Jim Schwartz must have seen something he liked Thursday night.
One day after playing against him in a Bills uniform, the Detroit Lions engineered a trade to bring safety Ko Simpson to Detroit for an undisclosed 2010 draft pick.
When not watching the quarterback battle, the Lions have been trying to figure out all preseason who they could start at safety. Louis Delmas was one starter, but who was the other?
Gerald Alexander? Traded.
Daniel Bullocks? Injured.
Kalvin Pearson? A decent player, but had a miserable preseason.
Stuart Schweigert? Showing well, but inconsistent and coming off an offseason calf injury.
Marquand Manuel? Had an okay preseason, but nobody cares (apparently).
Simpson just leap-frogged the field by showing up in Detroit. He is entering his fourth [...]
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There was a whole lot to like about the Detroit Lions' 17-6 handling of the Buffalo Bills Thursday night, if you're a Lions fan.
Almost 250 yards rushing, mostly improved blocking out of the non-Backus section of the offensive line, no offensive touchdowns given up, and the only preseason win that wasn't a come-from-behind shocker via Drew Stanton are all things to get excited about.
Of course, a winning effort in the preseason is more about what players heard their names called the most over the course of the night, and less about the final score.
So what players get a gold star for the final game before cuts, and who wishes they could do it all over again?
Let's observe, by position.
Quarterback
Winners: Brooks Bollinger, Daunte [...]
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Daniel Bullocks entered the 2009 NFL season with a target on his back, and everybody has been shooting.
Guys like Kalvin Pearson and Louis Delmas were aiming for his job.
And guys like me have been gunning for him to get cut in training camp.
It's not that I wanted it to happen. I've got nothing against the man. I didn't even predict him to get cut when I had the chance (Note: the man I did pick, Tra Battle, has since signed with a UFL team). It was just one of those things that seemed likely, and making predictions like that is what fuels the sportswriting community.
But it's a moot point now. For the second time in his four-year career, Bullocks will miss [...]
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