Detroit Lions Weblog

Humorous Pro Football Talk.com comments in regards to the re-signing of Dominic Raiola

The Pro Football Talk.com Rumor Mill page reports that according to word at the Scouting Combine in Indy, one of the primary reasons that the Lions were anxious to re-sign Dominc Raiola was that he is one of the few, if not the only player on the roster that gets along with “Champagne” Joey Harrington. Here are some of their hilarious comments:

“Then again, we figure that whenever two guys spend plenty of time with one of them pushing his hands against the other’s ass, it’s hard for them to not to be at least friends”

also they summarize:

“There’s no guarantee, however, that Harrington will continue to be the guy pressing his knuckles into Raiola’s rectal area. If/when the Lions sign Jeff Garcia–and if/when he gets some reps with a first-team offense that is stocked with budding stars–Harrington might be doing his butt-touching on the sidelines only.”

Now their statements are quite contradictory from the reports coming from out of Allen Park, still it would not surprise me at the least, ESPECIALLY if Garcia is signed by the Lions, that Harrington becomes familiar with holding a clipboard, wearing a headset, and toting a water bottle for the new starter, Garcia.

Mike O’Hara on 92.1/92.7 WQTX FM 02/28/05

Mike O’Hara was interviewed from Indianapolis today on the Fred Heuman show. Heuman wanted for O’Hara to comment on whether the Lions were going to choose Jeff Garcia or Kurt Warner as their backup. O’Hara said that to be honest, he wasn’t sure which one the Lions would choose or if they might not choose Brad Johnson or maybe even Jay Fiedler. He still believes that any QB that the Lions bring into camp will be expected to compete with Joey, but yet still will be added as a backup. He does not expect to the Lions to deviate with their plan to start Harrington, though. O’ Hara thinks that the Lions will be “selective and judicious” in free agency. After re-signing Dominic Raiola, and the apparent decision by Stockar McDougle and his agent to test free agency, the Lions will look for a mid-level free agent interior linemen and give Kelly Butler and Victor Rogers the opportunity to compete for playing time at the vacant tackle spot.

Heuman also questioned O’Hara about the potential availability of Ty Law or Charles Woodson as additions to the Lions secondary. O’Hara shot down both of them as being very likely to be added by the Lions. Law coming off serious injury and Woodson’s inconsistency would keep the Lions from investing much in either player. He did say that if Darren Sharper were released by the Packers he could potentially be of interest. The Lions also re-signed Bracy Walker, who will provide depth and is a stalwart special-teamer. I do belive the Lions will try to prevent him from being utilizeed as a starter on defense this year.

O’Hara also commented on the NFL Network’s treatment of Maurice Clarett after his poor times running the 40-yard dash. He felt that they were trying to send a message and isolate him as an example for his trying to test the ruling that restricts college players from being able to enter the NFL draft. A lot of media seemed to take some joy in Clarett’s failure. O’Hara did say that one playoff team’s running back coach said to him that Clarett didn’t look good running and the fact that he left the combine after his poor showing rather than complete all of the physical drills is more of problem than his poor 40-yard dash times. Their evaluations lean towards believing that he can’t overcome adversity and that he is his own worst enemy. I still believe that Clarett has some incredible untapped football ability and could be a late round steal for someone.

Heuman asked O’Hara both who he would select as backup to Harrington and who he believed the Lions will select. He said he believes that the Lions will select Garcia, since he and Mooch have worked together previously. Garcia also provides a change of pace with his ability to scramble and get out of the pocket, where Harrington is a more natural dropback passer.

I also have to take umbrage with comments from O’Hara’s column from the Detroit News today, entitled “Lions Keep the Old, Seek the New”. In it he says that the Lions will tender three free agents Eddie Drummond, Andre Goodman, and Chris Cash. He thinks other than QB, the Lions will address Left Guard and Wide Receiver in free agency. That all makes sense. I’m at odds with this observation:

“A prime receiver such as Derrick Mason, a former Michigan State player released last week by the Titans, would be attractive. A more likely candidate is a player like Joey Galloway of Tampa Bay. Galloway has speed and is used to being a third receiver.”

Az Zahir Hakim is a better player than Joey Galloway. Galloway, infrequently healthy, has been nothing but a disappointment and malcontent when he has been healthy in his career. I think this would be a very poor decision by the Lions.

Muhsin Muhammad signs with the Bears

Jay Glazer reported to Fox Sports Radio today that Muhsin Muhammad would be signing with the Bears. A big move for the Bears, trumping the Vikings search for a replacement receiver for the departing Randy Moss. Interestingly, the Lions were mentioned as also being involved in discussions with Muhammad. I figured that the Lions would want to add another receiver, yet I am surprised that they would have an interest in another potential #1 receiver with the performance of Roy Williams and the hoped-for blossoming of a healthy Charles Rogers. Is Rogers recovering too slowly? Is the team concerned about Rogers’s long-term durability? Are they serious about adding a vertical deep threat with the new plays that Ted Tollner is going to help implement into the playbook? Would the Lions happen to be(fingers-crossed) considering utilizing more 3 wide-single back type of offensive sets? I definitely like the fact that the Lions appear aggressive even if they didn’t sign the Lansing native, Muhammad.

The Jeff Garcia pot is starting to boil. In Curt Sylvester’s 02/26/05 article, “Will He Want to be a Backup?”, Mariucci makes it abundantly clear the Lions are very interested in Garcia. I harbor some reservation about Garcia’s ability to press Harrington in the pre-season. I also am getting a little weary of the Mariucci propensity to only work with former associates from the Green Bay/San Francisco coaching/personnel umbrella. Last I noticed, neither of those organizations have sniffed a Super Bowl for nearly 10 years. Plus, can someone explain to Mariucci that the Quarterback serves a more important role in the organization than being a member of a “pitching staff”. I understand the analogy, but I think the role a Qb plays in the success of a team is not something to trifle with. Bud Goode, a longtime statistical analyst of sports, has indicated that the team whose Qb(’s) have the highest Yards per Passing Attempt and lowest Interception Percentage will win 80% of the time. With the passing happy modern NFL offense, and with so many mediocre to bad starting QB’s, the position’s importance can not be understated in my eyes!

Brian Walker released, Kurt Warner’s crusade to be a starting QB, “Detroit Crossroads”, The Vikings are idiots!

Brian Walker was released earlier this week. This makes it clear that Lions are viewing the safety position as a priority for upgrade in the offseason. Walker, a capable vet, missed all of last season due to injury. The Lion safeties appeared a step slow in most cases last season. I really would like to see them find a real headhunter to play back there. Someone along the lines of a Mark Carrier or Rodney Harrison-someone who can separate the receiver from the ball and make the receiver wary of catching the ball in traffic. They didn’t have a safety capable of that last season at all.

USA Today Sports Weekly’s “Buzz” Column says that Kurt Warner is “leaning more toward Detroit than Chicago for a backup role”. This says a couple of things, he may believe he has a better chance to emerge as a starter over Joey Harrington than Rex Grossman, et al. It also may be suggests that he feels that the Lions have better skill players and a better O-Line for him to function with than the Bears who are still trying to fill those positions at this current time. I am not sure what level of interest the Lions currently have for Warner, but his leadfootedness and determination to courageously hold the ball until the last possible second all increase the likelihood that he will be injured if given the opportunity to play.

John Czarnecki also commented on the state of the current Lions in Pro Sports Weekly this week. In a column entitled “Detroit Crossroads”, Czarnecki
mentions that Matt Millen “truly believes the Lions are close to winning a NFC North title.” Apparently, since ” five of Detroit’s six losses down the stretch last season…one was in overtime and the other four were lost by a total of 12 points.” Millen believes the Lions are close. Czarnecki qualifies it by saying that the Lions are close but so are a lot of teams in the NFL. Czarnecki said that Millen has no plans of spending a lot of money on finding a QB to compete with “Champagne” Joey. What Millen wants is for Mariucci and his offensive staff to coach up the players and Millen will continue to upgrade the team through the draft and a via a few free agent pickups. These are some comments that I find particularly interesting in the article:

“The pressure seems squarely on Mariucci, not Millen. Wasn’t it Mariucci who won games in San Francisco without Steve Young and found a way to win a lot with Jeff Garcia, who recently was banned from Cleveland? There has to be a way to make Harrington successful. That’s the challlenge for Mariucci and his offensive staff this offseason. Millen who took enormous heat for failing to carefully interview a minority candidate, thought he was hiring one of the league’s best in Mariucci, whose contract is worth almost $5 Million annually, It’s time to deliver.”

The indictment clearly rests on Mariucci’s shoulders. His rigidity and conservative-minded game plans are equally at fault as any perceived failures in Harrington’s ability to command the team. I realize that the Eagles were in the Super Bowl in a similar offense, but doesn’t it appear that a lot of the West Coast concepts have been overexposed and become easily defendable. The unwillingness to adapt has plagued many of the devotees of the system in my opinion.

Can you believe the Viking’s idiocy. Surrendering 90 pts (15 TD’s) a season can’t be addition by subtraction. Especially since they are receiving a middle of the road linebacker and a first round draft pick for the 2nd most dangerous player in the NFL. I am so glad that the Lions have been recipients of this good fortune. At the most, we will only have to see Moss streaking down the field for a TD while the Lion DB’s read the back of his jersey just once a year, now that he is a Raider. NO player currently available or on the Vikings roster can make up for the threat that Randy Moss poses. Thoroughly rididculous, hope you enjoy 5 win seasons Reggie Fowler. Trust me-they stink!

Get Well, Tedy Bruschi

By now everyone has heard about the minor stroke that Tedy Bruschi suffered last week. Bruschi is one of the most inspiring and talented players in the entire league. He is a testament to New England’s ability to find talented players and utilize their best abilities as football players. Bruschi is a tenacious playmaker. Yet, with all of his talent, he is a reminder of the fragility of all of our lives. No major athlete has overcome having a stroke and returned to play at the level they were originally capable of. I for one, hope that Bruschi will be the first. If he is unable to return, it will be a major setback to the Patriots. Bruschi would assume a place in New England lore right along with Tony Conigliaro as a beloved figure whose career was shortened too soon.

Statistical Comparison of Potentially Available QB’s

I looked at several QB’s who I believe the Lions might have an interest in pursuing for their backup QB or starting QB if Joey Harrington should falter. The QB’s I believe they are most likely to look at are:

Kurt Warner, Kelly Holcomb (if he doesn’t re-sign with Cleveland), Brad Johnson, Drew Brees (highly unlikely), Jeff Garcia (if he doesn’t sign with Tampa, likely only to come as a starter), Rich Gannon (if he is released by Oakland), Tim Couch (Did not play in 2004, should warrant a look if his arm appears healthy), Matt Hasselbeck (if he is not franchised or re-signed by Seattle, likely only to come as a starter), Jon Kitna (unlikely to be traded by Cincy), Jay Fiedler, and Drew Bledsoe (if he doesn’t immediately sign with the Cowboys).

I decided to compare the players career completion %, career passer rating, career Interception %, and career Passer Efficiency Rating (or adjusted yards per attempt). I also compared each players statistics for each of these categories over the past three years. I think that the most recent three seasons may provide a better representation of what the players abilities may be at this particular point in time.

Career Completion %————-Last 3 YRS.
1. Kurt Warner 65.9—————1.Rich Gannon 64.1(584/911)
2. Kelly Holcomb 63.4————-2.Kelly Holcomb 63.8(316/495)
3. Brad Johnson 61.8————-3.Kurt Warner 63.3 (356/562)
4. Drew Brees 61.3—————4. Brad Johnson 62.3(700/1124)
5. Jeff Garcia 61.0—————-5. Jon Kitna 61.9(679/1097)
6. Rich Gannon 60.2————–6.Drew Brees 61.4(787/1282)
7. Tim Couch 59.8—————-7. Matt Hasselbeck 61.1(859/1406)
8. Matt Hasselbeck 59.7———-8. Tim Couch 60.5(665/1100)
9. Jon Kitna 58.8——————9. Jeff Garcia 59.5(697/1172)
10. Jay Fiedler 58.7————–10. Drew Bledsoe 59.1(905/1531)
11. Drew Bledsoe 57.0———-11. Jay Fiedler 57.7 (459/796)
12. Joey Harrington 54.2——–12. Joey Harrington 54.2(798/1472)
13. Mike McMahon 43.8———-13.Mike McMahon 42.5(82/193)

Obviously with all of the short and intermediate range passing in the West Coast style of offense, a premium is placed on passing accuracy. It is not unreasonable to expect higher percentage passing from the QB’s in the West Coast System. The short, timing passes are designed so that the Qb has a high potential for success.

Career Passer Rating————Last 3 YRS
1. Kurt Warner 95.7————-1.Rich Gannon 90.6
2. Jeff Garcia 87.2—————2.Brad Johnson 86.0
3. Rich Gannon 84.7————-3.Drew Brees 83.0
4. Brad Johnson 84.0————4.Jon Kitna 82.8
5. Matt Hasselbeck 83.7———5. Kelly Holcomb 82.4
6. Drew Brees 83.2————–6.Jeff Garcia 81.9
7. Kelly Holcomb 77.6———–7. Matt Hasselbeck 80.5
8. Jay Fiedler 76.9—————8. Drew Bledsoe 79.2
9. Drew Bledsoe 76.7———–9. Kurt Warner 77.5
10. Jon Kitna 75.7—————10. Jay Fiedler 75.9
11. Tim Couch 75.2————-11. Tim Couch 75.4
12. Joey Harrington 67.2——-12. Joey Harrington 67.2
13. Mike McMahon 55.0——–13. Mike McMahon 46.1

Int% Career———————Last 3 YRs
1. Gannon 2.47——————1.Gannon 1.76
2. Garcia 2.49——————-2. Johnson 2.67
3. Hasselbeck 2.73————-3. Garcia 2.73
4. Johnson 2.80—————–4. Bledsoe 2.81
5. Brees 2.90——————–5. Hasselbeck 2.84
6. Bledsoe 2.99—————–6.Warner 2.85
7. Harrington 3.40————–7. Brees 2.96
8. Warner 3.51—————–8. Kitna 3.19
9. Kitna 3.63——————–9. Harrington 3.40
10. Fiedler 3.87—————-10.Fiedler 3.77
11. Couch 3.91—————–11. Couch 4.10
12. McMahon 4.22————-12. Holcomb 4.24
13. Holcomb 5.00————–13.McMahon 6.22

Interception percentage is a good indicator of success. I think Drew Brees’s stats are anomalous. His most recent season was exceptional, the two previous were not very good. It will be interesting to see what kind of QB Brees will become in the future. Interceptions are very costly for all teams, but for ball control offenses like the West Coast Offense they can be very costly.

Passer Efficiency Rating——–Last 3 Years
1. Warner 6.64——————1.Gannon 6.24
2. Hasselbeck 5.73————–2. Hasselbeck 5.90
3. Garcia 5.70——————-3.Warner 5.43
4. Gannon 5.60—————–4.Johnson 5.37
5. Johnson 5.43—————–5. Garcia 5.27
6. Brees 5.25——————–6. Bledsoe 5.23
7. Bledsoe 5.08——————7. Brees 5.19
8. Fielder 4.95——————-8. Kitna 5.14
9. Kitna 4.65———————9. Fiedler 4.83
10. Couch 4.54——————10. Holcomb 4.59
11. Holcomb 4.21—————11. Couch 4.50
12. Harrington 3.89————-12. Harrington 3.89
13. McMahon 3.44————–13. McMahon 2.27

The Passer Efficiency Rating is a statistical adjustment to the Qb’s Yards Per Attempt. Essentially, it takes the players Total Passing Yards and subtracts 50 yards each time the player throws an interception from that total. The reason for that is many football experts believe that an interception on average costs the offense 50 yards of field position. The subtracted total then is divided by the QB’s passing attempts.

As you can see, any of the above players are a drastic improvement upon the totals posted by Joey Harrington and Mike McMahon throughout their Lion careers. Looking at each player’s stats and their intangibles (leadership ability, Playoff and Super Bowl experience), if he is willing, I believe that Brad Johnson would probably be the Lion’s best choice. He is a very capable and consistent QB who obviously would like to start, but may be willing to sign a contract without explicit guarantee of a starting position. Johnson is tough and may have a chip on his shoulder which could provide additional motivation to succeed. His experience is invaluable.

USA Today Sports Weekly “Buzz Column” 02/09/05

I emailed John Czarnecki recently in regards to the Sports Weekly Buzz column that mentioned that Matt Millen indicated that the Lions would have no interest in Drew Brees. As a precursor to an upcoming entry I am working on, I asked Czarnecki what the qualitative difference is between the Patriots and the Lions. What has made the Patriots among greatest teams in NFL history and at the same time, what is it about the Lions that they continue to languish. Here is his response:

” Matt doesn’t want to spend a No.1 pick on Brees, believing Mariucci has enough to work with (with) Harrington….Matt is placing a lot of blame on the coaching staff to fix the offense….He is interested in a cheap backup….for instance, he told me that they dropped 56 passes this past season (previous reports had credited the Lions with 40 dropped passes this year, DLB)….

“I like Matt. I’ve known him since his playing days. The biggest difference between the two franchises is that (Bill) Belichick picked (Scott, Patriots GM) Pioli as his top lieutenant and Matt picked Mooch. Pioli knows Belichick and what he wants; they are totally on the same page. Mooch disagrees with Matt on some personnel matters–say quarterback–and this could be a major problem. Maybe Mooch isn’t as good as we thought he is. This is what Matt is waiting to see….if he is or isn’t. To give up on Harrington would admit a colossal mistake (larger than eventually admitting that Mooch was a colossal mistake?-DLB) and it is extremely difficult to start all over again at that position(QB). The ownership is in place in both places….they are willing to spend and have the money (to spend-DLB). Matt is determined to win. We will see.”

In regards to Czarnecki’s comments, He seems to believe that Millen has the ability to make the right decision here. I also believe that with his extensive knowledge of the sport, he may have been able to see from the onset what we are now only beginning to come to realize, that Steve Mariucci is not a top NFL coach. I hope that this organization will continue to improve even with or without the presence of Mariucci or Millen. They have to continue to aspire to be a franchise of the caliber of the New England Patriots.

Again, it goes without saying, you can find worse ways to spend $1.50 than purchasing Sports Weekly each week. You won’t regret the news and incites they will constantly provide you with.

Mock Draft (pre-Free Agency and Combine)

Here is my initial projected mock draft without considering Free Agency and the Draft Combine. I will adapt this draft along the way as more info is revealed.

1. San Fran Qb Aaron Rodgers__17. Cinn DT Dan Cody
2. Miami RB Cedric Benson____18. MINN LB Daryl Blackstock
3. Clev Lb Derrick Johnson_____19.STL DE Dan Cody
4. Chicago Wr Braylon Edwards_20.DALL WR Mark Clayton
5. TBay RB Ronnie Brown______21.JAX DE Justin Tuck
6. Tenn QB Alex Smith________22.BALT WR Troy Williamson
7. OAK CB Pac Man Jones_____23.SEA RB Cadillac Williams
8. ARZ CB Antrel Rolle_______24.GB TE Heath Miller
9. WAS CB Carlos Rogers____25. DEN OT Jamaal Brown
10. DET DE Erasmus James__26. NYJ CB Justin Miller
11. DALL DE Marcus Spears___27. ATL S Brodney Pool
12. SD LB Shawne Merriman__28. SD S Ernest Shazor
13. Hou OT Alex Barron______29. IND DT Travis Johnson
14. CAR WR Mike Williams____30.Pitt CB Marlin Jackson
15. KC DE David Pollack_____31. Philly LB Kevin Burnett
16. NO S Thomas Davis______32. NE CB Corey Webster

Fear and Loathing

One of America’s great countercultural icons and sports enthusiasts, Hunter S. Thompson, committed suicide last night. It goes without saying, many people like myself who spend considerable amounts of time on an endeavor like this weblog, owe a debt of gratitude to an independent voice like Thompson’s. By saying that, I am in no way comparing what I have to say about the Detroit Lions to his acclaimed works such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Thompson’s column for ESPN, Hey Rube, was particularly inspiring because he was able to take the seemingly disparate worlds of sports, politics, and American culture and help us see ourselves in new ways, whether we agreed with his observations or not. R.I.P. Hunter.

Tomorrow is a big day for the NFL. Many high-profile players who are getting paid high salaries by their respective teams are potentially about to be released and beginning their search for new jobs. One of note to me, Laveranues Coles, is particuarly enticing. I realize that the Lions have many more pressing needs, but the addition of Coles as an experienced receiver coming across the middle and a player who has exhibited the toughness that Coles has is hard not to dream about in Honululu Blue and Silver.

QB updates

It has been recently reported that the Cleveland Browns are interested in re-signing Kelly Holcomb. It also appears that the interest is mutual, in all likelihood removing a name from the list of potential Free Agent acquisitions for the Lions at QB.

Also there has been some reports that Brad Johnson is likely to be released.
Chuckie lops another head off.

Johnson, though aged and heavy of foot, would be a class addition. He has thrived in West Coast-type of offense and has also played well in a more vertically inclined offense, such as the one implemented by Norvell Turner in Washington a few years ago. Johnson would also have valuable postseason experience and probably has a big chip on his shoulder because of the way he was treated by Gruden and the Bucs organization last year. I have to admit, of the Qb’s on the market, Johnson would be at or near the top of my list for the Lions to sign.