Detroit Lions Weblog

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!