Detroit Lions Weblog

Mike Furrey Released (With More to Come), Sean McHugh, In Defense of Anquan Boldin, Georgia Tech DE Michael Johnson

Well, the ruthless, off-season chopping block has begun today. WR Mike Furrey was released by the Lions, well, he will be officially released Feb. 9th, but he was apparently notified (reportedly, along with a couple of other players) already that he will not be retained by the organization moving forward.

Furrey, a Mike Martz/Rams protege, was a tough, inspirational player who has survived in the NFL through persistence, and more than a little bit of guile.

Unfortunately, injuries and an overall lack of production (especially after Martz’s termination) made him expendable to the Lions. Interestingly enough, with Shaun McDonald being a free agent, Furrey’s release makes the Lions depth very thin at wide out (Calvin Johnson, John Standeford, Brandon Middleton (I think?), and Adam Jennings).

The Lions are reportedly going to cut several players loose immediately on Feb. 9th, so more carnage is going to ensue, soon.

The media is playing a little “divide and conquer” game with the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver corps, and I am of the opinion that it is unfair. Larry Fitzgerald is being cast as a cerebral, pensive, emerging star, while Boldin is being portrayed as a petulant, crybaby who is putting himself before the team.

Anquan Boldin is one of the toughest S.O.B.’s in the league, and given the Lions lack of depth at that position, if I were Martin Mayhew, I would jump at the opportunity to inquire about Boldin’s availability.

Boldin’s sideline blow-up with Cards offensive coordinator Todd Haley indicates the power of television. Boldin being cast as a selfish guy, because he was mad about not being on the field during crunch time is completely overblown.

I also believe that Boldin was not out of line in making a big deal about not getting a new deal entering the season. The Bidwill’s are notoriously thrifty, and Boldin has more than earned his keep in the league. Boldin’s courage and commitment should never have come into question.

Ex-Lions H-Back and TE Sean McHugh has redeemed his lucky “Golden Ticket”, hasn’t he? He isn’t Veruca Salt, either. Going from being cut by an 0-16 team to earning significant playing time with a Super Bowl team indicates a lot about the prowess of the previous front office staff’s evaluation of players.

McHugh was a valuable Lions player, who I was surprised that they decided to release, but leave it to the Steelers to alchem-ize (see, I can make up words, too!) a Lions cast-off into a contributing member of Super Bowl team.

If Lions coaches Jim Schwartz and Gunther Cunningham publicly state their defensive inclinations entering the draft, we may have a window into their draft decision-making process.

In my opinion, if Schwartz and Cunningham decide to utilize a combo of 3-4 and 4-3 defensive sets, then Georgia Tech DE Michael Johnson becomes an obvious selection. Johnson and second-year player Cliff Avril could both play with their hands on the ground, or standing up, and be equally effective.

Johnson, was not overwhelmingly productive as a senior, but he has an incredibly high-ceiling and will give NFL defenses nightmares with his size/speed combination. Gunther would not feel bad dialing up blitzes, at all, if Avril and Johnson were set free to create a genuine, unrelenting disruption in opposing backfields. Just a thought, if you’re reading in Allen Park, Lions front office!!!!

TSN’s Vinnie Iyer on Michael Crabtree

The Sporting News’Vinnie Iyer has recently written an interesting article about the difficult decisions that teams atop the ‘09 draft board will face when they make their upcoming selections.

Iyer essentially claims that in spite of the rapid success of both Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, who each lead their respective teams to the NFL playoffs during their inaugural season, it is a shrewder, safer bet that WR Michael Crabtree will be the next Larry Fitzgerald, than Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez eventually becoming the next Flacco and Ryan.

The scary prospect is, Iyer may be right, to the chagrin of the psychically-damaged Lions fan base who have suffered through SO MANY wide receiver misfires during the recent Matt Millen-era.

If Michael Crabtree is the best prospect in the draft, and the combine and assorted workouts bear that fact out, what will Martin Mayhew and company decide to do in that spot?

How would Lions fans respond, if the Lions chose to add Crabtree and pair him with Calvin Johnson? I wrote Iyer and email reminding him, if he didn’t recollect, that the decision to draft another wide receiver by the Lions would be an exercise similar to the heavily-publicized “waterboarding” torture tactic that has been utilized in “Gitmo”. (This is not meant to be insensitive, either) I am honestly uncertain that an embattled Lions fan base could overcome such a decision.

Hopefully, a lead dog emerges at the combine, that is not a QB or Crabtree, and that player makes it abundantly obvious for the Lions that they are the complete package worthy of the number overall pick, and they are eminently signable, too.

Otherwise, a whole fan base could be rife with anger, compulsive hand-wringing, and ambivalence. Wait, that’s actually quite familiar territory for Lions fans.

Pat Kirwan’s 10-Step Program for Creating a Championship Culture

NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan has written an incredibly interesting article about what elements he believes are necessary to building a championship contender in the NFL.

Of those elements, subcategorized as Owner, Tradition, QB, Staff, Special Traits, Tough Decision, The Team, The Building, The Media, and a Bit of Luck, I believe that the Lions currently possess at most one or two of these elements, as prescribed by Kirwan.

My scorecard : Owner .5, Tradition .5, QB 0, Staff 0, Special Trait 0, Tough Decision 0, The Team 0, The Building .5, The Media .5= 2 out of 10.

I qualified owner, tradition, media, and building as half being met because on the surface, the Lions possess a solid NFL organization, with the Ford’s financial commitment to the organization being strong, but beyond that the organization has failed to fully capitalize upon a once strong tradition, especially the traditional Thanksgiving day game, and a relatively supportive media who has suffered right along with Lions fans as the Ford’s and their incapable minions have run the organization squarely into the ground.

Can new the front office and coaching staff’s reverse this situation and at least place the team in the position where they may be able to boast having 6 or 7 of these elements in place, which could lead to them becoming a playoff contender, well, that remains to be seen.

What is patently obvious, by using Kirwan’s template for success, it is not difficult to see what separates a successful from a not-so-successful NFL franchise and just how difficult it is to build one.

The Lions Forgotten Man, Jon Kitna, is Willing to Return Next Season

Mike O’Hara recently spoke with Lions QB Jon Kitna, who was prematurely jettisoned by the organization after an admittedly awful start to the Lions ‘08 season.

The Lions putting Kitna on injured reserve, at least on the surface level, appeared to be more of an indication that they were unhappy with his obvious dissatisfaction with the direction that the Lions offense took under Jim Colletto’s direction than with the ultimate severity of his injuries.

Obviously, it’s a bad sign when the nominal team leader, the quarterback Kitna, who was also a team captain, displays insubordination and contempt for the decision’s of the coaching staff. That being said, it was probably obvious to the seasoned veteran Kitna just what kind of season the Lions were about to embark upon, with or without him on the field.

Either way, the Lions can’t afford to dismiss Kitna without at least considering how well he could perform with a new coaching staff, especially a new offensive coordinator. Kitna has displayed all of the leadership abilities and toughness necessary to deserve another chance, in my opinion.

With all of the speculation about whom the Lions may choose atop the draft in April, their transition will be better served with a seasoned, capable veteran leading them no matter what direction they decide to go with the first overall pick.

The interesting thing is, despite the lack of a legitimate, winning “franchise” quarterback on the current Lions roster, all of the four that they used last season, (Kitna, Dan Orlovsky, Drew Stanton, and Daunte Culpepper) provide solid arguments for the Lions retaining their services in ‘09.

With the ‘09/’10 QB draft class promising to be even more substantial than the ‘08/’09 will be, the Lions may have good reason to stand pat, rather than taking the plunge, and placing their fate in the newbie hands of Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez in the upcoming draft.

Schwartz and Linehan have both been members of organizations where greybearded, grizzled QB’s have experienced unexpected late career success (Kerry Collins, Marc Bulger, Gus Frerotte), which should not diminish the potential of either Jon Kitna or Daunte Culpepper, who is more likely to be cut, enjoying improbable success in Detroit.

Furthermore, the selection of Drew Stanton two drafts ago, a decision which has ominously hovered over the organization (kind of like an uncontrolled gaseous expulsion), could finally prove fruitful, if Stanton is given the opportunity to grab the reins and thrives in Linehan’s already familiar system.

Lions Hire Linehan to be O-Coordinator

The Lions hired former Vikings and Dolphins offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who is also the recently terminated head coach of the St. Louis Rams.

Linehan has been very successful as an offensive coordinator in the NFL. He has also coached a team that possessed a dynamic receiver, Randy Moss, and will not struggle to find ways to get Calvin Johnson the ball, like Jim Colletto did last season.

Immediately, many observers would think that Daunte Culpepper’s familiarity with Linehan’s offense would seem to give him an early advantage in the Lions Qb race.

Not so fast, the Lions, who owe Culpepper a large off-season bonus, are eschewing that Culpepper’s return is a given, and don’t forget that Drew Stanton will also possess some familiarity with Linehan’s offense.

Stanton played at Michigan State under John L. Smith (believe me, I’ve tried to forget), and Linehan and Smith are old proteges from Linehan’s time at Louisville. So if anybody stands to benefit, it’s likely Stanton in the current pecking order.

One thing to expect is, that whomever is eventually the team’s quarterback, they will likely throw for 4,000 yards under Linehan’s direction and playcalling. He has built an unquestioned track record of explosive, vertical-passing offenses that may not have ever enjoyed a talent with the character and incredible abilities that Calvin Johnson currently possesses.

Overall, I would rate the experience and philosophies of both Gunther Cunningham and Scott Linehan as very positive signs. Obviously, their past successes issues no guarantees, but I do believe that if the Lions have a successful off-season replenishing their roster, they will improve significantly.

Lions Hire Gunther Collett–Oops, I mean Cunningham as Defensive Coordinator

The Lions hired Gunther Cunningham as their defensive coordinator and assistant head coach today.

Cunningham has an extensive track record as both a head coach and defensive coordinator in the NFL. Cunningham represents a safe pick, someone whose experience Schwartz can rely upon and is simpatico with Schwartz’s defensive philosophy from their time together in Tennessee.

Cunningham is noted for his fiery intensity and it is a widely held belief that the Lions defenders will learn quickly not to cross him.

Cunningham has already stated that he is not a proponent of playing zone defense, like the Lions and his previous employer the Chiefs both did last season. Cunningham also noted that the Titans played a lot more zone defense than they had in the past last season, too.

Cunningham made it clear that he wants his defense to attack the QB and pressure opposing offenses, which is currently en vogue in league circles.

Schwartz and Cunningham have not decided if they are going to use a 3-4, 4-3, or both as a base defensive set next season.

If the Lions shift to a 3-4, they do have a boatload of DE’s (Redding, Fluellen, Alama-Francis, White) but are without a big, run-stuffing nose tackle, and have LB’s (Sims, Dizon) who might be undersized for that set. Cliff Avril would be a great 3-4 OLB, in my opinion.

I like the fact that Cunningham mentions that pressuring opposing QB’s is a priority. Their was never enough impetus placed upon getting to the QB during the Marinelli/Barry disaster.

The Overwhelming Awesomeness of Conference Championship Weekend

The NFL’s conference championship weekend is without question the high point of the NFL season, if not the entire professional sports landscape.

The Super Bowl is a sham, where as, in comparison the conference championship games are shambolic. This weekend’s games were no exception.

Immediately, I was left with the impression that the Ravens/Steelers rivalry is among the most brutally contested of all time. It was down right scary! It was not pretty, either but it was rough-and-tumble football boiled down to it’s simplest, most elemental base. It is not difficult to envision the contestants of Sunday’s game doffed in leather helmets, engrossed in a intractable scrum, at all.

With the improbable Arizona Cardinals representing the NFC, an organization once considered in the same breath of futility as the Lions currently are, one has to ask, Why not the Lions, if the Cards can do it?

If anything is obvious after last weekend’s games, winning quarterback play is the difference between the contender’s and also-ran’s of the NFL. All four teams were lead by Qb’s who are strong leaders of various capabilities who fit within their organization’s philosophy exceptionally well.

In particular, as much as it pains me to admit it, Kurt Warner is a very special player. To stand in the pocket, unflinching as the Eagles controlled chaotic stream of blitz packages swirled around him, and to absolutely shred it to ribbons, was outstanding.

The other thing about the Cards, when compared to the Lions, it is the Cards ability to glean productive young talent from the draft over the last several seasons, at least during the Millen regime.

That’s exactly why the Lions can’t afford to miss on any of their first three rounds of draft picks, where they can do a fair bit of reparation for Matt Millen’s numeorus personnel gaffes that have dogged the organization. Their margin for error is infinitesimal, though.

Tom “Killer” Kowalski says that the Lions aren’t likely going to view replacing Jeff Backus, or moving Jeff Backus to another position along the line, as an organizational priority. He also says that several observers don’t believe that Backus could move to guard, either because he lacks the power necessary.

I am of the opinion, that if the highest graded player in the Lions scouting process is a left-tackle, then they owe to themselves to find a way to make the situation work. If that means shifting Backus to right tackle, and moving to Cherilus to one of the guard spots, so F’n-be-it!

Another impression that was made upon me this weekend was that aside from a disruptive, productive defensive end, my wish list also includes a difference-making playmaking safety like Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, Adrian Wilson or Brian Dawkins to inject into the formerly limp and lifeless Lions defense.

Daniel Bullocks and Gerald Alexander have both exhibited a great deal of promise, but neither are remotely mentionable on the same level as the safeties who played this weekend.

For those keeping score at home: The Lions need a Left Offensive Tackle and both an All-Pro Defensive End and Safety to be selected in the upcoming draft.

Again, casting the hype aside, you’ll never convince me that the February 1st Super Bowl is a mere shadow of the fierce competition that takes place two brief weeks before.

A Quick What If Scenario?

What if Matt Millen had not traded “Big Baby” Shaun Rogers to the Browns, in exchange for the clearly discontented and underachieving CB Leigh Bodden, who is due a very large roster bonus, which puts the Lions new front office and coaching staff in the difficult position of deciding whether to retain his services, or not?

Furthermore, the growing public outcry is that the Lions should attempt to sign Titans franchise DT Albert Haynesworth, essentially a player with some of the same character and motivational issues that Rogers possessed, at a much higher price than what “Big Baby” previously cost the organization.

I fully expect that Schwartz would have put Rogers in the same position to thrive that he has previously done with Haynesworth. Rogers, like Haynesworth, possesses ability, despite any conditioning issues, that are virtually without peer in the NFL. Think about that. Matt Millen, the f@ck-up that keeps on f@cking up!!!

Schwartz Hiring Earns Praise

It seems that the outlook is much rosier in Detroit, nearly 24 hours after the hiring of Jim Schwartz as the team’s new head coach.

Schwartz has already made a big impression with the Lions fans and media by “namechecking” Bobby Layne and stating that the Lions need to find their next franchise leader, which also has significantly ramped up speculation that the Lions may draft a QB in the first round of the ‘09 draft.

The honeymoon period has now officially begun for Schwartz. I expect that we will now be regaled with stories about his advanced chess playing, his earning an economics degree from Georgetown, a number of obvious comparisons to “moneyball” baseball executives and references to his longtime success as Titans defensive coordinator.

This is all fine, but Lions fans have been there before. Matt Millen and Marty Mornihnweg, with their goatees and motorcycles represented a new organizational attitude, Marinelli was the hard-working military vet who was going to make the team adhere to sound fundamentals and hard work.

Schwartz will be cast as the pensive, cerebral intellectual who is the anti-Marinelli, with his elaborate strategies and statistically-informed approach.

I believe that one aspect of the Schwartz hiring that should not be understated is that the Lions were very concerned that they might lose him to the Chiefs, now that ex-Pats executive Scott Pioli (who worked with Schwartz while employed by the Browns) has taken over there.

Furthermore, the Lions decided to move fast so that Schwartz, an ex-scout, could be involved with scouting at the upcoming senior showcase games that precede the draft combine.

The decision to hire Schwartz indicates a more precise internal hierarchy within the Lions organization, too. Tom Lewand won William Clay Ford’s favor, like Matt Millen before him, and agreed to keep Martin Mayhew since they could work together and Mayhew’s inexperience made him less of an immediate threat to Lewand’s organizational supremacy.

Adding Schwartz, who has been promoted from coordinator, rather than an experienced head coach, allows Lewand to continue call of the shots, for now.

Front offices are perennial proving grounds for the ego-driven world of NFL coaches and executives. If the organization enjoys any success at all, there will be internal power struggles, territorial squabbles, and a general locking of horns.

The first order of business for all parties is deciding what exactly they can salvage from the Matt Millen disaster and how they do make a substantial, qualitative organizational change moving forward?

Schwartz will garner positive appraisals from the Lions players, too. They all want to preserve their places within the organization and hope to have a new opportunity ahead of them.

One of my biggest criticisms of the Lions organization is that the players realize that in all likelihood, they will outlast any new Lions head coach. This creates a complacency that must be rooted out at all costs. The players know that eventually their failure will placed upon their coaches laps, and it’s human nature to not want to face accountability.

Schwartz major order of business will be to completely uproot and overturn the losing culture of the Lions. His connection to both Bill Belichick and Jeff Fisher gives me a great deal of hope that he will be successful in that regard. Having worked with two of the most successful head coaches in NFL history should be beneficial.

What remains to be seen is if the Ford’s, the newly-minted front office and it’s freshly-anointed head coach can all work in a coordinated and unified enough manner for the franchise to find success. That is ultimately what will differentiate Schwartz, if he’s successful, and the never-ending stream of past Lions failed hirings.

Is There a Mel Brooks Joke Available, Now?

No, “Space Balls” fans, the Lions don’t want to use the “Schwartz”, but they have hired one, Jim, to be their new head coach. (”Hondo”, does this give even more credence to your whole Lions/”Producers”-theory…The Ford’s are Mel Brooks fans, I get it!)

I am glad that they have filled the post, but unfortunately have mixed feelings about the hiring.

Schwartz has been VERY successful as a defensive coordinator, and deserves a shot. The Lions defense has been indescribably bad, and his very presence should represent an immediate improvement.

That being said, Schwartz has been repeatedly passed over for other potential coaching jobs. What did those franchises know that the Lions seemingly do not. Furthermore, whom do you trust more, the Lions or EVERYBODY ELSE?!?!

The fact that the Lions appear poised to draft a “franchise” Qb also gives me some cause for concern, too. Shouldn’t the Lions have selected someone equipped to prepare their eventual franchise-Qb-to-be?

Either way, it’s Schwartz’s problem now. He has a huge, Honolulu Blue D that has been placed directly upon his chest, and he likely has more sleepless nights ahead of him than Hester Prynne could ever have dreamed of, even if his affixed letter of public scorn was earned in a much less scandalous manner than Prynne’s.

If there is a plus, the Lions defense is not likely going to undergo as much of an extraordinary overhaul as it would have, beyond what’s immediately necessary, had they made another coaching choice.

The Lions will likely keep the 4-3 defensive set with Schwartz as head coach. Still, a lot of heads will need to be lopped off, in order for the Lions to possess even a league average defense moving forward. I am sure that Schwartz is up for that challenge.

The next few days will likely reveal whom Schwartz will want to hire as coordinators and position coaches. Hopefully, Schwartz will not blunder and pair himself in an ill-fitting manner like Rod Marinelli did when he hired Mike Martz.

Jim Schwartz, May the “Schwartz” be with you, you are going to need it!