Detroit Lions Weblog

The Grievance Three

Well, Well, Well, the cat’s are out of the bag. Shaun Rogers, Marcus Bell and NFLPA player rep James Hall were the three players behind the grievance that was recently filed with the league. Rogers, who was one of the players singled out in early drills for a lack of effort, is a little bit of a surprise participant to me. Even with his past motivational issues accounted for, Rogers could be well on his way to a special career if he remains focused and allows Marinelli’s tutelage to take hold.

Marcus Bell, a nice depth player who could become more important should “Big Daddy” Wilkinson retire, is a marginal player who may really struggle to make this roster now. He is not exactly a natural fit in the team’s new style of defense but can be a valuable contributor as a short yardage run stuffer. Hall should get a free pass, he is obligated to file any necessary grievances that may arise due to his position.

The bigger issue now becomes, in what was once considered a team strength both quality and depthwise, is the defensive line as good as we once believed it was? Subtracting Wilkinson, the team has Rogers, Bell, Shaun Cody and versatile players like Jared DeVries, Cory Redding, and Tyoka Jackson who could possibly play tackle in a pinch. Should Bell be released, I am not sure what options the team may have? Just something worth noting a month after the draft.

Other than an impending Wilkinson retirement, the other hanging issue is whether the team is serious about re-signing former Lion Az Hakim, who is well-versed in the Mike Martz offensive scheme from his playing days in St. Louis. Personally, I think that Hakim is a serious disappointment who should be signed upon last resort. The team selected Brian Calhoun with it’s third round draft pick for a reason and he deserves a chance to prove that he can perform the slot receiver/return specialist role. The courting of Hakim also could be yet another sign that the team is not really happy with the performance of return specialist Eddie Drummond.