Detroit Lions Weblog

Is Matt Millen Asleep at the Wheel?

Please, for the love of God, don’t buy the bill of goods the Lions are about to sell in regards to their decision to re-sign RB Tatum Bell.

Bell’s signing is one of the more perplexing (of so many) decisions during Matt Millen’s 31-81 tenure. It’s almost seems like Matt decided that by giving Bell and Foster one more season, he could undo the poor outcome of his decision to acquire both of them from Denver for Dre Bly in ‘07.

Let me give you the of the outline what the contents of the “Allen Park Pravda” will be upon the announcement of the Bell signing:

“Mike Martz really was the “big, bad wolf” and he was fickle to a fault with our offensive personnel. We have eradicated Martz, who was clearly in over his head. We really thought he should have used Bell more, that’s why we ignored Bell’s mid-season trade demands. We really like Tatum Bell, we do!”

Bell provides the Lions with little more than a mild upgrade over Aveion Cason, and gives them someone who has played in Detroit with nearly the same coaching staff and personnel. Someone please convince me, judging by Bell’s performance, what he provides, besides health, over Brian Calhoun?

Between signing ex-Rams and Bucs, and bringing back most all of the same players who were with the team last season, what has Matt Millen done this off-season to provide Lions fans with hope, and any sort of expectation, that the ‘08 team will actually improve?

The Shaun Rogers trade to Cleveland is clearly a better deal than the trade the Lions would have eventually received from Cincinnati, that’s the extent of the value that Matt Millen has accrued for the Lions this off-season. I hope that players like Leigh Bodden, Brian Kelly, Chuck Darby, and Dwight Smith prove me wrong, but I am not going to believe anything until I actually see it exhibited on the field of play in ‘08.

In regards to Bell, and the injury-riddled Kevin Jones, they both will be under contract in Detroit for just one more season. That means it’s increasingly likely that the Lions will take a running back within the first couple of rounds in the ‘08 draft.

I wonder if Bell’s re-signing means that newly-minted Lions offensive coordinator Jim Colletto is going to utilize more “zone-blocking”-type of running plays in ‘08 to extract more production out of Bell, within their new-and-improved,  promised “balanced” offense in ‘08, since Bell seemed to thrive in that type of scheme in Denver?