Detroit Lions Weblog

Lions Fans, Do You Believe Now?, Takeo Spikes Visits?

The Lions have made a number of steps this off-season to perform some damage control, and hopefully, from their perspective at least, attempt to make amends with the sea of disgruntled, ambivalent Lions fans.

The Lions recently released their flashy “Do You Believe in Now” ad campaign, along with the announcement that they would be offering half season ticket packages, after previously raising ticket prices earlier in the off-season.

Given the state of the Michigan economy, and the generally poor performance of the franchise during recent seasons, it should come as no surprise that demand for Lions ticket would hit a new low. The novelty of the admittedly beautiful Ford Field is quickly wearing off. In order for Lions fans to remain loyal, the value of the on-field product has become an increasingly significant issue.

The Lions announced yesterday that they would be opening some of their training camp practices to the public.   Traditionally they have held practices that were open to the public, but upon moving to their new Allen Park training facility, they cut off the public from being able to watch practice.

Whether this decision rekindles fan interest remains to be seen.  It should prevent many of the super-hardcore fans interest from diminishing, but I am uncertain that anyone who is on the fence about acquiring season tickets will be persuaded by watching an open training camp practice.

The Lions are apparently still a suitor for the services of Chris Simms, but little detail has emerged whether the Bucs will actually be able to trade Simms, be forced to release him, or exactly what they would expect in return from any potential trade partners.

It has also been recently reported that veteran LB Takeo Spikes has visited with the Lions.   Spikes, a former All-Pro, is likely a couple of seasons past his prime and has suffered from a wide range of injuries during his career.  It remains to be seen what Spikes may have to offer, but his veteran leadership and experience in the Cover-2 could eventually prove beneficial.

Kevin Jones Signs With the Bears, Et Tu?

I have to preface this entry with an opening admission–I am an unabashed fan of Kevin Jones. I believe that Jones, much like James Stewart before him, was admirably workmanlike in the manner in which he approached his job under less than desirable circumstances. Not only did he approach his job with little complaint, but he approached it with an obvious commitment, in spite of the brief half-life of a player at his position, and yielded maximum effort, while working for the worst managed organization in all of professional sports.

Jones did unfortunately suffer a few injuries in his short time with the organization, and had shown a remarkable ability to bounce back from them in the past, in my opinion.  Apparently, this wasn’t good enough for the Lions, though.   The same Lions who subjected Jones to three or four offensive coordinators, within several flavor-of-the-month offensive schemes, meanwhile, providing a horrible offensive line to block in front of him during his brief tenure with the organization.

With various rumors indicating that the Lions desperately needed to free up the salary cap money which they had previously committed to Jones by releasing him, (due to the unfortunately, very reasonable possibility they had compounded the innumerable grievous errors committed during Matt Millen’s 31-81 regime of incompetence with even more) in order for them to be able to allocate money towards filling out their many personnel needs this off-season, one is left to wonder how does this continue to happen, and why is it allowed?

Most painfully, the Lions will face Jones twice each season for the foreseeable future.   Jones is now a hated rival, as a member of the Chicago Bears.   I have little trouble envisioning Jones rushing for the 1300-1400 yards in ‘08, with 10 touchdowns.   Much like Artose Pinner or Joey Harrington before him, Jones will likely have a field day facing off against his ex-team.   I have no reason not to expect 450 yards rushing and 5-6 touchdowns in his two games facing the Lions.  It’s only karma biting this organization in the hind parts, yet again!

As a Lions fan, I continue to consider the real possibility that the invisible line drawn in the sand, one which I will not cross, a line that formed in regards to the continued failings of this organization, is rapidly approaching.  When Kevin Jones lights up the Lions cover-2 defense this season, I will face a legitimate question:  Do I root for Jones, and the continued demise of the Lions, or do I recoil in anger as the turncoat Jones helps push the Lions towards another top ten draft pick in ‘09.

So What the Hell is a “Zone Blocking” Rushing Scheme Anyhow?

The Lions have implemented a vast number of NFL “Flavor of the Month” (West Coast Offense, anyone?) offenses during recent seasons, as they have continued to languish mightily in spite of any offensive innovation that they may try.

Upon the departure of Mike Martz, many Lions offensive linemen expressed a desire to feature an offense that is simplified, with more “bread and butter” plays that can be relied upon in tough situations, especially when executed properly.

In response to the yearnings of many Lions players, the Lions have promoted Jim Colletto to offensive coordinator and are going to utilize more “zone blocking” schemes in their rushing attack, an aspect of the game which they have promised will be utilized more consistently in ‘08.

“Zone Blocking” depends upon the offensive linemen making correct reads of defensive alignments, and for a great deal of patience by running backs. The offensive linemen determine who they are going to block pre-snap, and aren’t assigned a player to block per se, but block according to the defensive alignment they are presented with.

The running back doesn’t have a defined “hole” to run through, but follows his blockers as they block their “zones” and then makes the appropriate read, makes one cut, and explodes through the “hole”. Often, the back has to wait for an opening to develop, or just as likely in the Lions case, a “hole” often doesn’t develop during a particular play. Just as likely though, the back may break off a big run, if the linemen make all of the correct reads.

One concern that I have about this shift in modus operandi for the Lions offensive line is that they have acquired a number of large, space-occupying offensive linemen during recent seasons, meanwhile the “zone blocking” scheme demands smaller, quicker offensive linemen. Square pegs, anyone?

This rings of another example of the Lions coaches neglecting to select a scheme that suits it’s personnel appropriately, something that has dogged this organization perennially. Jeff Backus, Stephen Peterman, and Dominic Raiola all will likely be fine in this offensive scheme, but I am unsure that mammoth players like Gosder Cherilus(even though that blocking scheme was utilized by Boston College), Jonathan Scott and Manny Ramirez will flourish in this scheme. The Lions will be afforded little transitional time for it’s linemen, that’s for certain.

The fact is, the Lions offensive line has struggled mightily during recent campaigns, and the “zone blocking” scheme places even more responsibility upon the linemen’s shoulders, as well as place an impetus upon their ability to make the right decision play after play. Communication and coordination among the linemen is exceptionally important. It’s debatable whether the current offensive line has earned their expanded responsibility, given their performance during recent seasons.

The other question that obviously remains, do the Lions possess the running backs on their current roster who are capable of success in this scheme, within the NFL milieu. Brian Calhoun and Tatum Bell each have some experience within the scheme, but it remains to be seen whether they, or newly-minted rookie Kevin Smith, for that matter, will flourish behind the less than stellar Lions offensive line

Most importantly, if the Lions are down two TD’s at the end of the 2nd quarter, this whole scheme will be for naught, because the running game will get pitched out of desperation. With every measure of optimism for successful change in this organization, there is also a healthy dollop of skepticism, since as we all know, the “Same ‘Ol Lions” will likely emerge as the season progresses.

Lions Interested in RB LaMont Jordan?

The Lions recently met with Raiders RB LaMont Jordan, who is actively seeking a trade, and is also holding out. Jordan, who had one outstanding season with the Raiders, has been an injury-plagued disappointment who has become expendable for the Raiders since their selection of RB Darren McFadden in the ‘08 draft.

Jordan has exhibited good hands while catching balls out of the backfield and might be the type of patient runner who could thrive in a zone-blocking scheme. Jordan was solid in spot duty for the Jets, in tandem with Curtis Martin, and could flourish in a utility role, rather than being a featured back.

Apparently, recently released former Steelers running back Najeh “Dookie” Davenport also mentioned the Lions as a potential optimum suitor for his services.

Given the field of available backs, I am incredibly puzzled about the Lions failure to more actively pursue RB Kevin Jones, who represents an upgrade over players like Davenport, Jordan, and Cedric Benson, too name a few.

Pro Football Weekly also indicates that there have been various rumors regarding the Lions having some interest in soon to be ex-Bucs QB Chris Simms.

If the rumors are true, and the Lions pursuit of Simms develops further, it would be a very strong indication of what they perceive the futures of backups Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton to be in Detroit.

Looking at it from a different perspective, it is illogical for the Lions to enter the season with their backups having such limited game time experience.  It would be a prudent move to acquire a QB, with some upside, who possesses game experience.  The argument remains, is Simms that guy?

Sleeping With the Enemy?

I realize that the saturation point has been fully reached in the incessant discussion of the eminent return of retired/unretired Packers QB, Brett Favre, but I am going to contribute the mind-numbing din, anyhow. This is pure conjecture, but if somehow, someway, Brett Favre is a free agent in the upcoming weeks, should the Lions consider signing him?

Playing the Packers, at Lambeau Field, during Favre’s tenure as the Packers QB has been an absolute nightmare for the Lions, and by proxy, Lions fans. Favre, flaws aside, is still a winning QB in the NFL. He is definitely better than Jon Kitna. Is he better enough that the Lions could have realistic playoff chances with Favre at the helm? Obviously, that remains to be seen.

I am of the opinion, that Drew Stanton and Dan Orlovsky have limited futures at best. In which case, the Lions have to look for help now, and until they find that ever elusive young, franchise-defining Qb, (an exceedingly rare bird, indeed) they have to proceed with the utmost desperation.

I detest Brett Favre, and the constant narcissistic drama that plays out as the NFL enters each new season. Favre, as great as he has been, has no right to upstage the rest of the league and hold the Packers hostage with his drawn-out antics. That being said, I still would take the Faustian bargain that “Ol’ Scruffy” could make the Lions a realistic playoff contender in the weak-assed NFC North.

The Lions training camp is under two weeks away. I am excited to see if Gosder Cherilus and Jordan Dizon can make immediate contributions. I am curious to see if the ever-flooding roster of ex-Buccaneers can actually contribute, or are they over the hill? I am also anxious to see if the addition of the requested for “bread and butter” running plays, and the utilization of zone-blocking schemes in the running game will actually prove fruitful? Finally, do the Lions have an improved pass rush, something that has been a crucial missing element for several seasons now?

Re-Sign Kevin Jones?

Apparently, Kevin Jones possesses incredible recuperative powers. He worked out for about four teams today, and appears to be significantly ahead of schedule in his return from a knee injury and off-season operation.

There have been rumblings that the Lions desperately needed to free up some salary cap space entering free agency, which ultimately lead to their decision to release Jones (aside from their stated views of his questionable future due to injury). Even with the addition of rookie RB Kevin Smith, they may eventually rue the day that they chose to released Jones, given their transition to a more “run”-oriented offense this season.

I am an unabashed Jones fan and believe that the Lions were unwise to part with him. The fact that they sent a personnel representative, Shelden White, to view Jones’ workout, indicates that they may feel the same way that I do.  Whether Jones would consider returning, with the high level of interest expressed by other NFL franchises today, remains to be seen.

The Lions and “Character” Players

Lions Head Coach Rod Marinelli has repeatedly mentioned that acquiring players with “character” was a prime directive for the franchise moving forward. Unfortunately, given the rash of recent news about players spending time in court for arrests, one has to wonder if he had something different in mind altogether when he said that the Lions needed to add players with “character”.

The recent press releases about the arrests of ‘08 draft picks OT Gosder Cherilus and LB Jordan Dizon, along with the heavy, alleged charges on restricted free agent S Kalvin Pearson, the Lions have had an interesting off-season, to say the least. Football players aren’t choir boys, and any unstructured free time, especially among males of their age group, will often lead to trouble.

That being said, in the past, the Lions seem to have been able to keep their players off of the police blotters, regardless of the franchise’s struggles. I wonder if the complexion this organization is going to take in the future will change dramatically soon, under the auspices of acquiring players with “football character”. Could the Lions, out of necessity, select players of questionable character and backgrounds in order to win, rather than maintaining high expectations about players and their off-the-field conduct.

The off-season has been rather uninteresting for the Lions, other than these few infractions. The Lions pre-season games are going to be televised on a different channel, so instead of the gentile, old school Frank Beckman, Lions pre-season broadcasts will feature the emphatically vociferous Detroiter Gus Johnson and Desmond Howard, who will likely struggle to interject any sort of commentary among the annoying din of Johnson, if Johnson’s NCAA tourney work serves as any sort of template.

The Roy Williams contract situation looms in the background, too.   Other than that, the Lions are racing towards training camp, and hopefully, could surprise people given the generally low expectations that fans have for the team.

“Throwback” Uniforms Are Back, Drew Stanton, Pint-Sized Receivers

The Lions announced that among the many events that they are planning to commemorate their 75th season as a franchise, that they would be bringing back the “throwback” uniforms and thankfully, putting the alternate black jerseys on ice (hopefully, for good)! The classic look of the throwbacks is something that organization should be proud of, and emphasize as a strength.

Apparently, the adjustments made by Mike Martz to Drew Stanton’s throwing mechanics have yet to pay dividends. New QB’s coach Scott Loeffler, is working closely with Stanton trying to shape him into a sounder, more consistent player.

All of the Lions talk of an upcoming competition at quarterback is laughable, when you take into consideration that Stanton is just a more physically-equipped version of former Lion Mike McMahon. Worst of all, the Lions devoted a second round pick to a player who is going to struggle to compete to make their final roster, let alone contribute, if his throwing woes continue.

The word out of the Lions camp is that Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald are content with their reduced roles (and receiving opportunities) that they will receive in the Lions new offense.

The value of players like , Furrey and McDonald shouldn’t be diminished, but I am not sure if the Lions can afford to keep both of them, when they have other pressing personnel needs. Furrey and McDonald will ultimately need to exhibit their worth on special teams, to justify remaining with the team. The Lions should have traded one of their receivers entering the draft, given the lack of immediate contributors in the ‘08 draft at the position.

Instead, the Lions will either feature at least one unhappy player (my guess is Roy Williams or Shaun McDonald), or receive pennies on the dollar in exchange for one of the players that they are unable to keep due to their lack of versatility.

World’s Most Popular Sport on Precipice of Labor Unrest?

The NFL owners have decided not to complete it’s collective bargaining agreement with the players, which opens up the possibility of a number of undesirable scenarios, in my eyes.

The agreement, which was supposed to be honored until 2013, will now expire in 2011. During the current three year window, there will not be any sort of interruption in play. However, if a new deal is not agreed upon by March 2009, the 2010 season will be played without a salary cap. Beyond that, there is a high potential for a lockout by the owners, if the players and owners can’t eventually come to terms.

The owners no longer want to give the players 60% of league revenue, claiming that the current economic situation makes it increasingly difficult to turn over that amount of money.

The owners are essentially forcing the players to the bargaining table, and creating a situation that will attempt to force the players to concede to the owners position. In this particular situation, I believe that the players may actually call the owners bluff.

The players certainly can accept an NFL without a salary cap, and short of league-wide collusion, individual stars would likely benefit from the absence of a salary cap. Unfortunately, the rank-and-file players pay would likely suffer as a result.

The players are also going to want to revisit the “franchise” and “transition” tag designations, which serve as an impediment to players fully exploring all of their free agent opportunities by restricting their movement.

In a suffering economy, amid a crowded sports terrain, it’s difficult not to be struck by the overarching crassness of all parties involved.  When people are struggling to put gas in their tanks, food on the table, and find the money to purchase tickets for increasingly high-priced entertainment, it is very hard to be perceived otherwise.

Amid Off-Season Hibernation, Ex-Lions Scramble To Find Work

With the OTA’s, various minicamps, and training camps all on the horizon, and with the draft and free agency completed, the next month or two are among the quieter periods of the NFL off-season.

With that in mind, I find it interesting that a number of (mostly) failed ex-Lions are in the league news, albeit because they are all scrambling for jobs.

Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Kevin Jones and J.T. O’Sullivan have all been mentioned as among potential roster chum to subside the voracious appetites of football front offices in the search for quick, cheap solutions to their personnel issues.

Rogers has been mentioned as someone who could possibly land in the CFL. The Lions are still knee deep in the glacial legal processes that will mediate their attempt to recover money from C-Rog, whom they believe was in breach of his contract when he was suspended for his participation in the league’s drug program.

Mike Williams, who I regard as the biggest draft bust in Matt Millen’s horrific tenure as team president, is clutching to the last withering tendrils of what was once regarded as a promising NFL career. Williams appears to finally have matured to the point where he is beginning to see his failure in not choosing to commit fully to his once burgeoning career.

Kevin Jones has recently visited with the Patriots, and there is no player I’d rather see be given the opportunity to win than Jones. I still believe that the Lions have made a mistake in their judgment in regards to Jones, and even in a limited role, I believe that Jones has some potential left to contribute.

O’Sullivan, the Lions journeymen backup last season, and clearly a Mike Martz lackey, has been mentioned a possible starter in San Francisco next season. Given O’Sullivan’s brief performance in Detroit, I feel sorry for the Niners, if he is the best that their roster has to offer at that position.

Ultimately, none of these players will likely amount to significant additions to any team. Their collectively poor performance as professional athletes will likely bear out, their upside has ground to dust.

That being said, other than an upcoming “NFL Greatest Games” Dvd due for release in August, their is little other sustenance to be found for the devoted Lions fan, at least for the time being.