
G Daniel Loper F
G Manny Ramirez F
G Stephen Peterman C/inc.
G Dylan Gandy C
C Dominic Raiola C+

The Lions offensive line was never fully settled, either due to injury (Stephen Peterman) or general incompetence (Loper, Ramirez, Jansen, Cherilus, repeat). The lack of continuity lead to a bounty of struggles, with the line never getting a push for the Lions rushing attack and their allowing 43 sacks (24 in Stafford’s 10 starts) to opposing defenses.

In the upcoming off-season, finding a left guard is one of the team’s top priorities. I expect that there will be considerable turnover in this group. It is well past time to apply considerable pressure upon Gosder Cherilus to either become consistent or accountable or become…

Failure, Exhibit A...aron Gibson

The Lions in some way, shape or form need to find five quality offensive linemen, regardless of whom plays where, who can play cohesively and more importantly, protect Matthew Stafford.

Defensive “Maginot” Line:

from Wikipedia:

Part of the rationale for the Maginot line stemmed from the massive French losses during the First World War, and their effects on French demographics…Faced with inadequate personnel resources, French planners had to rely more on older and less fit reservists, who also would take longer to mobilize. Static defensive positions were therefore intended not only to buy time, but also to defend an area with fewer and less mobile forces.

Sounds familiar…

Mayhew and Millen's Studies in France Proved Useful in Their Pursuit of Defensive Line Personnel.

Utilizing Tallard’s template for the building of a stout defensive front, clearly has not worked thus far for the Lions. At any rate, in the name of beating a dead horse to make an illustrative point, dept., the Lions defensive front four has been a considerable liability during recent seasons.

DE Cliff Avril C
DE DeWayne White D
DE Jason Hunter C
DE Jared DeVries Inc.
DE/DT Turk McBride C-
DE Copeland Bryan inc.
DT Sammie Lee Hill C+
DT Grady Jackson D
DT Andre Fluellen C-
DT Landon Cohen C-
DT Joe Cohen C-

The Lions took heavy blows when they lost DE’s Jared DeVries (achilles, for the season) and DeWayne White (not too mention, Corey Smith R.I.P.) for significant time early in their season. The hoped-for development of Cliff Avril is a work in progress, and expectations about his future have clealry been diminished this season. The sheer number of players the Lions utilized to man their front, serves as an explanation in itself, of the team’s futility here.

The Lions front seven had 22 sacks (24 total for the team) and aside from the surprising play of Jason Hunter, acquired from the Packers scrap heap, and a promising inaugural season from Sammie Lee Hill, the Lions just don’t have much to work with here.

Expect, a lot of new faces, and hopefully, this one:

Lions Fans Like Suh-Prizes!

Linebackers: Larry Foote B
Julian Peterson C+
Ernie Sims C-
DeAndre Levy B+
Zach Follett B
Jordan Dizon C
Vinny Ciurciu C

The strongest and deepest of Lions personnel groups, even with less than spectacular seasons from Ernie Sims and Julian Peterson, the Lions benefited from the surprising emergence of DeAndre Levy (hopefully, not next season’s Avril) and Zach Follett (played well enough on special teams to earn some end of season playing time on defense).

There has been a lot of discussion about whether the Lions will trade Ernie Sims, release Julian Peterson, or choose not to re-sign Larry Foote. These popularly-held opinions strike me as strange, since linebacker is the only personnel position where the Lions possess any sort of personnel depth. I would like to see the Lions have the “problem” of four starters for three starting spots, what is so bad about that?

Especially, with the considerable resources they will have to devote towards upgrading their very weak secondary.

Next on Martin Mayhew's Speed Dial for Filling Defensive Backfield Openings?

DB’s: S Louis Delmas A-
S Daniel Bullocks inc.
S Marquand Manuel D-
S Marvin White F
S/CB Anthony Henry F
S Ko Simpson D
S Kalvin Pearson D
S DeAngelo Smith D
CB William James D
CB Phillip Buchanon D
CB Kevin Hobbs C-
CB Jack Williams C-
CB Eric King D
CB Brian Witherspoon inc.

The sheer number of players who played in the Lions secondary this season is astounding. I almost forgot that several of them actually “played” for the Lions, truth be told.

As a Lions fan, I have been witness to a lot of the team’s poor secondaries and have seen a lot of players pass through the organization without meeting the hopeful expectations that preceded them. That being said, the last two seasons have been very rough. The Lions secondary has been immeasurably poor.

The Lions pass defense has been historically bad, and the one enduring image that will remain from this season is one of opposing wide receivers running inexplicably without Lions defenders being even within five yards of them, as they cleanly catch the ball, streaking towards the end zone. Subsequently, all that you can see, upon a Lions defensive back entering into view, is the rear of the Lions defender’s jersey, representing a clear sign of futility, as they streak behind the opposing receiver, to no avail, as their opponent scores again, untouched.

Other than Louis Delmas, there is no particularly strong or compelling case to be made for the return of any one of these players, moving forward. Other than, I guess that they need someone (anyone) but an out-of-work prostitute to play cover-2 safety…

Special Teams: Jason Hanson C+
Nick Harris C+
Don Muhlbach A
Coverage Units, Returns Team, etc. F

The fact that most Lions fans knew Stan Kwan by name, and that 2 or 3 of the Lions losses were attributable to poor special teams play, was proof enough that Kwan needed to be relieved of his duties.

The Lions have been poor in kick coverage and their returns game for several years now. What became increasingly more troubling, as the season progressed, was Jason Hanson’s inconsistency and sudden lack of kicking (and kickoff distance) range. Nick Harris, always dependable, was also mediocre this season.

Coaching and Front Office: D-

The Lions started their season with a clean slate for their newly-minted coaching staff and new faces leading their front office, albeit internally promoted ones. The Lions off-season begin with a bang, after Matt Millen’s termination last year.

The trade of Roy Williams, a massive disappointment as both a member of the Lions and Cowboys, was an auspicious beginning for Mayhew, even if I disagreed with the selection of Pettigrew, and the third rounder utilized for Derrick Williams apppears to have been a wasted pick.

The Lions trade of Cory Redding (2 sacks, 20 tackles) for Julian Peterson, was a big win for the Lions, who didn’t miss Redding at all along their poor defensive front.

Mayhew also traded backup Qb Jon Kitna for DB Anthony Henry, which turned out to be another disappointing deal. Trading S Gerald Alexander (55 tackles, 2 Int’s) for WR/KR Dennis Northcutt, was not very beneficial, either.

Mayhew’s primary free agent acquisitions: Daniel Loper, Larry Foote, Bryant Johnson, Grady Jackson, Eric King and Phillip Buchanon were all busts, aside from Foote, who emerged as a productive team leader.

The one major warranted criticism of Mayhew was that the Lions didn’t raid enough of their opponent’s practice squads for talent, as their season spun out of control and injuries mounted.

There is a lot left to be determined about the performance of Schwartz and his staff. The initial impressions were not good, as you would expect on a 2-14 team. The Lions loss to the Ravens in Baltimore may have constituted the worst Lions performance in years, which is saying an awful lot,

In the end, the 2009 Lions season was a failure. That being said, the existence of the faint outline of a program or organizational philosophy being implemented in an integrated, sensible manner represents a major step forward. Especially, for an embattled, limping Lions franchise.

Mayhew Has Tried, That's For Sure.

Next season, more tangible successes will need to be felt, in order for their program to eventually gain any real traction.

Stan Kwan Fired, Who’s Next?

Stan Kwan told several media outlets today that he was told by the Lions head coach Jim Schwartz that he would not return in 2010 as the team’s special teams coordinator.

Football is a Results Business, For Sure.

Kwan replaced Chuck Priefer, upon Priefer’s retirement, as the special teams coordinator. I almost feel sorry for Kwan, since the team’s special teams performance, although, admittedly poor, was caused at least as much by personnel issues as it was by any sort of coaching issues.

Kwan handled the situation with class, saying:

“We spoke today, and he informed me he was going to make a change at the position,” Kwan said. “And the first thing he told me was that it has nothing to do with my work ethic. And, to me, that’s important. Because if you’re not a hard worker, you can’t be successful in this profession.

“We all know what (the reason for the firing) was: It was based on the results and the performance. And it’s hard for me to argue with the guy.”

Surely, Kwan will land on his feet, all coaches generally do. I can’t help but feel that the Lions insistence upon utilizing mediocre players like Aveion Cason, along with the ineffectiveness of the two rookies whom they added this season to bolster their kick returns (Derrick Williams and Aaron Brown) game this season, factored heavily into Kwan’s dismissal.

The team also suffered from poor kick coverage earlier this season, which likely caused them to lose at least one game (The Bears) and botched a fake punt in the season’s last game (also against the Bears). Kicking stalwarts, Jason Hanson and Nick Harris, each had down seasons, too.

The Steelers and Bills, for starters, have fired their special teams coaches, and the Lions must surely be interested in both of them. The Lions desperately need for their special teams to become more effective, to offset some of their deficiencies on both sides of the ball. I don’t believe that you can overstate the value of gaining consistently good field position in the returns game (and breaking the occasional long touchdown run, too).

The Lions Gold Standard in Their Returns Game, Mel Gray!

Teams desperately want their very own Josh Cribbs, Devin Hester, or Percy Harvin to break a game wide open with a big kick return. During recent seasons, especially while Rod Marinelli was the team’s head coach, the organization was far too conservative in their expectations from this important aspect of the team’s performance.

Many times, it felt like the Lions were settling with their personnel deficiencies, and behaving far too conservative, for a perennially losing franchise.

In the end, Kwan was responsible for the team’s under-performance on special teams, and at least he was a quality enough individual to accept the facts in a bottom line business, even though he would have been well within his rights to point out how little he was given to work with, in order to succeed.

Martin Mayhew on End of Lions Season, Jim Schwartz on Backus,Raiola

As the Lions season reaches postmortem, the Lions front office and coaching staff have made some interesting (and revealing) parting statements which likely provide some clues for their future plans.

Martin Mayhew gave indication that the Lions still believe that Drew Stanton fits into their future plans. More surprisingly, Mayhew indicated that the team would not rule out Daunte Culpepper’s return, which is less than exciting news (see Al’s comments at Wayne Fontes Experience).

A Convenient, if Not Lurid Analogy to a Possible Return of Daunte Culpepper as Lions Back-Up QB Next Season.

I am glad that the team is still looking at re-signing Larry Foote, too. The Lions have few personnel positions where they possess any sort of depth (maybe death, but not depth!) and allowing Foote to walk and potentially releasing Julian Peterson, seemingly would put the linebacker corps right square with the rest of the roster.

Hopefully, There Are More Hits Like This to Come, DeAndre!

The versatility and emergence of DeAndre Levy, is a good thing, and gives the Lions a number of options, why diminish them? The talk of trading Ernie Sims, etc., none of it makes sense to me. The Lions, like everyone else, are definitely going to have injuries, and they shouldn’t diminish an area of strength, making it an area of weakness, by chiseling away at their one area of personnel depth.

These are Mayhew’s best statements, in my opinion:

Q: How did this year go in accordance with what you wanted to get done?

A: I would say, obviously, 2-14 is unacceptable. That’s not what we’re going to be about. And I think 2-14 is something the entire organization needs to improve on. … Everybody is a part of 2-14. That’s something we have to have a sense of urgency about improving. … We don’t plan on doing that again.

Mayhew And Schwartz Appear to Have a Plan, Or At Least, a Semblance of One

Call it naivete, but I believe him. The Lions, for the first time in a very long while, appear to have a semblance of a plan. It is not seamless, and we Lions fatalists are well aware of the fact that they still could really screw things up. That being said, I will concede that the faint outlines of a “plan” are in place, which is a major step ahead, when compared to Mayhew’s predecessors ignoble personnel bumblings, which have put the Lions in their current mess (and which Mayhew needs to shoulder considerable blame for, too…Michael Lombardi of National Football Post agrees).

Here is Lombardi’s response to Mayhew’s comments:

If he doesn’t plan on doing that again, Mayhew better get some better players on the field. When head coach Jim Schwartz took over, the Lions were so bad in terms of talent, many thought going 0-16 again was possible. Winning two games is not very good, but the Lions have a long way to go to restore the roar, and it starts with Mayhew finding some talent. He was in Detroit during the Matt Millen era, so he’s been a part of the decisions in the past. He must accept responsibility of the lack of talent.

In Jim Schwartz’s closing statements, he made a point of defending Jeff Backus and indicating that Backus should have received Pro Bowl votes:

“Those perennial-type guys weren’t there,” Schwartz said. “When you get past those name players, Jeff was every bit as consistent as those guys.”

Backus graded well every week. He allowed few sacks, by the coaches’ count, and Schwartz called him the Lions’ best run blocker.

“It’s not always perception,” Schwartz said. “If it was that … maybe we would make a bad decision. Maybe we would panic and say, ‘Hey, we need to draft a left tackle with the first pick of the draft, and that’s the way we need to build.’
“And maybe we would be dissatisfied, and we would be sitting this year, saying, ‘Wow, we don’t have a left tackle, and we don’t have a quarterback, and we’ve got a long way to go.’ ”

Coaches love dependable players, and Backus has started every game — 144 — since the Lions drafted him in the first round in 2001, playing through so many injuries he was the Lions’ recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award this season.

I”ll concede that Backus and Dom Raiola are the least of the Lions problems, but unless they want more scenes like this one,

No Lions Fan Will Question John Wayne-Stafford's Toughness, Behind an Awful Lions Offensive Line

upgrading their offensive line should remain an eminent concern. Convincing themselves, by attempting to convince their fan base, that the offensive line is better than it’s perceived, gets the organization absolutely nowhere.

The fact of the matter is, they made the right decision to select Stafford. None of his cohorts in his draft class, nor any in the upcoming draft have exhibited the combination of toughness, leadership and pure, once-in-a-lifetime, physical skill that Stafford possesses. Not one.

The Lions need to begin to treat Stafford as an organizational priority, and no amount of media “white-washing” will change that the team allowed 24 sacks in Stafford’s 10 games and that he was under duress and suffered a brutal pounding in most of those games.

Of course, Backus makes the type of Lions-esque excuse that is emblematic of the entire organization:

“Honest to God, nobody knows who’s responsible for a sack except for the players and coaches,” Backus said. “When you have fans, just regular people, listening to sports radio or reading an article that somebody wrote that doesn’t know what they’re talking about, they’re getting a misrepresentation of that player. They’re getting false information, and that’s disheartening.”

No, Jeff, what is disheartening is that the defensive reflex is in place for you to feel that you have been misrepresented. With every fiber of your being, your job is to protect Matthew Stafford. If Stafford gets sacked, even if it is technically not your “fault”, it has to become your “fault” and everyone else’s, too, if the organization is moving forward. Good teams realize that importance, and the Lions had better begin to, as well.