Detroit Lions Weblog

Holy Crap! The Draft is Upon Us… Double Holy Crap, Three Team Trade!

As a poker-faced Martin Mayhew and the Lions front office prepare for this Thursday’s draft, intrigue will only grow surrounding whether or not the Lions will make the obvious selection, drafting either of two DT’s Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, take an OT in Russell Okung or Trent Williams, or make a less expected decision, by selecting S Eric Berry, who fits the profile as a talented, multi-dimensional defensive back in Schwartzingham’s defense.

Of course, the 900-lb elephant in the room is Washington Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth, whom the Lions and Jim Schwartz would gladly add to the mix, if the disgruntled star can engineer his way out of D.C., at an affordable price.

These Children Are Excited For the NFL Draft, and More So For the Lions Upgrading Their Defense

It goes without saying, but the Lions desperately need to upgrade their defense. However, with the upcoming draft being very rich in defensive line talent, does the Lions reticence about indicating their intentions for the upcoming draft reflect that reality? Does the defensive line remain important, entering the draft?

The Lions do already currently have DT’s Corey Williams, Sammie Lee Hill, and versatile DE/DT’s Kyle Vanden Bosch and Andre Fluellen. The team also has backups Landon and Joe Cohen. Is defensive tackle of imminent importance?

Doug English Believes That the Lions Need to Bolster the Middle of Their Defense

If the Lions are able to acquire Albert Haynesworth, or decide to trade down, both of which are major possibilities, considering Martin Mayhew’s acumen as a consummate dealer, then which direction will the Lions turn, next?

With the Addition of the Capable Scheffler, What About Last Year's First Rounder, Pettigrew?

The Lions were involved in a three-way trade today, according to many reports. The Lions moved Ernie Sims to the Eagles, received TE Tony Scheffler from the Broncos, and the Broncos will receive an undisclosed draft pick from the Eagles.

Scheffler is a capable, but disappointing player, who has considerable potential, and is a Western Michigan University alum. With the recent loss of Casey FitzSimmons, and the injury to last year’s first rounder, Brandon Pettigrew, the Lions needed some insurance at the position. Which made adding a player like Scheffler more enticing.

The organization viewed Sims as expendable in Schwartzingham defense, due to a lack of size and his propensity towards free-lancing, a position I staunchly disagree with. The Lions linebacker group now is considerably thinner, with them likely wedded to Julian Peterson and his high-priced contract, unless things change dramatically on draft day.

Pettigrew Will Have More Pressure to Succeed, Recover From Injury

The Lions do have Zach Follett and Jordan Dizon who could eventually work their way into the playing mix, but more likely, linebacker has now joined offensive and defensive line, running back, and secondary as areas of need, entering the draft Thursday.

Michael Oher, What If?

I also wonder about the severity of Brandon Pettigrew’s injury, given the addition of Scheffler. Beating a dead horse, the Michael Oher/Brandon Pettigrew debate continues, seemingly for the foreseeable future.

All told, today’s trade should prove beneficial. The draft intrigue continues. It is not too bad being a Lions fan today.