Detroit Lions Weblog

DT Rogers Joins “Voluntary” Workouts, Quelling Trade Rumors, Lions Sign G’s Piller and Mulitalo

Shaun “Big Baby” Rogers joined the Lions off-season “voluntary” workouts yesterday, amidst some published rumors that the Lions may consider trading the former All-Pro.   In spite of the enigmatic Rogers’ surliness, he may prove too valuable as the team’s defensive linchpin for the Lions to honestly consider trade offers at this time. 

This is not the first time that Rogers has been mentioned in trade rumors.   There were a number of reports of Rogers’ availability entering his third season, before the Lions signed him to a contract extension.  At that time, many considered these rumors to be a motivational ploy by the Lions front office in an attempt to extract more effort from Rogers towards meeting his enormous potential.  After a disappointing injury and suspension-shortened season last year, the Lions may hope that they can provide a similar motivational factor entering this season.  The Lions desperately need Rogers to emerge as a consistent, team leader, if they are going to recover from their run of poor seasons.

The Lions signed two veteran free agent guards this week to help bolster their weak offensive line.   Former Ravens starter Edwin Mulitalo will likely be start at the one of the guard positions.   Former Titans G Zach Piller, who has started games in the past, will either start (in lieu of the release or benching of Damien Woody) or will compete along with Barry Stokes, Frank Davis, and Stephen Peterman to provide quality and capable depth in the middle of the Lions offensive line. 

As much as I want to be optimistic about the addition of two starting quality offensive linemen to the Lions roster, I will remain cautious about getting my expectations set too high after a past, enormous string of disappointing off-season acquisitions by the Lions for their offensive line. Beginning with the decision to trade the ever-dependable Mike Compton for Brendan Stai, and continuing with busted draft picks like Aaron Gibson and Stockar McDougle, and finally closing it out with underperforming free agent signings like Rick DeMulling, Ross Verba, and Rex Tucker, the Lions have absolutely struggled to develop even a mediocre level of consistency along their offensive line.   On paper, at their onset, all of these moves showed promise, even if the results were eventually proved to the contrary.

The Lions also are reported to have some interest in acquiring yet another former Ram, Chiefs QB Trent Green.   The Chiefs will eventually have to release Green, so I hope that any genuine interest that the Lions may have can be put on hold until the Chiefs cut Green.  Honestly, I don’t really like the idea of signing Green.  I am hoping that this is a ineffectively-veiled ploy to disguise their interest in drafting QB Brady Quinn.  

Green’s career has likely seen better days, and despite his familiarity with Martz’s offense, Green would likely prove to be too costly in the short run for the Lions to consider acquiring.   I would be more willing to accept them considering signing recently released QB David Carr, who may be able to benefit greatly from Martz’s tutelage as a reclamation project, and has exhibited some untapped promise.   With all that in mind, I believe that the Lions time will be better served focusing on how exactly they are going to fill their other numerous roster voids entering the ‘07 season, rather than pursuing another quarterback.

Broncos MLB Wilson Next Step in Broncos/Lions Pipeline? Duckett Wants to Compete for Feature Back Role

The Broncos are rumored to have made All-Pro MLB Al Wilson available for trade.   The Lions, along with the Eagles and Giants, appear to be on a short list of potential trade partners for the Broncos.   Wilson’s acquisition would immediately shore up the middle linebacker spot for the Lions, which has been somewhat of a roster void during recent seasons, in what many consider to be the most difficult, and important, position to fill in the Tampa Cover-2 defensive scheme.

It is not immediately clear what the Lions would have to give up for Wilson, although the second overall draft pick would be a convenient starting point for the Broncos, and it is also not clear what the Lions would receive in return besides Wilson. 

The Lions have been rumored to be quite enamored with Ole Miss MLB Patrick Willis. Any future trade for Wilson would mean that they are no longer in need of a player to play MLB, and likely rule out drafting Willis.  Willis has tremendous upside, but Wilson could contibute immediately and would significantly reduce their list of pre-draft needs, which makes the trade so appealing. 

At this point, the upcoming month for the Lions will be the most important, and intriguing, during Matt Millen’s 6-yr. tenure.   If Millen can seize the full value of their draft pick by trading for additional draft picks or players, the team could experience a dramatic, quick turnaround.   I definitely have more confidence in Millen’s decision-making with the presence of both Mike Martz and Rod Marinelli within the organization to help shape a more well-defined vision of what exactly the team needs add/change to improve.  That considered, the Lions can’t afford to whiff over the course of the next month.  Any Harrington, Rogers or Mike Williams-type draft disasters would set this organization back several years further in their attempts to achieve any parity-fueled success.

T.J. Duckett has made it known that he would like to compete for a feature running back role, as opposed to occupying short-yardage, goal-line, situational role.  Duckett, who isn’t perceived as a great blocker and is not known for posessing great hands, would overcome long odds if he were able to garner a feature role.   Duckett carrying the ball often would also be a clear indicator that Marinelli has instructed Martz to shift to a more power-oriented running attack in his playcalling.  

The addition of Duckett, at the very least, gives the Lions the opportunity to more effectively preserve third and fourth quarter leads by grinding it out with Jones and Duckett.  The other positive element of adding Duckett, in my eyes, is that providing Mike Martz with another tool for his bag of tricks, can only help and not hurt the Lions.

Lions Begin “Voluntary” Workouts, G Timmerman Visits

The Lions began their offseason “voluntary” (in true Orwellian fashion) workouts this week.   Apparently, G Damien Woody has lost 31 lbs since he enrolled into the Duke emergency weight loss clinic, which now makes him a svelte 335 lbs, and he intends on losing another 20 lbs.   Woody’s playing career would likely be nearing it’s end, had he not chosen to shed the excess weight.   The Lions are still visiting with mid-tier experienced free agent guards, so Woody’s roster spot isn’t entirely guaranteed, but Woody’s weight loss is still a positive development.

Unfortunately, not all is sunny with these workouts.   Head Coach Rod Marinelli was all but dismissive in his comments about Mike Williams and his conditioning.   Williams is skating on very thin ice with the team, so this is bad news for anyone harboring hope that he may eventually develop into any sort of future contributor in Detroit .  At this point, the Lions should either part company with Williams, or find a potential trade suitor who will give them a couple of used blocking shields for the rights to Williams.  I believe that the target weight of 220 lbs, which the Lions have set as a desired playing weight for Williams, is actually something that the Lions have established to ease the public into accepting Williams’ eventual release.   Williams apparent lack of commitment, at least as it has been reported, would likely convince Lion fans that the team is making the right decision by choosing to move on.

Shaun Rogers and Cory Redding, projected to be the team’s starters at defensive tackle, are both absent from the “voluntary” workouts.   Redding, who is attending college, is not officially under contract since the Lions have applied their franchise tag upon him.  Rogers, who is rehabilitating in Texas from two knee surgeries and a shoulder surgery, has drawn Marinelli’s ire by choosing not to attend.   Rogers was suspended last season for 4 games for using an illegal weight loss drug, and was viewed as a mostly surly and unhappy presence in the team’s locker room, according to many observers.    The cover-2 zone defense’s fulcrum is it’s defensive line, easily it’s most important personnel group which can eventually correlate with future success in the scheme.   With Redding and Rogers’ past performances considered, this should be one of the team’s few roster strengths.  

Rod Marinelli will have a difficult time implementing his philosophy with the Lions roster, if he doesn’t eventually win over Rogers.  As good as Rogers has been, he has never appeared to fully touch his enormous potential (nor has Rogers expressed a willingness to make the necessary commitment to do so).   Not only do the Lions need to tap this potential, but they also need for Rogers to become a leader in convincing other members of the team that Marinelli’s program is worth committing to.   It remains to be seen if Rogers is actually rehabbing, or if this may eventually develop into some sort of leverage scheme by Rogers and his agent (more money, pressure to be moved to another organization, anger over being moved to nose guard, instead of defensive tackle?).

The Lions continue to both visit with free agent guards and maintain their league-wide standing as the potential landing spot for all former St. Louis Rams.   They recently visited with G Adam Timmerman.   Between Timmerman, Edwin Mulitalo, and Cosey Coleman, one of them is likely to eventually land upon the Lions roster in the future. 

With the rapid approach of the April 28th draft, the Lions are in the unique, and pivotal position of determing what may or may not occur in this year’s draft throughout the first round.   Their second overall draft pick is valuable to any number of teams who decide that it is imperative to draft WR Calvin Johnson, QB’s JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn, or OT Joe Thomas.   This draft could change entirely Matt Millen’s legacy as the team’s chief executive, if he executes this year’s draft strategy with the deft grace that many forecasters think that he may have the opportunity to do, with the synchrony of team draft needs and talent atop this year’s draft.  The Lions and their draft intentions will likely consume a great deal of pre-draft spotlight during the next month, that’s for sure. 

Trading the #2 Pick, G Coleman Visits, Titans Interested in Mike Williams?

Reports are rampant that the Lions are very seriously considering trading down from the #2 draft slot in the 2007 draft.   There have been reports that the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos are among the potential suitors for the rights to acquire a player like QB JaMarcus Russell, WR Calvin Johnson or RB Adrian Peterson. 

Apparently, the Lions are hoping to add as much young, “Marinelli-type” talent as they can with this draft.  Their most glaring needs are at cornerback and middle linebacker, two positions which could be addressed if they are able to trade down, possibly even trading down twice.  Personally, I believe that if the Lions can position themselves so that they can select players like MLB Patrick Willis, CB Darrelle Revis, or even a defensive end, plus add additional draft picks in later rounds, they would be foolish not to at least consider their options.   With all of their extra fifth round draft picks, they will have an expanded opportunity to pursue different avenues in the 2007 draft.

The Lions visited with Browns G Cosey Coleman this week.   I expect them to continue to pursue their options at offensive guard, since they have no defined starters at that position, yet.

Their are a number of reports that indicate that the Titans are monitoring the availability of former USC WR Mike Williams.  In case you’ve forgotten, Head Coach Jeff Fisher(USC alum) and Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow (former coach at USC) have deep connections with the Trojans and took a chance on a similar type of shiftless, underachiever in RB LenDale White.  If Matt Millen can procure another a draft pick, a bag of balls, and a Madden 2003 video game cartridge in exchange for the attendant headaches and disappointment that come along with possessing “Big” Mike Williams, then the deal should have been made yesterday, in my opinion.

It has also been revealed that WR Kevin Curtis did not want to live in Detroit, which provided a major sticking point in the Lions pursuit of Curtis.  Curtis, who eventually signed with Eagles, is a fellow Mormon with Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid.  I wonder if Curtis realizes that living in Philly isn’t exactly a walk in the park as far as places one might choose to reside, either.

The best news of the week, in my opinion, was that the Toronto Argonauts have obtained the CFL rights to former Lions QB Joey Harrington.   Considering that the Argos already have former Lions QB Mike McMahon on their roster, it would be hilarious if eventually these two former Motown titans could square off for the right to hold a clipboard on the end of the Argo’s bench in the future. 

Lions Acquire RB Duckett, WR McDonald and CB Fisher

The Lions have been active in their process of filling out their roster this week.   First, they signed former Michigan State RB T.J. Duckett.   Duckett is a strong, bulldozing style of runner who is fleet enough of foot that he can break out of a pile and add up extra yards.   That being said, Duckett is a pure situational, short-yardage and goal line back who may find it difficult to find carries when both Tatum Bell and Kevin Jones are each healthy.  In his time with the Falcons, Duckett did score touchdowns effectively(and often) and at one point had not lost yardage carrying the ball for a significant period of time.   Duckett is not known for either his ability to catch the ball or block, though.

The Lions continued their unwavering commitment in becoming the St. Louis Rams North by acquiring two former Rams in WR Shaun McDonald and CB Travis Fisher.   Even with the acquisitions of so many former Rams players (Dre Bly, Blaine Saipia, Mike Furrey, Arlen Harris, Lamar Gordon, Aveion Cason, Tyoka Jackson, Fisher, and McDonald)  The Lions could still conceivably add two more former Rams in G Adam Timmerman and WR Kevin Curtis, who was one of the team’s primary targets for acquisition entering free agency.  McDonald’s signing immediately puts players like LeVale Ellis, Mike Williams and Eddie Drummond on notice.  I would not be shocked, if the Lions are able to sign Curtis, that Mike Williams will be released before the March off season “voluntary” workouts begin.  

McDonald is fluent in the Martz offense and should relish the opportunity to be a larger component of an offense than he was in St. Louis last season.   I am assuming that McDonald will serve as an inside receiver and potential kick returner.

The Lions also signed CB Travis Fisher, a position that is conspicuously vacuous with the trade of Dre Bly.   Irregardless of Bly’s shortcomings, the Lions were in big trouble if they had to rely completely upon Stanley Wilson, Jr, Keith Smith, and Fernando Bryant without any additional veteran competition.   Fisher has been an effective but injury-prone player who will at the very least give the Lions an adequate replacement for the departed Jamar Fletcher.  

MLive.com’s Tom Kowalski thinks that Fisher could eventually start alongside Wilson, Jr, since the Lions may choose to eventually release oft-injured Fernando Bryant.   He also believes that the Lions will continue to consider additional players at offensive guard, in lieu of the possibility that Damien Woody doesn’t return to the team in quality playing condition.

Cory Schlesinger signed with the Miami Dolphins this week.  We will miss you Sledge.

The Silence from Allen Park is Deafening, or What is the Sound of One Ford Clapping, If a Free Agent Comes Through Town and…

If a free agent comes through the Allen Park Lions headquarters, and no one is paying attention, has there really been a free agent visit?  The Lions have visited with or will visit with these less-than-marquee players: 1)WR Kevin Curtis 2) WR Shaun McDonald 3) RB T.J. Duckett 4)RB Chris Brown 5)CB Kiwaukee Thomas and  6)G Edwin Mulitalo.  Entering free agency, their primary targets were: 1)MLB London Fletcher-Baker 2) WR Kevin Curtis 3) DE DeWayne White.  We all know that the Lions were successful in signing White, and that Fletcher-Baker was likely gone before free agency even began.

On one hand, with the ridiculous money teams are throwing at a mediocre free agent crop, I am glad that the Lions have likely whiffed on two of their three top targets.  That being said, it doesn’t bode well for their off-season plans if they are going to have to settle for lesser players just to fill their roster or be placed in the position where they are going to need utilize the draft to fill gaping roster holes.   The situation with Curtis should clear up relatively soon, once he can hire an agent on Saturday.   The fact that Curtis is visiting teams like the Giants and Eagles is more than a little disconcerting.  My guess is that something critical has broke down within the negotiations between Curtis and the Lions and that the Lions are unlikely to eventually get him.  In that case, the Lions have to hope that Shaun McDonald is still available for roster depth purposes, and they may have to now begin strongly considering selecting Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson in the April draft.

The Lions did re-sign DT Cleveland Pinkney and the ever-present, journeymen RB Aveion Cason.   Something tells me, that as long as Cason can run, and Mike Martz is in the league, players like Cason, Arlen Harris and Lamar Gordon will find work on his teams.   Pinkney provides some depth to their defensive line and probably is a long shot to make the roster.   Cason, if anything, is at least a versatile (he can also return kicks), shifty-type of running back who can be effective in 3rd down situations.  Cason also has a slim chance to make the final roster, though.

The courting of players like Chris Brown and Kiwaukee Thomas can not be very exciting to Lions fans, but the Lions have to consider the possibility that among Kevin Jones, Shawn Bryson and Brian Calhoun, even with the addition of Tatum Bell, one or two of these players will not be ready at the beginning of the season. With the trade of Dre Bly, and the likely loss of CB Jamar Fletcher, the Lions need depth in the secondary.   Thomas should be a capable, if less than stellar, player to consider adding.

The visit with Edwin Mulitalo is intriguing.   If he is signed, Mulitalo could be another Ross Verba/Rex Tucker type of addition, who is injury-plagued and underperforms, or with his vast experience and excellent reputation, Mulitalo could provide the Lions with a lot of value beyond his price tag.  Mulitalo has played in the Pro Bowl and has performed well for the Ravens.   At any rate, the Lions can’t afford to not at least investigate upgrading their offensive line after allowing over 60 QB sacks last season.

We can bid adieu to S Terrence Holt, with FB Cory Schlesinger likely soon to follow.   Holt seemed like a player who never was given a full shot to assert his role with the team, and he never fully seized his chances when given the opportunity.  “Sledge”, as Schlesinger has been affectionately referred to, will be missed.   His professionalism and toughness were incredibly valuable to the Lions organization, but unfortunately, age and drastic changes to the offensive scheme made him less valuable than he should have been to a team with whom he was employed for 12 seasons.

Allen Park Holding Pattern, Re-Sign DE Smith

The Lions are caught in a bit of a holding pattern after the strange turn of events in their quest to sign WR Kevin Curtis.  Curtis, who was in town to negotiate a deal, fired his agent Tom Condon amidst speculation that Curtis was unhappy with Condon’s lack of attention to representing Curtis while Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn (also represented by Condon) had his pro day in South Bend.  NFL rules state that a player must wait 5 days to hire a new agent and it appears that Curtis has delayed all future decisions until he hires an agent. 

The Lions also visited with RB T.J. Duckett and WR Shaun McDonald, but each left town without contracts.  It appears that signing each player is on hold until the Lions resolve the Curtis situation.  I fully expect that the Lions will sign Curtis, but I also don’t expect either Duckett or McDonald to wait too long to garner contracts, considering the crazy over-spending that continues to be occurring during free agency.

In regards to Quinn, the Lions took a lot of heat after it was reported by both John Clayton and Len Pasquarelli that the Lions were conspicuous in their absence during Quinn’s pro day.   Not only would their absence indicate that they have no interest in Quinn, but it would also allow potential trade partners to back off a bit in their attempts to strike a deal with the Lions.   That being said, these reports appear to be false.   The Lions had seven representatives on hand to watch Quinn, but Team President Matt Millen wasn’t present.  I am still inclined to believe that Quinn is not high on the Lions draft board, but they could also be being very effective in their attempt to deceive the rest of the league.

The Lion’s re-signed DE Corey Smith, who clearly fits the mold of the type of player that Coach Rod Marinelli desires.  Smith did quite well in his half season with the Lions, hopefully his performance is a sign of things to come, even if he only provides the team with quality depth and doesn’t play often.  I expect that Smith has earned the opportunity to compete for a rotation role, and gives the team some insurance if they come up empty-handed in their pursuit of help at that position.

Lions Sign DE White, Host WR’s Curtis, McDonald and RB Duckett, Bly Unhappy with Trade, Releases

The Lions inked DE DeWayne White who, at least on the surface, would appear be a good fit with the Lions due to his previous experience with both the team’s defensive scheme and coaching staff.   That being said, White is a career backup who hasn’t overwhelmed anybody with his past performance.  White is still young (27) and hopefully will flourish with the opportunity he is being given by the Lions.   The Lions like White’s versatility and believe he could play anywhere along the defensive front, which could just be another way of saying that he hasn’t been good enough to grab and hold onto any one particular starting spot with his past opportunities.  

The Lions resisted anointing White as the their Rush Defensive End, who lines up on the right side of the defense and attacks the opposing QB’s “blind side”.   That is a strong indication, according to Tom Kowalski , that the Lions may still be considering signing another free agent, making a trade or possibility drafting another defensive end.   The Lions do have returning veteran DE Kalimba Edwards, but he is considered a pass rush specialist (a one-trick one at that) who has never attained his projected ability.   The Lions will need more help at defensive end soon, regardless of any serious future development by Edwards.

The Lions have been meeting with former Rams WR Kevin Curtis for the past couple of days.  Curtis, who many believe is the Lions primary free agent target, may eventually leave Detroit without signing a deal, according to several reports.   The recent signing of WR Drew Bennett significantly effected the market value of Curtis, which may be causing a hitch in the contract proceedings.  That being said, unless the contract numbers are prohibitive, I believe that the Lions will not allow Curtis to leave without agreeing to an offer.

The Lions are also scheduled to meet with former Rams WR Shaun McDonald and RB T.J. Duckett.  A future signing of McDonald could mean two things: 1)the Lions were unable to come to terms with Curtis or 2)WR Mike Williams is going to be released very soon.  Duckett would likely sign with the Lions as a short-yardage specialist, an aspect of their offense that was a major struggle last season.   It remains to be seen whether or not Duckett wants to become a feature back or is content being consigned to this situational, and albeit less significant, role.

Amidst rampant rumors that the Lions may spin recently acquired RB Tatum Bell to two potential trade suitors in Green Bay and the New York Giants, reports indicate that CB Dre Bly is very unhappy with his recent trade to the Broncos.  Apparently, the Redskins were close to acquiring Bly (in exchange for veteran CB Shawn Springs) and even were willing to give Bly a new contract extension, which Denver has thus far refused to do.   Bly is from Virginia and was intrigued by the possibility of playing near his former home.   Sounds like Bly is not doing any of his trademark pre-snap jumping jacks of joy over his current situation.

The Lions also released TE Marcus Pollard, DE/DT Tyoka Jackson and DT Marcus Bell last week.   They were able to successfully trade DE James Hall to the Rams for a 5th round choice, which they now possess four of in this upcoming draft.    In all likelihood, the Lions plan on packaging these 5th round picks, if the opportunity eventually presents itself.

Lions Re-Sign LB Alex Lewis, Hall and Pollard Will be Gone By Hook or By Crook Today, MLive Analysis of Bly Trade

The Lions signed LB Alex Lewis to a three year contract extension yesterday and effectively took him off of the free agent market, as a restricted free agent.   Lewis, who has shown some upside, will battle for the starting strongside linebacker job with Boss “Champ’s Bro” Bailey.  Lewis fits quite well into the Lions future plans of developing a Cover-2 defensive scheme with his speed and athleticism.  The Lions also have tendered two more restricted free agents: CB Keith Smith and LS Don Muhlbach.   If either player signs an offer sheet from another organization the Lions will have the opportunity to match the offer or receive compensation for the loss of these two players.

Smith, like LB Lewis, showed some promise as a rookie, but failed to make much of an impression with his performance during his second season (last year).  At the very least, Smith is a strong nickel candidate and will be in the mix for a starting CB job with Stanley Wilson, Jr.   Muhlbach has done a capable job as long-snapper and the Lions, like most franchises, did not relish the idea of having to search for another dependable long snapper.

James Hall and Marcus Pollard will both be released today, if the Lions are unable to trade them.   Both players are due roster bonuses, which the Lions are not willing to pay.   Hall, who was once considered a steal for the organization, does not see eye-to-eye with Coach Marinelli and was involved with the filing of a grievance with the league office over the Lions not following a practice policy.   Pollard was not of much use in Mike Martz’s offense and was never as effective in Detroit as the Lions had hoped for.  Reportedly, a couple of teams have interest in Hall, but why would anyone be willing to give the Lions anything of value for him when it is public knowledge he wil be had as a free agent in a matter of hours?

MLive.com’s Tom Kowalski  has an excellent breakdown of why the Dre Bly trade was such a success for the Lions.   The team has added more salary cap room by acquiring RB Tatum Bell and OT George Foster from the Broncos, who will cost much less combined than what Bly would have cost the Lions in ‘07.  Furthermore, if the Lions retain both players, they remove two positions of need from their laundry list of needs for the free agency signing period that began today.  The importance of that move is that in a relatively weak free agent market, where teams have a lot more money spend due to a significant increase in the league’s salary cap, many free agents will receive an inordinately high amount of money, since teams have more to spend.  The Lions, through their recent trade, will not have to overpay for at least two players, in their process of attempting to address their many roster needs.

The Lions have also exponentially increased their leverage for moving in the draft and potentially acquiring more draft picks/players.   The Lions are no longer locks to draft either Wisconsin OT Joe Thomas or Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson, since they have acquired both Bell and Foster, and teams who want these players may want to jump into the Lions draft slot in order to be able to select one of them.   With the Lions maintaining a serious interest in drafting a pass rushing DE and MLB, two positions that are not abundant in free agency, the team can begin to consider drafting players like DE’s Gaines Adams, Jamaal Anderson and MLB Patrick Willis.  The biggest downside to the Bly trade is that a position that was once considered a strong point for the team, one of the most important in the game of football, now has some serious need to be addressed.

Adios Verba, Bly Traded to Broncos

The Lions have fired a couple of warning shots across the bough today.   Veteran G Ross Verba, who was signed last season in hopes of upgrading the offensive line, was released to avoid paying the bonus he was due this month.   Verba played 6 games last season and struggled with assorted nagging injuries from the moment he was signed by the Lions.  At this point, after missing all of the 2005 and most of the 2006 season, one has to wonder if Verba will eventually land elsewhere or if his career is finished.

The Lions have completed their trade of two time all-pro CB Dre Bly to the Denver Broncos. The Lions will receive versatile RB Tatum Bell, OT George Foster, and a 5th round draft pick.   Considering how little they received in their trade with Miami for Joey Harrington (a fifth round draft pick in ‘07) last season, I believe that the Lions accounted for themselves quite well with this transaction.

Bell, who is entering his fourth season, has gained 2,342 (4.9 yards/carry) rushing yards and scored 13 touchdowns in his three seasons.  Bell is somewhat of a situational back and Denver’s system has produced several 1,000 yard rushers who never have came close again to matching that particular milestone at any point during the remainder of their careers, once they have left the Denver organization.  Foster has started 45 NFL games in his three seasons.  The fifth round draft pick is negligible, but the Lions now will have more than one pick in that round.  Pro Football Talk is reporting that is quite possible that the Lions intend on spinning these players (Bell, Foster) into trades for more draft picks from other organizations down the line.   Apparently, the Lions have their sights on trying to rebuild their roster with as many picks as they can from the ‘07 draft.   With that in mind, I hope that the Lions strongly consider the value of the dependability and experience that they may be receiving from the acquisition of Bell and Foster before they choose to deal them again so quickly.  As we all know, the Lions have a definite need in both personnel groups.

The Free Press’  Nicholas J. Cotsonika   wrote an interesting article about the propensity NFL coaches have for acquiring players whom they have coached before and possess a basic level of familiarity with their coaching schemes and philosophies.  As we enter free agency, it bears mentioning this fact because as mystified as we often are by the Lion’s decision-making in regards to choosing personnel, these previous associations are often a major factor in determining which players a particular team may pursue.   Cotsonika suggests, for example, that the Lions may pursue Tampa DE DeWayne White (whom Marinelli coached in Tampa) to help remedy their lack of quality personnel at that particular position.

Here is a checklist of roster needs as the team enters the free agency period (if you are keeping track):1) OT (if they don’t keep the newly acquired Foster)

2) OG (Depending on what happens with Damien Woody off-season conditioning)

3) DE (James Hall is on his way out, Cory Redding will likely move to DT and Kalimba “The Ghost” Edwards counts for about 1/3 a DE)

4) CB (Dre Bly is gone, their are several young players on the roster who can ably fill a nickel role, but it remains to be seen whether they can be depended upon to play on every down)

5) RB (Even if Kevin Jones returns at the beginning of the season, if they trade Bell, the Lions will only have versatile Shawn Bryson, who will serve as a part-time FB, too, and unproven Brian Calhoun on their current roster)

6) WR (Mike Williams days are likely numbered with the team and they really only have two receivers that they can count on)

7) MLB (next to DE, this is likely the Lions biggest personnel void)

8) TE (with the news that Marcus Pollard is gone and the wild inconsistency of Casey FitzSimmons, the Lions will likely need a backup for Dan Campbell.)

With the considerable erosion of credibility that Matt Millen has suffered from during his six season tenure, it will be interesting to see whether his personnel decisions will show any sign of improvement, as the off-season progresses.  Furthermore, with the number of players the team is attempting to eradicate from it’s roster, will that serve as a notice to potential free agents that the Lions are not a team that they want to consider playing for, as the mass exodus begins.