Detroit Lions Weblog

Fantasy Football Xperience.com

I have recently submitted an article for a Fantasy Football website. I will be serving as their Detroit Lions correspondent. The article is a review of the Lions Free Agent signings this offseason The site appears to be a valuable resource for fantasy football-related information. As poorly as my teams have done in recent years, I will definitely have to bookmark the site in hopes of gaining an edge.

This week’s USA Today Pro Sports Weekly had some interesting remarks from Matt Millen:

“I think right now we’re in pretty solid shape,” Millen said. ” I don’ t think we’re exceptional, but I think if you take a step back and look at the big picture, this is where we’re at. We have increased our team speed to the point where we’re one of the faster teams in the league, offensively and defensively. I think we’ve increased our talent level, our skill level.” “We have people who can make plays. We’ve gotten to the point where, schematically, we’re on the other side of the learning curve.”

What is interesting about these comments is that I don’t disagree with them. Even after a disappointing 6-10 season, I believe these statements to be correct. It is certainly time to put up or shut up for this current version of the team. I am also not surprised to see him applying external pressure by increasing his expectations for the team’s ability to perform at a high level. It is obvious, that in a Moss-less division and with Brett Favre’s career definitely on the wane, that the Lion’s are member’s of a division that is ripe for the taking. It is up to Mariucci and the coaching staff to adequately prepare the team and it is especially important for the team to execute at a higher level. Another 6-10 season will lead to major changes throughout the organization, that’s for sure.

It appears that the free agent signings from here are on out will have a lot less sizzle and sparkle, especially since the team officials are probably bunkered away in preparations for the draft, potentially the most important in years. The Lions appear to be one or two contributing players away from being able to win the NFC North in my eyes. They may be able to enlist immediate help in this draft.

In a different note, I have been recently enjoying an e.p. by a new San Diego band, Louis XIV. They posess a raunchy mix of both 70’s rock and the current wave of mainstream indie rock. Their “Finding Out True Love is Blind” may be one of the cooler takes on feasting on a smorgasbord of the opposite sex of all different shapes and sizes. Who can’t but help to find a little bit of enjoyment in decadence that you can hum along to!

Marcus Bell Re-signed, Stephen Alexander off to Greener Pastures

The Lions made another major step towards bolstering their defensive depth by inking a three year deal with free agent Defensive Tackle Marcus Bell. Bell, who was an impressive contributor in the tackle rotation last season, provides a major boost as a backup tackle who ensures there is little drop-off performance-wise while the starters are being rested. Bell, potentially could even emerge as heir apparent to the aging “Big Daddy” Wilkinson. The Lions may still need additional depth at the position if Kelvin Pritchett should happen to decide to retire. In order to completely meet all of their D-Line needs, the Lions also will desperately need for Kalimba Edwards to magically fulfill whatever promise he once had as a disruptive pass-rushing Defensive End or they will have to conjure up a player who is capable of filling that role via the draft or whomever may remain in the free agent pool.

Stephen Alexander continues to live up his pre-ordained role of an aging, journeymen NFL Tight End by signing a contract with the Denver Broncos. Alexander, a respected player and former All-Pro, was never quite the pass catcher the Lions had hoped for. Even more disappointingly, he dropped several passes in the end zone last season. The Lions decide to upgrade the position this offseason and made major steps towards doing that with the acquisition of free agent Marcus Pollard. Alexander will be playing on a roster that is quite deep at the Tight End position and it remains to be seen how much time he will actually see on the field in Denver. Even with the addition of Pollard, and the anticipated return of young Casey FitzSimmons, the Lions still may still need to add an additional player at the position via the draft.

The Lions recently made it official that they will be wearing an alternate black jersey for two games this season. Other than the transparently obvious desire to cash in by selling the jerseys to it’s loyal fans, their is no clear reason for the Lions to roll-out new jerseys. Especially considering that they recently added black piping to their traditional Honolulu Blue jerseys. As long as they are still donning their “Throwback” jerseys on Thanksgiving, I will maintain my cool. I can’t help but reminisce about the Detroit Piston’s Teal jerseys when I try to picture the Lions playing in their more urban, street smart black jerseys.

Givens update, Troy Brown please move to the front of the class!

Well, I conferred with David from David’s MSN Detroit Lions Forum, he informed me that if the Lions were to make an offer to David Givens it would cost them a first round draft pick. So much for that option. Troy Brown now moves to the top of my list of available wideouts that that the Lions should investigate possibly signing. Brown, extremely versatile and the winner of three Super Bowl rings, would bring the class leadership, dependability, and toughness that the Lions so desperately need. Brown is aging and no longer possesses the athletic gifts that Az Hakim might, but he is willing to play hurt and is more dependable when a game is on the line. Brown also could conceivably provide backup for Eddie Drummond on punt returns and appears to be quite valuable as a nickel back covering the slot receiver. All signs point to Brown re-signing with the Patriots, but the Lions would be extremely foolish to not at least consider this possibility.

Another possibility presented by David, which I will endorse as a very good one, is the selection of Mike Williams should be available when the Lions select their #10 draft pick. Williams, as sure-handed as they come, is most likely the player most ready to immediately contribute on Sundays in the draft. Short of the availability of Derrick Johnson, I can think of no better player than Mike Williams for the Lions to consider. The knock on Williams is that with his size, he doesn’t posess a lot of speed and may eventually have to be converted to Tight End ala Mikhail Ricks (just with talent!). In that case, he may be a burgeoning Antonio Gates/Tony Gonzalez waiting to be developed. This would be a risky pick, especially with the Lions desperate need for defensive playmakers, yet it this kind of pick that could help the Lions turn the corner and really establish themselves as front runners in a very weak NFC North. David, pat yourself on the back.

Lions reportedly still coveting WR Bradford, the Tedford QB Tree

MLive Lions football Insider Tom “Killer” Kowalski reports that the Lions are still in Roscoe P. Coltrane-like “hot pursuit” of the services of WR Corey Bradford. Bradford, a former Packer (of course) and Texan, would be very valuable in stretching the field with deep passes, an element of theLions passing attack the team officials reportedly want to explore and utilize. Still, besides Bradford’s previous experience with the West Coast offense, Bradford does little to excite me performance-wise. He is very prone to dropping passes and has been very inconsistent throughout his career. Ultimately, I think it would be in the Lions best interest to pursue a sure-handed slot receiver who will find the sticks on third down and is unafraid to catch balls in the middle of the field. Of potential receivers, Troy Brown and David Givens of the Patriots, would be the tops of my list. Brown, is nearing the end of his career, so ultimately the most desirable option would be to offer a contract to restricted Free Agent David Givens. Unfortunately, I am not entirely sure what the cost would be for the Lions to attempt to sign Givens.

Much has been made of late of the failure of Jeff Tedford coached QB’s to thrive in the NFL. The reason the topic is of so much interest is their is a growing debate over whether or not Aaron Rodgers will succeed in the NFL. If you view the list of Tedford coached QB’s, Trent Dilfer and David Carr have been mildly succesful, Kyle Boller and Joey Harrington have been disappointing to bad, and Akili Smith has been,well a has-been. Not to get too deeply in a tail-wagging the dog debate, it is interesting to ponder whether a player is the overwhelming beneficiary of a brilliant coaching system or whether their sublime talents are what makes the aforementioned system flourish. It would appear with the track records of the 5 Tedford coached draft picks, that these players were beneficiaries of Tedford’s talents as a coach and designer of a system that allows players to perform at high levels in college. Carr still shows signs of becoming a better player, the picture is far murkier for Harrington and Boller.

Marcus Bell must be re-signed

One of the few clear strengths that the Lion’s posess is their depth of personnel on the defensive line. It remains imperative to me that they re-sign Marcus Bell, who performed quite well in the line rotation last season, to a contract. Bell is still young and may be the heir apparent to the aging “Big Daddy” Wilkinson’s starting position. The Lions will already be potentially effected by Kelvin Pritchett’s retirement. Now that they have plugged in some replacements for some of their obvious personnel deficiencies, Bell must be a priority!

Speaking of which, it is time to abandon hope in the eventual development of Kalimba “Don’t Call Me A Ghost” Edwards? The Lions benefited from what may amount to a career season from James Hall. They desperately need another disruptive influence to bookend with Hall. Corey Redding was very valuable last season, but will probably never be a great pass rusher. A pass rusher must remain a major priority in the upcoming draft.

DeMulling signed, Johnny Holland promoted to Linebackers coach, Phil Snow named Defensive Assistant

The Lions may have made their most key addition of the off-season. Even though the off-season free agent signing whose name most likely will take up the highest amount of column inches is Jeff Garcia, Rick DeMulling, Kenoy Kennedy, and Marcus Pollard will all probably have a more immediate impact on any future success that will be enjoyed by the Lions.

DeMulling solidifies an offensive line which suffered from poor play at guard for most of the season. If Damien Woody returns in shape, the only question mark remains is who will emerge to replace Stockar McDougle at tackle among Sean Bubin, Victor Rogers, and Kelly Butler. There is no question, that if they can get at least solid play from the remaining tackle slot, that Kevin Jones will have even more space in which to operate and be able to thrive for an entire season if he can remain healthy. With the recent free agent additions, it appears that the positions that remain which may need upgrading are: 3rd receiver/slot receiver, Defensive End, and if neither Marcus Bell or Kelvin Pritchett return, DT. I still would like to see the Lions find another CB to add to the rotation. Last season’s disappointing performance by Fernando Bryant and Andre Goodman should be a major cause for concern at that position, in my opinion. Factoring in the additions of Charles Rogers’ and Boss Bailey’s impending a healthy return, the Lions will be fielding a playoff quality roster and MUST perform at that level next season.

Johnny Holland was recently promoted from defensive assistant to linebackers coach. He replaces the departed Richard Smith, who is now Miami’s Defensive Coordinator. Phil Snow (no relation to WWE’s Al Snow) will assume the role of Defensive Assistant. It is hard to gauge the impact either of them will have on the defense, but it appears that Holland will have some good young talent to work with the healthy return of Boss Bailey, James “Dirty” Davis, Earl Holmes, Teddy Lehman, and Alex Lewis. Should the Lions make a first round defensive selection in the upcoming draft, Holland and Snow’s roles will each become even more important.

Jeff Garcia signed, Lions close to deals with Garrison Hearst, Wesley Walls, and Giovanni Carmazzi

The Lions and Steve Mariucci finally got their man. They were able to sign Jeff Garcia at a reasonable price. Garcia immediately adds more igneous fuel to the interminable bonfire of Lion Quarterback controversy that has burned strongly since Bobby Layne was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 1957. It remains to be seen if Garcia will usurp incumbent QB, Joey Harrington, or if he will even will be able to regain his former 3-time All-Pro form.

Still, even if Garcia’s signing is a positional upgrade, it comes with much concern on my part. Will Garcia be able to provide the scare necessary to motivate Joey Harrington to have his much anticipated break-out as an NFL QB? Will Garcia play nice and be a willing supporter as a back-up or will the alliance he and Mariucci forged in San Francisco be the impetus for his Brutus-like conspiratory coup de’tat to the Lion QB throne? With Garcia’s recent poor performance factored in, will he be able to thrive in this system like he once did in the past? Will his seeming lack of durability and his continued risk-taking in the open field make him a non-factor(due to injury) in the long run for the Lions?

Garcia’s decline in completion percentage over recent seasons has me concerned that he has possibly been reduced to a slightly more accurate version of Mike McMahon, whom coincidentally Mariucci was also quite enamored with. Speaking of which, what is it with Maricucci’s dogged reliance upon only associating with players, coaches, et al. whom he has had prior affiliation with in Green Bay and San Francisco. I keep waiting to hear that Garrison Hearst, Wesley Walls and Gio Carmazzi have all been brought in for try-outs. His reticence towards bringing in new ideas from outside sources and considering personnel who have not played in this system have made me increasingly more concerned about Mariucci’s willingness to make the necessary adaptations that will ultimately lead towards future success for the Lions. I have already abandoned hope (dreams?) that the Lions will pursue a more aggressive, vertical passing game next season with the addition of Garcia. I think that changes in NFL rules and the Lions offensive failures last year should necessitate that the Lion’s open up their offense this coming season. All preliminary indicators seem to speak otherwise (i.e. the Garcia signing, the Tollner hiring).

What Garcia’s future will be in Detroit is ultimately a decision that will made by three people. Steve Mariucci, Joey Harrington and Jeff Garcia all posess the seeds of the destruction of their NFL careers. Mostly, next season is an opportunity for Joey Harrington to finally quelch his doubters by having a great off-season, pre-season and finally emerge as the leader and player Lion fans have held out all of their hope for.

I will go on record now, stating that it is my belief that Jeff Garcia will assume the role of Lions starting QB by week 5, at the earliest. Harrington’s failure as a NFL QB, will represent a serious setback in the future development of this organization. As likeable as he is, with all of the potential he might still hold, the deck appears now to be completely stacked against his NFL success. As always, with the Lions interminable rebuilding process, this represents a serious fork in the road that will be fodder for Lion fans to discuss for years to come.

Mark Champion, Jim Branstatter Shown the Door.

In unfortunate news, Lions broadcast affiliate, WRKR, has decided to release Mark Champion and Jim Branstatter from future Lion broadcasts. Champion provided excellent play-by-play, I always appreciated how his comments had strong empathy with the thoughts and feelings of Lion fans. Whenever a Lion offensive linemen would commit an untimely holding penalty in the red zone, Champion would respond with a well-timed “Oh My!” or “Oh Dear!”. Branstatter is nearly without peer in color commentary. Both broadcasters appeared loyal and appreciative of the Lion’s organization which makes WRKR’s decision all the more shocking.

The Lions hosted QB Brad Johnson, OG Rick DeMulling, and WR Corey Bradford yesterday. I have high hopes for the signings of both DeMulling and Johnson. Bradford is a puzzling choice. It would appear to me that the Lions need to add a dependable slot receiver as opposed to Bradford, who would be very helpful in plays utilizing the Lions new more agressive, vertical passing attack. That being said, it is crucial for the Lions to add someone who has sure hands and can find the first down marker on third and long. My understanding is that Bradford has not always been the most sure-handed of receivers.

Pro Sports Weekly’s 03/09-03/15 issue has an article entitled “Johnson has speed to burn”. The article is about University of Texas LB Derrick Johnson. The article is a feature connected with their pre-draft analysis of the linebacker’s who will be available in the upcoming draft. Many mock drafts are indicating that Johnson could still be available for the Lions to draft at selection #10. It goes without saying, that the Lions may already be well-stocked at the linebacker position. Still, Johnson is the best defensive playmaker available in the draft and would be an excellent addition to the defense. Johnson could share time at the Weak Side with Teddy Lehman or Dirty Davis. Lehman or Davis could start getting reps in the middle to help spell Earl Holmes and replace Wali Rainer. I think the ideal would be preparing Teddy to assume the backup middle linebacker role if he can increase his upper body strength and learn not to get blown up by blockers at the point of attack. Lehman would also be less of a liability in pass coverage than Holmes. Here are some of the statistics mentioned in the article in regards to Johnson’s career at UT:

2004-5 season:128 Tackles-72 solo, 2 sacks and 8 (not a typo) forced fumbles.
He also had 9 career interceptions.

Many experts compare him to Tampa’s Derrick Brooks. Here are Matt Millen’s lascivious quotes from the article in regards to the superb talent Johnson posesses:

“He has that burst you’re looking for,” Detroit Lions president and former NFL linebacker Matt Millen says. “All you have to do is put the tape on and see the the things he does. You always look for the things you can’t coach. When you see guys jumping over things, getting through the mess and running and bursting to the ball…that’s when they jump out at you. Derrick Johnson can burst. You don’t put that on the clock”

Sign me up! If by some freak occurence Johnson is available, the Lions would be quite foolish not to select him. Johnson is a sideline to sideline player who has a nose for the ball. I guess the marks against him are that he often over-pursues the ball and removes himself from being able to make the play and he had a poor performance against Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

Also, in another quick note, their are rumors circulating that the Lions are considering some sort of stupid Black alternate jerseys. Two words–Piston’s Teal! The Lions should not deviate from what is my opinion the greatest jersey in all of football, the Lions “throwback”. But if I were asked, I would suggest the Lions use the “throwback” jersey as their regular jersey.

Lions sign Kennedy, Pollard spurned by Warner.

In a rapid-fire burst, the Lions have finally become players in the free agent market bonanza. I will have to admit, I was completely taken by surprise by the acquisition of Marcus Pollard. Pollard is no longer the game-breaker he once was, but he will be extremely valuable in the Red Zone and will force defenses to acknowledge his threat in making their game plans. With the continued development of Dallas Clark, Pollard was no longer going to be as essential to the machinations of the Colts offense. A major element of Pollard’s presence indicates to me that the Lions are very serious about continuing to surround Joey Harrington (or whomever else may assume the reins) with capable talent. In the copycat NFL, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Lions utilize Pollard’s talents in many of the same ways as the Colts did.

Kenoy Kennedy will provide an explosive and intimidating presence in the Lions secondary. He is younger than the more talented Donavan Darius, who the Lions also were quite interested in. I think that Kennedy will make the Lions even more stout in their run defense. However, I am concerned about his potential liabilities in coverage and the likelihood that Kennedy may miss time due to his propensity for helmet-to-helmet contact. That being said, the Lions have missed the presence of a player who puts fear into the hearts of the offense like Mark Carrier and Bennie Blades once did. Kennedy’s presence may counterbalance any his liabilities in pass coverage. I think the free safety position immediately becomes all the more critical in pass coverage, hopefully Terrence Holt is up to the challenge.

Kurt Warner also has signed with the Arizona Cardinals, removing what appeared to be the Lions favored potential backup to Joey Harrington from the market. Their options are limited to Jeff Garcia and Brad Johnson at this point. I believe still that Johnson is the best option, but already their are rumblings that they have heightened their pursuit of Garcia for the role.

Richard Smith, Kenoy Kennedy, Pocahontas and Me

The Lions lost Linebacker’s and Assistant Head Coach Richard Smith to the Miami Dolphins. He will join Nick Saban’s staff as Defensive Coordinator. Steve Mariucci hasn’t given any indication whether or not Smith will be replaced.

The Lions are looking to bring in Denver Strong Safety and five year veteran, Kenoy Kennedy, this week. Kennedy is a ferocious hitter who plays well up near the line of scrimmage and is adequate when required to cover a Tight End. He has been somewhat of a liability in other coverage responsibilities. He is also one of the players in the league most likely to be routinely penalized for helmet-to-helmet contact in the secondary. I like the headhunting presence Kennedy would bring but do not view him to be much of a playmaker, which the Lions desperately need.

The Lions QB search is an offseason priority that has yet to move beyond exploratory stages. They have given Jeff Garcia a physical, yet they are waiting to meet with the other available options to determine what direction they may decide to go in. According to Pro Sports Weekly’s “Buzz Column”, Garcia has indicated he wants to sign with Detroit and he is willing to accept a minimum contract with incentives.

I am afraid the Lions may end up being a groom left standing at the altar if they do not make a quick pitch to the other QB’s they have designs on. Kurt Warner has mentioned an interest in Detroit, but he will be visiting a Chicago Bears club who has exhibiting a lot of interest in his services in the past. Brad Johnson, if given my druthers the most desirable option, will visit Arizona. With his prior ties to Dennis Green, he may come off the market quite rapidly. I think the Lions will be making a grave mistake if they don’t end up with one of the three. There is a serious quality drop-off with the remaining QB’s. If they don’t sign one of the three, there best option may be to place some draft priority on a QB and stick with an unchallenged Harrington for one more season.