Detroit Lions Weblog

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.