Rumored Lions Coaching Candidates
December 30, 2008 on 1:09 pm | In Uncategorized |With the end of the Lions winless ‘08 season Sunday, and the subsequent termination of Head Coach Rod Marinelli, Lions fans are allowed to gain some measure of wish fulfillment yet this season by both speculating upon available coaching candidates and whom the Lions may draft with both pick #1 and pick #19/20 in the April ‘09 draft.
Currently, the Lions laundry list includes candidates like Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel, Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Washington’s Jerry Gray, Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, and Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
All of these coaches have experienced various levels of success in the NFL. I believe that McDaniel and Spagnuolo are candidates whose desirability will allow them to pick and choose which of the available organization’s they would like to eventually land with. Could this include the Lions? Probably not.
The other available candidates from this aforementioned list are the kind of “longshot” candidates like Marty Mornihnweg and Rod Marinelli were upon their hiring by the Lions. The Lions are going to have a difficult time finding legitimate candidates, in my opinion.
I expect that more than a few re-treads, ala Steve “Mooch” Mariucci, to yet emerge as candidates. Not coaches of the Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren-ilk, either. I fully expect Marty Schottenheimer, Brian Billick, and Dennis Green to be among the type of re-treads who could eventually warrant consideration.
The scary prospect is that Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew, given Mayhew’s inexperience, have a short of amount of time in which to consider coaches, since they have so much work to do moving forward.
The Lions possessing 5 of the top 90 draft picks, along with the upcoming free agency and contract negotiation periods, all make it an imperative that the Lions move fast in building a cohesive management/coaching unit to address their voluminous organizational ills. Where would you begin? (As I roll around, laughing insanely and uncontrollably upon the otherwise languid coffee shop floor…)
One journalist, Patrick Hayes, has recently drafted his “get well”-plan for the Lions. The Flint Journal has recently published Hayes’ prescription for the Lions offense moving forward.
I agree with the decision to select an offensive tackle with their #1 pick. It is the safest, shrewdest decision they could make with the salary cap expenditure and overall risk involved with making that decision.
I also believe that if the Lions were to improve their offense immediately, it could be a viable, high-scoring, and thrilling offense to watch. Whereas, the team’s defense would need their draft, free agent acquisitions, and the internal improvement of their many young players to all rapidly occur overnight, so that all of these factors could all miraculously conspire together to find them, in the end, with a just below average NFL defense next season. Rome wasn’t built in a day, remember?
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Do you know if the D co in Tenn is close enough to Albert Haynesworth to maybe convince him to follow to detroit?
With a new OT, albert haynseworth, a new linebacker. We would still have plenty of draft left for Db’s and a good tight end.
Comment by Mike — December 30, 2008 #
Now that Mike S. is out in Denver, I wonder if he wants another coaching job right away. I’m not saying I want him coaching the Lions, but if he is taking a year off, it would be fantastic if he would give us some time as a consultant. We could use the Bronco expertise with our OL issues. His OLs have made superstars of run-of-the-mill backs for years.
Comment by Mike — December 30, 2008 #
Mike, that’s my thought exactly. Signing Jim Schwartz and then signing Albert Haynesworth would immediately transform this defense. Even on the Titans, a team that has plenty of defensive talent, they allow .7 fewer yards per carry with him than without him.
While I agree with the pick of a left tackle at the 1.1 spot–because that’s the only place you can really get a franchise left tackle–to me, it’s evident that the defense needs ALL of the attention after that. The offense was routinely scoring between 20 and 30 points, but the defense was dead last in the league in almost every statistical category. Between Megatron, Kevin Smith, Gosder Cherilus, and either Davis or Oher, that is a foundation you can build around. The defense can build around . . . Cliff Avril? Ernie Sims? Unless and until the Kleenex defense is addressed, the Lions will not win a ballgame.
Ty
Comment by Ty — December 31, 2008 #
I don’t disagree with your points about the defense needing help. But if you put Haynseworth on our line, everyone gets better right off the bat. Ernie could go back to where he was with rogers stuffing the midddle. Hell, even Dizon might work out if he can just run to the ball without having to shed the OL too. Also, don’t forget all the games we lost in the 1st quarter this year. We need a tight end option badly. I think its OT with the 1st pick. A linebacker with the second pick. A tight end with the 2nd round choice. and the rest of the draft is defense. We may be able to trade some of our excess DL for late picks, I’m not sure what their value is. Also, we could draft another RB late to match up with Smith.
Comment by Mike — December 31, 2008 #
I agree the LT is the best way to go with the 1st pick. I think Backus could be moved in to the guard position which should help him greatly. The other picks have to be defense and if Haynesworth could be landed you will probably have to overpay him but they have no choice. They might be able to get a TE in free agency i dont know who will be avalible.
Comment by Jordan — January 3, 2009 #
Haynesworth is a monster. But don’t forget, the Lions had, admittedly a less-dependable version, of Haynesworth in Shaun Rogers and given Leigh Bodden’s recent statements, they will likely have nothing to show for it after giving him to the Browns!
I agree that the Lions have a helluva lot of work to do on defense. They will not be able to fix it remotely in one off-season. I am of the opinion, that their offense could become quite effective, in spite of their defensive deficiencies with a few well-placed roster moves.
I realize that defense wins championships. Considering that Mayhew was critical of the “size, speed and smarts” of the Lions defense, I expect a full-scale overhaul on that side of the ball. My question is, if you are going to be inadequate on one side of the ball, why be inadequate on both sides by taking a defensive focus.
Shanahan won’t likely want to kowtow to personnel decisions from Mayhew. The additional executive that they will add will have to be someone who has no interest in making a future power play, or the front office will be counter-productive.
Ty–I agree with your points about the defense, except for your premature support of Mayhew. He has several months to establish that he is better than Millen. If he fails, the Lions wil be stuck in this morass for 10 more years, at least. I guess I don’t trust WC Ford’s motivation for maintaining the status quo, in the end.
Comment by Steve — January 3, 2009 #