Detroit Lions Weblog

Kitna Visits Lions, Bryson Re-signed, Lions Ink WR Bradford

The Lions brought in free agent QB Jon Kitna to discuss the possibility of joining the Lions. Kitna, who has been primarily a backup in Cinncinati, would probably be signed as a fallback plan should Joey Harrington not be able to flourish in Mike Martz’s offense. Kitna is a dependable, seasoned veteran who would be an asset as a backup. I am very concerned about the possibility of the Lions depending on Kitna as a starter for any extended periods of time, though.

The Lions have also re-signed RB Shawn Bryson. Bryson has been a very valuable backup and a versatile third down specialist. Bryson has soft hands, picks up blitzes well, and will probably perform quite well in the single-back sets that will often be employed by the Lions in their spiffy new offensive scheme. Many Lion fans will lament Bryson’s re-signing since his play doesn’t generate a lot of sizzle. That being said, Bryson is a difficult commodity to replace especially if Kevin Jones gets injured or fails to develop upon his ability to block, especially in single-back formations.

The Lions have been pursuing WR Corey Bradford for several seasons now. Bradford, an excellent deep threat, should really fit well into the new Lions offensive scheme which promises more vertical, downfield passes. My concerns with the Bradford signing are that he doesn’t provide the team with the dependable possession receiver they have needed in recent seasons (they had that with Kevin Johnson last season but he got injured) and shouldn’t they be able to depend on either Mike Williams or Charles Rogers to fill the role that Bradford will? I am sure that more will be developing out of this situation.