The Lions Forgotten Man, Jon Kitna, is Willing to Return Next Season
January 26, 2009 on 2:09 pm | In Uncategorized |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.
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I completely agree. Kitna is more than just a stop gap measure. He is a legit reason NOT to draft a QB this year. Some people may forget about the good seasons he has logged with both Cinci and Detroit. If the Lions can provide an actual NFL caliber OL, Kitna could be very good for at least 2-3 more years. We can grab a rookie the new coaches like next year.
Comment by mike — January 27, 2009 #
The scary thing is, Mike, that the Lions, and most other NFL scouts will be wooed by what Matthew Stafford could, stressing COULD, become with the dynamite arm that he possesses. That’s the problem I see. The interview process, psychological tests, background checks, etc will also impact the Lions decision process, but they likely will always think lasciviously about the “arm”.
Still my biggest fear, as always is the case with scouting, the Lions scouts will drool over Stafford’s “tools” and not assess his actual performance (never winning big games, poor decision-making) honestly enough so that they will be completely blinded by Stafford’s admittedly bountiful potential, which may never actually be met if Stafford doesn’t posses the intangibles/work ethic necessary to survive and succeed over the course of a NFL season(s).
That’s where Jim Schwartz enters the picture. He has been a scout and is devout student of the game. He also is well-versed in statistical analysis, so he will not be as easily blinded by the “arm”, if his reputation holds true.
The other factor, which can’t be diminished, is the Ford’s, of course. The Ford’s will want to put asses in the seats at Ford Field. Stafford is the sexy, “bright and shiny” pick that could briefly resuscitate a near dormant fan base.
Comment by Steve — January 27, 2009 #