Watched the film, read the reviews, here's the outlook for the Detroit Lions this 2010 offseason.
Offense
Young first-round picks at the quarterback, running back and wide receiver positions are moot if your offensive line can’t block. Detroit learned this the hard way in 2009. Their offense was doomed the instant guards Manny Ramirez and Stephen Peterman took the field. Besides having no raw power, Ramirez and Peterman – and their occasional replacements Jon [...]
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Next year, any players drafted by the Detroit Lions might do well to take out a hefty insurance policy.
The 14 players on the Lions' injured reserve probably wish they had.
First-round pick Brandon Pettigrew is the latest to hit IR, and he represents only the latest in a sordid history of unfortunate injuries for the Lions.
Though the relationship between the two is arguable, an annual laundry list of injuries is as much a part of the Lions' identity today as losing is, and this season has proven no different.
The injury list started early when veteran defensive end Jared DeVries went down with a rutured Achilles tendon in training camp. From there, they started to compile injuries, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
Daniel Bullocks was an early scratch, and he [...]
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When I combine the terms "Detroit Lions" and "draft," a few things might pop into your head.
The first is likely "wide receiver." The second, "first-round bust." Then "Harrington," "Mike Williams," "Charles Rogers," etc. The list goes on, tallying far more negatives than positives.
But how far down the list are the words "second-round bust?"
Sure, a second-round bust is not as spectacular a failure as the all-too-common first-round variety, but they're arguably just as important, and for the Lions, they're even more consistent.
Louis Delmas, the 33rd overall pick and the first of the second round, looks great so far in Lions OTAs. He's known as a hard hitter, and he has done an exceptional job learning the ins and outs of the NFL game so far, according to his coaches.
He [...]
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It has been two days since the draft. I've had mixed feelings on its results, so much so that I needed to sleep on it -- twice -- to feel enough at ease to write about it.
I sense a lot of discontent in the wake of the draft. Much of that, I imagine, was latent aggravation with taking Matthew Stafford first overall, which kind of soured the whole draft for many.
I'm not hearing many complaints about Stafford anymore, and obviously, this is part of the healing process.
Like the period after an election, this is the part where we all realize our petty arguments over who best to lead us for the next several years have become moot. We have our guy, and it's time for everyone to throw our support behind him, whether we wanted him or not.
Having said that, it occurs to me that not [...]
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The Detroit Lions' most anticipated day of the year has come and gone, and of all the players I would have liked to see go to Detroit, I saw... none of them.
I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little disappointing. But disappointing doesn't necessarily mean bad. Not in this case.
Now, I refuse to do something so narrow-minded as attach "grades" to a draft prospect mere hours after their selection. This can serve no purpose but to give everyone something to laugh at years later when I'm completely off the mark.
Still, I have some things to say about the draft thus far. None of it was quite what I wanted or expected, but each selection has some merit to it.
Matthew Stafford, well, it's no secret that I'm against this move. It's not that I don't think he'll be good. He very well [...]
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"People talk about the fact it's a negative that we were here in the past. I view that as a positive -- we have an opportunity to understand the mistakes that were made in the past and learn from those mistakes." - Lions GM Martin Mayhew, December 31, 2008, in his introductory press conference.
I have been largely impressed with GM Martin Mayhew and team president Tom Lewand since Matt Millen was fired last September.
They assembled a very strong-looking coaching staff for the years ahead. They have done a good job of cutting dead weight, and filling needs by signing cheap free agents with upside. They filled a major need at strong-side linebacker by trading for a Pro Bowler.
They fleeced the Dallas Cowboys by getting a starting cornerback for Jon Kitna, and three draft picks for [...]
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by DEAN HOLDEN
Chances are, you've seen a mock draft in the months since the Super Bowl.
In fact, I'm willing to bet you've seen a few dozen of them, and I'd also wager that Matthew Stafford, the quarterback out of Georgia with the rocket arm and the naturally curly hair, features prominently at the top of most of those mocks, to the Detroit Lions
This is a problem.
Stafford to the Lions is a mistake in waiting. That has nothing to do with Stafford himself and everything to do with the Lions themselves. Stafford has done nothing but ease concerns with an sharp mind, strong arm, and nearly flawless workouts.
However, the Detroit Lions drafting Matthew Stafford first overall - or any quarterback - is a recipe to ruin the kid and set the team back another three years in [...]
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It’s not hard identifying a team’s area of need if that team is coming off the first 0-16 season in NFL history. The area of need begins and ends with everything.
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