Detroit Lions Weblog

Millen’s Worst Draft Yet as Team President?

As much as I had hoped entering the draft that the Lions would parlay their number two overall draft pick for a bevy of picks or players, I can’t fault the logic of selecting WR Calvin Johnson, in spite of all of the team’s previous draft failures at that position, since Johnson was considered by the general consensus as the premium talent in this year’s draft.    Matt Millen, resident “wide receiver expert”, made the right call with selecting Johnson, in spite of the endless supply of jokes that have been generated from the team selecting four wide receivers with their first draft pick (all in the top 10) in the past five seasons.

As surreal as it may be, the Lions should have a dynamic offense with the addition of Calvin Johnson to a personnel  mix that already featured quality receivers in Roy Williams, Mike Furrey, Shaun McDonald, and potentially, Marcus Robinson, if he has enough gas left in the tank to contribute.  I am moderately concerned that Mike Martz will become so enamored of his new toy (Johnson) that eventually Roy Williams will demand a trade in anger over his diminished role in the Lions offense.    I would also like to see a rough estimate of the complete salary cap charge the Lions will have committed to wide receivers (past and present) once Johnson is signed, too.

The next seven draft picks are where my concern/anxiety begins.   I am a graduate of Michigan State University, therefore I am somewhat of a homer for QB Drew Stanton.   That being said, I believe that the Lions made a grievous error in selecting him so early, when they had so many more critical needs to address.   Stanton is a character guy, who is both tough and courageous.   He is also familiar with a losing culture, after four years in East Lansing, and will likely be quite comfortable in Detroit as a result.   Stanton’s selection is a clear indication that the organization is all too willing to settle for the underachieving play of players like DE Kalimba”The Ghost” Edwards, MLB-to-be Teddy “I.R.” Lehman, and G Damien Woody, rather than pursue upgrades.  

In my eyes, if you can remain objective, Stanton is eerily similar to former Lion QB Mike McMahon.   They are both are second in their respective school career passing yards totals and have been positively referred to with adjectives like “gritty”, “spirited”, and “field leader” by various observers.   These platitudes, that are often used to describe intangible qualities, are duplicitous, though.   As much as we pine for the success of underdogs, hard-workers, etc.,  these pithy descriptions that are often appended to players serve to obscure the cold reality that genuine talent and actual performance are both lacking.

Both players came from disappointing programs who have been mired in mediocrity, at least until recently for Rutgers, and have little experience with leading their teams to major victories.   They both had their draft stock increase dramatically as a result of quality performances in post-season senior exhibition games in front of NFL scouts.

Their stats are eerily similar, too:

Senior Season:–CMP-ATT-YDS–TD–%–Career Passing YDS

Stanton——–164–269–1807–12–61%–6524

McMahon——-169–340–2157–18–50%–6608

They both battled a number of injuries throughout their college careers, suffered from poor passing accuracy, and the inability to deliver a nice, tight spiral in the passing game.  Neither was gifted with the greatest of passing arms, either.  Both players were highly regarded for their athleticism and noted for their willingness to scramble outside of the pocket and successfully run with ball.

The primary difference between Stanton and McMahon is the presence of a big-time agent, Drew Rosenhaus for Stanton, and the significantly wider media exposure Stanton has enjoyed at Michigan State. 

I do believe that Stanton may be able to overcome these haunting similarities to Mike McMahon, especially under the quality tutelage of Jon Kitna and Mike Martz, unlike McMahon, whose tenure in Detroit was riddled by being surrounded with complete organizational incompetence. 

The Lions were agressive in this year’s draft, you have to acknowledge that.  They wheeled and dealed their way to making three picks in the second round.   The selections after Stanton were equally puzzling, though.   DE Ikaika Alama-Francis has a NFL pedigree, since his father was Bart Starr’s back-up QB in Green Bay.  With his NFL pedigree considered, Alama-Francis is still relatively inexperienced as a football player. Alama-Francis also suffered an injury in a senior exhibition game that may interfere with his ability to participate in some of the early minicamps.  

Considering all of this, I think it is safe to say that he is somewhat of a project pick, in an organization that needs near-immediate contributions from the players that it selects.  Alama-Francis should eventually be in the mix to start at left DE, which serves more of a run-stopping role in the defense.   The sad reality is that by selecting Alama-Francis, the Lions completely ignored their need for a quality edge-rusher (Central Michigan’s Dan Bazuin was on the board), which would certainly could be deemed more worthy of a project pick.  Alama-Francis compares favorably to Cory Redding, according to Head Coach Rod Marinelli. I would compare him to another failed Millen draft pick, Montana DE Johnathan Taylor.

S Gerald Alexander was a fast-riser on some draft boards who should compete for playing time immediately and posesses valuable versatility.   He has some collegiate experience playing CB, so he may be able to provide some depth their in a pinch, too.   I don’t dislike the selection of Alexander, the Lions secondary will need to be bolstered, since they were not inclined to try and upgrade their pass rush in the draft.

CB A.J. Davis is considered to be a good value pick as fourth rounder.   That being said, he is undersized as a Cover-2 cornerback, and a player who is considered to be better suited to the Lions defense, Tanard Jackson, still remained on the draft board.  G Manuel Ramirez is an agressive, strong, mauler-type of interior linemen who will compete with players like Frank Davis and the versatile Blaine Saipia for a roster spot.  MLB Johnny Baldwin is from a small school and appears to be virtually anonymous in most draft guides.   “Mr. Irrelevant”, Ramzee Robinson, is better suited to the Lions Cover-2 defense than A.J. Davis and is considered a good value as a 7th round pick.

It remains to be seen if this Matt Millen’s worst draft, and whether he will be around to have a worse one yet in the future?   I can’t help but think that ultimately, the Lions will enter next season with another top 10 draft pick and a completely new front office and coaching staff in place, partially as a result of the team ignoring it’s glaring roster needs with this draft. 

Lions Sign WR’s Marcus Robinson and Cliff Russell, RFA CB Keith Smith

The Lions continue to search for help at wide receiver, while their best possible option may be available (WR Calvin Johnson) to them in tomorrow’s draft.   That being said, WR Marcus Robinson, if he still has gas left in the tank, provides the Lions with another experienced, quality receiving option as they approach the 2007 season.   Russell is less of a sure bet to stick with the team.   CB Keith Smith provides the team with quality depth on special teams and a player who can compete for the nickel or dime role in multi-defensive back coverages.

The first hour-to-hour and a half of tomorrow’s draft should be riveting.   Apparently, the Raiders have begun preliminary contract discussions with QB Brady Quinn, and potentially (but not confirmed) with WR Calvin Johnson, and have not extended an offer to QB JaMarcus Russell.   Meanwhile, Falcons owner Arthur Blank, amidst rumors that his franchise QB has some involvement in neglecting and abusing dogs, as well as possibly sponsoring a dog-fighting ring, has issued an edict to his front office that they must draft Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson, who may be the salve necessary to offset the damage done by the troubled Vick to the organization in the past nine months.

The Lions have to be prepared for these scenarios: 1) The Raiders taking JaMarcus Russell (yeah!) 2) The Raiders taking Johnson (boo!) 3) The Raiders taking Quinn (wow!) 4) The Browns trading up to #1 for Quinn or Russell (yes!) or 5) The Falcons trading up to take Johnson.   The best case scenario, in my opinion, is that the Raiders take Quinn or Russell and the Lions swing a deal with Atlanta, as opposed to the Bucs or any other trade partner.

The Falcons have the best trade package to spare and appear to be the most committed to moving up.   Many talking heads believe that the Lions priority order (if they don’t draft and keep WR Johnson) is DE Gaines Adams, S LaRon Landry, MLB Patrick Willis or CB Leon Hall.   At #8, the Lions will not be able to pick Adams and most likely will not be able to select Landry, either.   Willis fits a very serious roster need and would eliminate all questions about the Lions LB corps.  Tom Kowalski believes that the Lions really like Hall, and may rank him higher than Willis.

In my eyes, the selection of Willis, along with a package of picks to either stay put or trade back into the first round is an ideal scenario.   Adams reminds me too much of Kalimba Edwards, in spite of all his athletic gifts, and the Lions do have a desperate need for a quality edge rusher.   Adams has a reputation for taking plays off, and maybe all of the team’s commitment to Edwards in recent years will finally pay off this season.   I have become a little afraid of the Lions taking Adams as high as second in the draft, that’s for sure.

I will attend the draft and look forward to gauging the reactions of fellow Lions fans in what promises to potentially one of the more interesting Lions draft days ever.

Mike Williams’ Future is in Doubt, But He is Unlikely to be Traded

Their have been a growing number of rumors in regard to the Lions possibly trading WR Mike Williams, in lieu of the unresolvable impasse between the Lions and Williams.   Williams, who is not on board at all with the Lions current program, will be gone, eventually, but is unlikely to be traded due to the immediate cap ramifications.

If the Lions cut Williams, they can spread the cap charge across two seasons.   If they choose to trade him, the charge is immediate to the tune of about $7 million.  I can’t believe that any team who has potential interest in Williams would deal for him, with his contract as is, and give the Lions something that they would need in return, with the obvious realization for all parties involved that Williams can, and will, be had for much less once he is released.   Trades don’t make reasonable sense for any of the parties involved, especially considering the total lack of production or consistency from Williams thus far.

Their are Trojan-”homers” who are involved in decision-making in a couple of organizations around the league who may want to give “Big Mike” a chance.   Oakland’s Al Davis and Lane Kiffin have obvious connections to USC, as well as Jeff Fisher and Norm Chow with the Titans.  Both teams have been mentioned as possible landing spots for the disappointing Williams, too.

Their is nothing to indicate that their is any sort of widely-held, league-wide view that Williams has been misunderstood or short-changed by the Lions coaching staff or front office.   In fact, I believe that every organization but the Lions were in tune with the high possibility that Williams would be a failure, due to his relative immaturity and complete season away from playing organized football.

Much like the drama and disappointment surrounding the the brief tenures of players like Aaron Gibson, Stockar McDougle, Joey Harrington, and Charles Rogers, Williams will be expelled from the Lions organization soon in much of the same anti-climatic and unceremonious manner that the aforementioned players were.  Unfortunately for Lions fans, the misfortunes of the Lions organization will likely keep marching on.

Lions Fielding Trade Offers?

The Lions have been, and will be, fielding a number of trade offers, which are contingent upon the availability of WR Calvin Johnson at Number 2 overall.   The sheer number of suitors for Johnson, if teams are being honest, should give the Lions cause to consider selecting him for themselves, irregardless of past team draft failures at the wide receiver position and higher organizational needs that have to be filled in this year’s draft.

The Lions have potential suitors in the Vikings, Redskins, Bucs, Broncos and Falcons.   The Vikings and Lions will not make an intra-divisional deal.   The Redskins have no picks to offer but their first round this year.   That is likely two teams off of the list of potential suitors who are removed from the get go.   The Broncos pick at 21, and can provide a raft of other picks to complement such a move, but the Lions can ill-afford to drop so far back in a draft that is very top heavy (most of the mid- to late first round selections are considered on par with a second round selection this year).

The infamous, and often referenced, “draft trade chart” prescribes values to draft pick exchanges, but in lieu of the salary cap era, makes it nearly impossible for teams who are interested in trading upwards in the draft to commit so much value towards a player who may or may not help the organization in the long run.

The consensus seems to be that the Lions will take DE Gaines Adams somewhere in the top 5, just like LB Derrick Johnson and S Michael Huff were also considered the players the team will most likely draft in other recent drafts.   With the fact being that the Lions actually drafted Mike Williams and Ernie Sims with those picks, you have to take a lot of the pre-draft ballyhoo with a large grain of salt, possibly the kind that gets rubbed across the rim of a large margarita glass, if the Mike Williams draft pick serves as any sort of indicator.

In my eyes, OT Joe Thomas and WR Calvin Johnson are the safe picks for the Lions.   The Lions desperately need help at DE, MLB, and less critically at CB.   Adams makes far too much sense for the Lions to select, but it is debatable how sure the Lions can be that he can contribute immediately, or at all.  

Thomas and Johnson also possess the football character that Marinelli desires from his players.   My dream is that the Lions are able to select Thomas or Johnson and manage to find the means to trade back up into the mid-first round and select MLB Patrick Willis.    Whether they have the means to exercise such a bold move remains to be seen.

A Trade Between the Bucs and Lions Appeared Imminent, But is Dead for Now

Their are numerous internet reports that the Lions and Bucs were about to flip draft spots today.   The reports indicated that the Lions would receive Bucs veteran DE Simien Rice as part of that trade.  The Bucs front office has a thinly-veiled man lust for Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson, and they are attempting to explore all options in their dogged pursuit of Johnson.

The trade, however, doesn’t make a lot fo sense for the Lions (as mentioned by Tom Kowalski today).  The Lions would like to trade down to acquire Clemson DE Gaines Adams, if you believe the draft buzz.   Why acquire an expensive, aging player to obstruct the precious playing time of the very player whom you traded down to select in the first place.   Even with the Millen factor accounted for, this kind of decision makes no apparent sense. 

Of course the Lions could be targeting another player, altogether, if they decide to acquire Rice.   In that case Rice is a sensible, if not risky, option.  It is imperative that the Lions address their situation at defensive end, but they also still have big needs at cornerback and middle linebacker, among others.

It appears that their are still other potential suitors for the Lions draft spot even if the Lions and Bucs don’t eventually agree upon a deal.   Rumors abound that teams like the Cardinals, Redskins, and Falcons are among those that may be interested in moving up.  Irregardless of what happens between now and April 28th, the Lions will be at ground zero of all of the various smokescreens, rumors,  and innuendo that shapes the intrigue that will lead up to draft day, because of their pivotal high draft spot.   That being said, the most interesting scenario in the end will be whom the Lions choose at # 2, if they are unable to eventually trade down.

Adam Schefter Reports Lions May Draft and Trade WR Calvin Johnson

The NFL Network’s Adam Schefter has recently reported that he believes that the Lions will select WR Calvin Johnson at #2 overall if they are unable to trade down prior to making their pick.   Schefter thinks that the Lions may then spin Johnson off to a trade partner similar to the trade between the Giants and Chargers involving Phillip Rivers and Eli Manning a few years ago.

This would be an interesting, if risky, decision to embark upon by the Lions front office.   First, what if the teams who indicate that they would possibly trade for Johnson are attempting to goad the Lions into making their draft selection of Johnson with no legitimate intent of eventually making a trade?   Furthermore, what if the two teams are unable to reach terms that are of benefit to the Lions?   Don’t the Lions lose some of their leverage in moving Johnson by selecting him without the intent of keeping him within the organization in the first place?

Selecting Johnson is wise from the perspective that he appears to be the surest pick in the draft and viewed to possess off the charts ability.   That being said, haven’t we been here before?  Their is a little gremlin of doubt that keeps screaming CHARLES ROGERS! MIKE WILLIAMS! JOEY HARRINGTON!  YOU DUMMY.  If the Lions select Johnson or QB’s JaMarcus Russell or Brady Quinn on April 28th, how many wives will be already talking their husbands down from off of a ledge, at such an early juncture in the ‘07 Lions season.  How many “FIRE MILLEN” signs will be brought out of mothballs immediately after the team takes such an arduous (mis-?)step?

It is increasingly apparent that the Lions will have one less wide receiver entering the ‘07 season.   Sometime between now and June, Mike Williams will be released, or traded for a box of athletic tape and a song, if the situation between Williams and the Lions remains on it’s current course.  In that eventuality, will they have a roster spot open for Johnson if he remains with the team?  Quite obviously, yes.   I hate to consider the raw amount of cap dollars that the Lions will have consumed this season by wide receivers if they draft Johnson.  Factor in the dead cap money that is residual to the busted draft picks of Williams and Charles Rogers, and the money that they already have committed to their incumbent receivers Roy Williams, LeVale Ellis, Eddie Drummond along with recently signed receivers Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald, it makes you head spin.

The agent for Trent Green has also stated that the Lions are no longer in the picture as a team where Green could land in ‘07.   I hate to say it, but I’m glad.   Even with his previous familiarity with Martz’s offense, Green appears washed up to me.

As OTA’s Begin, Many Questions Unfold

The Lions began their OTA’s (Off-Season Training) this week.   This is an important pre- and post-draft roster evaluation period for the team.  Here are some early impressions:

1) Mike Williams and Josh McCown are no-shows.  Mike Williams’ jersey number was recently changed from “88″ to “81″.   Don’t expect him to keep “81″ long, he will likely be finished very soon in a Detroit Lions uniform.  Next stop for Williams?  Aboard the “Last Train to Bustville”. The Lions are quite likely to retire Hall of Famer Charlie Sanders’ number very soon, and shouldn’t have handed it out to the disappointing Williams to begin with.  McCown’s absence opens up another issue I will address later.

2) Shaun “Big Baby” Rogers says he is on board with Coach Rod Marinelli and plans on having a much better, and productive, season in ‘07.  This is a good news.   Hopefully, Marinelli and D-Line Coach Joe Cullen can harness his immense, “sky’s the limit”-type of skill set, that he can offer to the team.  New Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry has stated that he is carrying no pre-conceived impressions of Rogers and is looking forward to utilizing him.

3) Kevin Jones has issued a challenge to all comers in the Lions backfield cadre for this upcoming season.   He says he will be the starter, and invites the challenge from newcomers like Tatum Bell and T.J. Duckett.   However, he slighted Duckett somewhat in his statements by referring to him as a situational back.   This was likely a back-handed response to Duckett stating he planned on competing for the feature back role after his signing with the Lions.  Touche!

4) The Lions are receiving visits from all of their prospective number two overall draft picks in upcoming days.   Calvin Johnson arrived yesterday.   With QB’s JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn, RB Adrian Peterson, OT Joe Thomas, and DE Gaines Adams all soon to follow.

Josh McCown’s absence and subsequent trade demand is a nutbuster.   If McCown hadn’t forced the Lion’s hand to make a decision about his future with the team by skipping the OTA’s,  it would certainly have helped them entering the draft in a couple of weeks.   My guess is that the Lions will honor McCown’s request, likely after the draft, if they receive the right kind of offer in return.   It will likely take quite an offer from a team for the Lions to consider trading him leading up to the draft.

The conundrum for the Lions is that McCown’s value is much higher now to Oakland (in terms of what the Lions will receive), prior to the Raiders drafting an eventual franchise QB in Russell or Quinn, rather than after draft day.  If the Raiders get McCown pre-draft, they have many more options to choose from.   They can choose to select WR Calvin Johnson, or trade down and still draft either of the two QB’s in Quinn or Russell and use McCown as a seat-warmer until their younger QB is eventually ready to play, or completely go in another direction all together.  

Furthermore, if the Lions keep McCown entering the draft they will likely still have to draft a QB, which significantly reduces McCown’s post-draft value since teams will know that McCown is going to leave, with the type of crowded QB roster picture the team will have after drafting a QB in the ‘07 draft.  McCown is probably being his most vociferous and problematic at this time, by skipping the OTA’s, but it is not improbable that through the prompting of his agent, he could generate more public relations problems in the future for the Lions.

This situation bears watching because it will significantly impact the Lions ability to trade down in the draft.   This situation could also re-open the possibility of the Lions investigating other QB options like Chiefs QB Trent Green and any number of other potentially available players.   Personally, I am still holding out hope that the Lions will successfully be able to trade down in the draft and eventually select MLB Patrick Willis, and significantly reduce the innumberable amount of headaches that will come along with this star-crossed franchise selecting yet another offensive skill player.

Pre-Draft Intrigue Continues With Rumored McCown Trade

Perhaps Matt Millen says it best. “I am a wide receiver expert,” openly mocking his two busted first round draft picks at the position, in recent comments published in the “Football Buzz” section of Pro Sports Weekly.  Millen also states ” I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we haven’t really looked at what people have said we should do (in the draft).”  The growing rumors surrounding a potential trade of backup QB Josh McCown to the Oakland Raiders supports Millen’s previous statement and indicate, at least while Millen is in charge, the Lions are far from predictable.

Josh McCown is well-versed in Mike Martz’s offensive scheme, entering his second season with the Lions.  He has been a great teammate, sacrificing his own interests to help out at wide receiver last season and providing amiable support to the player who beat him out last season, Jon Kitna. 

That’s why it makes absolutely no sense for the Lions to trade McCown.  McCown appears capable of filling in for Kitna if needed and has the scrambling ability necessary to overcome any future shortcomings of the Lions offensive line. The Lions might possibly be slow-playing the Raiders in hopes of forcing them to have to take a QB in the upcoming draft and have no genuine interest in trading McCown, as rumored. 

Unless McCown and his agent have demanded a trade, the trade doesn’t make sense.   On the surface, it would appear more beneficial to the Lions that the Raiders select either QB Brady Quinn or QB JaMarcus Russell.  If the Raiders traded for McCown, they would be increasingly likely to take WR Calvin Johnson.   I believe that teams are less likely to trade up for RB Adrian Peterson, either QB Russell or Quinn or OT Thomas than they would be to select WR Johnson, who appears to be closest thing to a sure pick in the draft.  

Adding more of a nightmare scenario to the proceedings, let’s suggest that the Lions do trade McCown to the Raiders.  The Raiders do take Johnson first overall and the Lions are unable to trade down as a result.   The Lions would take whomever is highest on their draft board, let’s say Russell.  How long would it be before the Raiders traded WR Randy Moss to a NFC North divisional rival like Green Bay or Minnesota who would hope to exploit a weakened post-Bly Lions secondary with a rejuvenated Moss.  Furthermore, how long would Jon Kitna be able to keep the seat warm for Russell, 5-6 games?  

In the modern, salary cap-era NFL, it has become a lot harder for teams to trade down in the draft than it was in the past.   The cost of signing a player who ultimately fails, added with the lost draft picks, makes it very hard for teams to make a strong commitment to move up the draft board.   I would ultimately be happier if the Lions chose to take a player like DE Gaines Adams or MLB Patrick Willis out of their perceived draft slot, than have them take a player like Russell, Quinn, Peterson, or Thomas who all may have little chance of contributing immediately.

Here is an early optimistic draft scenario for the Lions, without trading McCown:

1. Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell

2. Bucs (from Lions) WR Calvin Johnson

3. Browns QB Brady Quinn

4. Cards (from Bucs, from Lions) OT Joe Thomas

5. Lions (from Cards) MLB Patrick Willis

Since the MLB position is so scarce, I have faith that the Lions could find additional help at CB and DE later in the draft, if necessary.

Improving Defense is Imperative for 2007 Success

As the Lions prepare for the April 28th draft, it has become clear that if the team hopes to improve upon it’s abysmal 2006 performance, It’s defense must improve dramatically. 

Encouragingly enough, the Lions implemented a brand new defensive scheme last season, the Tampa Cover-2 zone defense.   Both of the 2006 Super Bowl participants were adherents to the scheme and the Cover-2 defense has enjoyed a certain amount of success around the league during recent seasons.   Most teams who have implemented this defense (Bears, Colts, Rams) have struggled in it’s inception, but have made major steps of improvement during the second season after it has been implemented.  

Hopefully, the Lions will make a similar step forward.   It would be difficult for them to execute the defense much worse than they did in 2006.   The Lions pass rush was somewhere between ineffective and non-existent throughout the year.   As a consequence, opposing teams were able to complete nearly 70% of their passes (while their QB’s drank an ice tea and plopped into a lawn chair in the pocket).  The Lions defensive line was dogged by injuries (Shaun Rogers, Shaun Cody, James Hall, et al) throughout the season, as a result teams were also very successful in executing their ground game. 

The Cover-2 zone defense is successful when: 1) the front four generates a consistent pass rush 2) when the front seven of the defense minds it’s gap responsibilities and doesn’t overpursue opposing ball-carriers. Over-pursuit open’s running lanes for opposing running backs 3) The deep Cover-2 safeties and MLB keep opposing players in front of them and don’t get burnt in the deep-middle of their defense, where the defense is most vulnerable.

The Lions ineffective pass rush can be fixed by changing personnel.   So can poor coverage by the Lions safeties and middle linebacker.  The players expanded understanding and mental growth within the defensive framework will help them to adhere to their gap responsibilites against the run, which makes it more of a developmental/understanding type of issue as opposed to a personnel issue in the long run.

During the off-season, the Lions traded veterans CB Dre Bly and DE James Hall.   They also released DT Marcus Bell.   The team was able to sign free agents DE DeWayne White and CB Travis Fisher to off-set their losses.   Here is a projected two-deep:

RDE DeWayne White-Kalimba Edwards

DT Cory Redding-Shaun Cody

NT Shaun Rogers-?

LDE (Corey Smith)?-Jared DeVries-(Bill Swancutt?)

SLB Boss Bailey-Alex Lewis

MLB Paris Lenon-?

WLB Ernie Sims-(Anthony Cannon?)

CB Fernando Bryant-Keith Smith-(Dee McCann?)

CB Travis Fisher-Stanley Wilson, Jr.

FS Daniel Bullocks-?

SS Kenoy Kennedy-?

As you can see the Lions secondary and linebacking corps are short on depth and the Lions still need to find a starting defensive end whom they can pair with DeWayne White, regardless which side of the defense they chose to play White on.  At this point, counting on Kalimba “The Ghost” Edwards to be a productive DE (except in limited situations) is too much to ask, and very unrealistic, too.  It remains to be seen that among Edwards, Teddy Lehman, Boss Bailey, Keith Smith, Shaun Cody, and Alex Lewis if any of them can become future contributors, or if it is time for the organization to move on. 

I believe that Lewis, Bailey and Cody all can achieve contributing roles in the future.   Yet, I also believe that entering the 2007 draft, the Lions have quite a few needs to address immediately.   If the Lions could emerge from the draft with a starting quality MLB and DE (or at least players who can provide competition for a starting job), along with some additional secondary depth, I will be very happy when this draft is completed.  

Lions Embark Upon Draft Preparation

The Lions are in the unique position of possessing a highly valuable draft pick, the second overall, in a season where there are several players who have almost uniformly been agreed upon (touted) as potential franchise players.  QB’s JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn, WR Calvin Johnson, RB Adrian Peterson, and OT Joe Thomas, if each lives up to their pre-draft billing, all could potentially provide teams with future All-Pro’s. 

The Lions have a pivotal spot in the draft, because they appear to be quite willing to continue to wheel and deal, in hopes of obtaining more draft picks and lining up their draft slot with players who suit there more immediate roster needs (I know, I know, the Lions need so much. Why not stay put and draft a bonafide prospect at the top of the draft as opposed to trading down?  A friend of mine, once most eloquently referred to giving the Lions the number two overall draft pick in any given year as being akin to giving a dog a banjo, and a more suitable analogy is quite unlikely to exist, in my opinion). 

The Lions have been quite active this off-season.  They have acquired two RB’s (Tatum Bell, T.J. Duckett), a WR (Shaun McDonald), one OT (Barry Foster), two G’s (Edwin Mulitalo and Zach Piller), a DE (DeWayne White), and a CB (Travis Fisher).   I believe that it is safe to assume that their offensive line and running backs personnel groups are pretty well-staffed, so they are unlikely to draft any players from these two personnel groups early in the upcoming draft.

The Lions have several glaring needs, though.  The Lions still need additional help at WR and TE, in my opinion.  On defense, they desperately need help at MLB, DE, DT, CB, and S.  Since the Lions have also exhibited interest in trading for Chiefs QB Trent Green, they may also still be considering drafting a QB somewhere in the draft.

Entering the draft, the team’s most immediate needs are probably selecting players who can be compete for starting positions at MLB, DE, and CB.  If the Lions are able to position themselves properly, and package some draft picks, they may finish the April 28th draft filling two out of the three of these positions with first round draft selections.  On the surface, this would appear to be a good decision-making from a front office, who has been (deservedly) the recipient of a lot of criticism.