Detroit Lions Weblog

Mea Culpa

Preceding the 2004 NFL draft, I was very vocal about whom I believed the Lions should select with their first draft pick. I went to message boards, pontificated to friends, spent long hard nights reciting incantions, and rendered many sacrifices in order to ensure that the Lions might select Kellen Winslow, Jr. Winslow, Jr., offered a startling combination of pedigree (father is a Hall of Famer/Miami is a football factory), athleticism, and playmaking ability from a position where it is very difficult to find any of these qualities. I was convinced that the Lions would benefit greatly by selecting Winslow, Jr.

When the Lions selected Roy Williams, I was excited. When they were able to do so by trading down with Cleveland, so that they would get an additional second round draft pick which enabled the Lions to in turn make a selection of Kevin Jones, it eased the pain tremendously of the team not selecting Winslow, Jr. I was still a little concerned, I believed Winslow was an electrifying player and both Williams and Jones had come to the team with nowhere near the hype built up around their abilities.

Winslow did give cause for reservations with his outspoken attitude, his foolish and immature comments about being a “Sol-jah”, and the fact that he was a product of the “U”, the University of Miami, a school that produces an incredible amount of NFL talent which is parcelled with a great deal of organizational headaches such as contract squabbles, off-the-field miscues, and a brashness that does not necessarily align with the type of players normally found on the Lion’s roster.

Still the surreal turn of events have unraveled are startling. Roy Williams is an exciting young talent whose demeanor exudes class. Kevin Jones appears to be a major building block upon which the organization can rest. This upcoming season has generated a healthy dose of optimism (still grounded in the realism that this franchise has not one a championship in nearly 50 years) among Lion fans. To invert things a bit, imagine if the Lions had drafted Winslow, Jr. last season. Would the Lions have been able to endure losing both Winslow, Jr. and Charles Rogers for nearly the entire season (how much worse would the 2004 6-10 team have been?). Could Winslow, Jr. have been able to remain patient and keep his brashness in check while the Lions languished in game after game down the stretch and Joey Harrington continued to disappoint while throwing passes in the dirt to his receivers. With the unanswered questions entering this season about Joey Harrington’s ability to lead the franchise to success and the health issues surrounding Charles Rogers and Boss Bailey, what state would the Lions organization currently be in after the Winslow, Jr. motorcyle accident, had they selected him? The accident has apparently ended his season and may in fact have destroyed his budding NFL career. How would we feel about this team entering the 2005 season?

In the truest sense of the word, you have to be careful what you wish for. I don’t know what the long term effects of Winslow, Jr.’s indiscretions will be for the Cleveland Browns, but I am certainly glad we as Lion fans will not be finding out the hard way as Matt Millen and Steve Mariucci continue to edge the team towards NFL respectability. I certainly am proud this organization does not posess a “Ron Mexico” or “Evel Kellnievel” on it’s roster and the team can continue to focus what is most important: Winning a Super Bowl. Mea Culpa.