Detroit Lions Weblog

Lions Sign Massive G Fonoti, Visit with CB Hood, Release G Coston and WR Franklin, On Being Kevin Smith

Amid the OTA’s, the Lions have been a little quiet. Not to say that things have been static, but since the signing of Larry Foote, there has been little of consequence to occur.

The Lions did sign gigantic G Tonio Fonoti, who has been regarded as a titanic underachiever during his NFL career. With the Lions lack of depth at guard, Fonoti could eventually find his way onto the Lions roster.

The Lions are also scheduled to visit with CB Roderick Hood today. Hood would be a solid addition. The Lions, as most teams, can never possess enough depth in the secondary. If you look at the depth of the ‘08 Titans secondary, that level of depth, even if it would be of a lower quality, would seem to be an aspiration for the Lions, too.

It is too early to say whether Philip Buchanon, Anthony Henry, Eric King, and potentially Hood, will struggle as badly as Travis Fisher, Brian Kelly and company did last season, or if they may provide a tangible upgrade.

The Lions released G Junious Coston and WR Will Franklin, too. Franklin was someone who I was hopeful could emerge as a longshot contributor, but with the signing of Ronald Curry, and the draft selection of Derrick Williams, Franklin became expendable.

RB Kevin Smith seems to possess a similar gift for providing outspoken comments as former Lions WR Roy Williams, without being awash with humor, like Williams’ comments often were.

I like Smith’s brash, tough-mindedness in the face of rumors that the new Lions coaching staff perceives him to be a poor fit in their new offense and the rumors that they nearly replaced him with “Beanie” Wells during the draft:

“You’ve got to understand,” Smith said. “This man’s(Culpepper) a professional. He knows what he’s doing. Every year there’s going to be a guy that comes in. This is a competitive league. We signed (running back Maurice) Morris, we have Aveion Cason. There’s no one guy at one position. You go out there, you battle all for one common goal: to win.

“He’s a professional. He does this. Everyone welcomed Stafford aboard, and let’s win games. How ’bout that? Forget Daunte versus Stafford. Let’s get to the playoffs.”

Smith’s willingness to stick his neck out, along with his tough running remind me of Kevin Jones, who was equally outspoken, and James Stewart, who was a much more soft-spoken but underappreciated runner.

Smith’s bravado continued on his website:

“I won’t make a prediction about how many games we’re going to win, but I will say this: We will definitely make the playoffs this season. Believe it or not we weren’t far off last year.”

I hope that the Lions don’t buff the luster off of Smith’s rookie campaign, by allowing him to fall out of favor without the opportunity to succeed within the new offense. A season of Maurice Morris and Aveion Cason, with a disgruntled and benched Smith, would be exceedingly painful.

By the way, here is Yahoo writer Jason Cole’s take on the remaining available free agents:

Offense

QB: Brett Favre – America’s favorite vagabond passer continues his mid-life crisis. Other options: Rex Grossman(notes) and J.P. Losman(notes).
RB: Edgerrin James – His once-great burst is gone, but he’s still workmanlike. Other options: Warrick Dunn(notes), Deuce McAllister(notes) and Rudi Johnson(notes).
FB: Cecil Sapp(notes) – Better athlete than most fullbacks, but still nothing special.
TE: Ben Troupe(notes) – Best from a mediocre offering. Other options: Mark Campbell(notes) and Dan Campbell(notes).
No. 1 WR: Plaxico Burress – Legal issues are holding him up, but he’ll play.
No. 2 WR: Amani Toomer(notes) – Only 16 months ago, Toomer and Burress helped win a Super Bowl. Other options: Marvin Harrison(notes), Drew Bennett(notes) and Joe Jurevicius(notes).
LT: Levi Jones(notes) – Injuries curtailed a nice career, but he’s still only 29.
LG: Mark Tauscher(notes) – He’s a tackle, but could easily switch inside.
C: Jeremy Newberry(notes) – His knees are bad, but they have been forever.
RG: Pete Kendall(notes) – Smart, tough, but a lot of mileage.
RT: Jon Runyan – Biggest if of an iffy group. His knee still isn’t healthy. Other O-line options: Fred Miller(notes), Jonas Jennings(notes), Wayne Gandy(notes), Melvin Fowler(notes) and Jason Whittle(notes).

Defense

DE: Kalimba Edwards(notes) – He’s 29 and banged up, but still has some pass-rush skill.
DE: Ebenezer Ekuban(notes) – Pretty nice pass rusher still out there on the market.
DT: Kevin Carter(notes) – Amazing longevity, productivity and versatility.
DT: Ellis Wyms(notes) – Has his limitations, but is a very tough player.Other D-line options: Dewayne Robertson(notes), John Engelberger(notes) and La’Roi Glover(notes).
LB: Morlon Greenwood(notes) – At 30, he’s one of the youngest starters.
LB: Pisa Tinoisamoa(notes) – A tackle machine, but he better play in a two-gap system.
LB: Derrick Brooks – Still can bring great leadership to a young defense. Other options: Napoleon Harris(notes), Paris Lenon(notes), Antwan Peek(notes) and Nate Webster(notes).
CB: Chris McAlister(notes) – Coming off injury and has lost speed, but still very physical.
CB: Ty Law(notes) – Perennial late-signee can still make a couple of plays if the offense isn’t careful. Other options: Jason Craft(notes), Dre Bly, Deltha O’Neal(notes) and Roderick Hood(notes).
SS: Lawyer Milloy(notes) – Years of physical play have taken their toll, but he’s really smart.
FS: Dexter Jackson – Has lost a step, but who on this team hasn’t? Other safety options: Mike Brown(notes), Michael Boulware(notes), Kevin Kaesviharn(notes) and Will Demps(notes).

It seems likely that the Lions will still be looking for help along the offensive and defensive lines and also are likely considering adding another veteran Qb, too.