So far in free agency the Lions couldn’t have asked for much more. They have hit all their targets and look to be done with the big splashes in the market. Signing guys like Nate Burleson, Kyle Vanden Bosh, and Jonathan Wade as well as trading for Corey Williams and Chris Houston.
Burleson- Complimentary receiver to Megatron, can also return punts and kickoffs if needed. Very athletic and versatile.
Kyle Vanden Bosh- Hard working player who has a nose for the ball. Seems like he is around to make the play constantly. Even though his production is slipping with a potential line of Avril, Williams, Suh, and himself how could he not have another 10 sack year?
Jonathan Wade- Former mid round draft pick who hasn’t had the best chance to succeed in St.Louis, but with the shortage of corners in Detroit he is expected to make a impact. Remember most corners make a big improvement in their 4th year.
Corey Williams- Had consecutive seven sack seasons when he played for GB in the 4-3 defense. When he played for the Browns the last two years he struggled with the transition to DE in the 3-4 scheme. With the transitioning to Detroit’s 3-4 we should see a good productive season out of Williams.
Chris Houston- A three year starter for the Falcons is a solid corner with good cover skills. It will be his fourth year in the league and the Lions are hoping he makes the fourth year leap that many corners have made. Detroit gave up switch of 5th round draft positions and a six round pick for him. Either way its a good chance to take for a solidified player with more to offer.
Future Prospects:
Don’t expect anymore big splashes or signings. I expect them to sign a few OL especially at guard where the left side needs help. A running back is still a question mark with Kevin Smith rehabbing.
Till next time, or draft time, go Lions!
As we all know the draft is quite far away, but its never too early to talk about it.
General Manager Martin Mayhew continues to say he will take the best player available offense or defense. If that were true he would be taking one of these players:
Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska
Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma
Eric Berry S Tennessee
Berry is probably the safest pick. I know some of you will disagree with me. The reason I believe Eric Berry is the safest pick is because he is the real deal, a ball hawk who is a sure fire superstar. Suh can make a argument as well since he has a monster year including that monstrous Texas game. What makes him great is his relentless motor and uncanny abilities to use his hands to get off the block for some QB pressure. The problem is the NFL lineman he will be facing are going to be a lot bigger, physically stronger, and far more difficult. I believe Eric Berry will be a pro bowl type player for years to come, however its obvious that Suh has the most upside in the draft.
Gerald McCoy is a great consolation prize for any team in the top 3. There is no way I see him dropping that far. He has a nose for the ball and is a great all around player. McCoy can rush the passer as well as play the run well.
The one problem with the assessment of both these DTs is that they’re not prototypical size for the Lions line. Jim Schwartz prefers them big like Sammie Hill who weighs in at 330 pounds. Suh and McCoy are around 300 lbs a piece.
This draft talk that makes sense is what is the most possible situation that happens on draft day and what is the best thing to happen?
Here we go. First of all St.Louis would be smart not to reach for a Quarterback unless Clausen and Bradford wow them. Its possible, but highly unlikely. That statement was said by Mike Mayock a notable NFL.com draft analyst. I see them taking Suh, sadly.
When the Lions sit at number two they have a choice of many players. The only two worthy players at that pick as of now are Gerald McCoy and Eric Berry. With Louis Delmas back at Safety already for the Lions, I wouldn’t mind taking Eric Berry. That would create probably the best young safety tandem in the NFL. If you take McCoy its possible he could play DE in 3-4 Sets as well as DT in a 4-3 set. Either way he is a versatile player who can do it all. He is almost as good as Suh, people got to realize the gap between them is not that much. The Lions have one run stuffer in Sammie Hill, but isn’t it time to get a pass rusher in the inside? Throughout the season they were unable to get sacks unless it was aided by a blitz.
Final Word:
If Suh is not there, the Lions have to take Gerald McCoy because they need a playmaker who can disrupt the other team’s rhythm. If they choose Berry, it would be the smartest choice. Its not likely because safeties do not get chosen that high. I would take McCoy and try to get him around 315 pounds so he can fit the scheme Schwartz and coordinator Gunther Cunningham have installed. The reason I would take him is “upside.” You have to take a chance if you’re the Lions. If you fail, at least you tried. If they take Berry, they’re playing it safe. Also, remember Berry can play CB if they want to use him that way. He is one of those players who can play man to man on a slot if needed.
What I want to happen:
I want Suh as bad as the next guy, but I don’t see it happening. If not either McCoy or Berry is a great consolation prize. In the 2nd round I hope they take Mike Iupati G Idaho or a stout DE or DT depending who they take the first round. The LG position has been so awful, they’re franchise pieces Stafford and Kevin Smith took the hits.
Needs (In order from greatest need):
G, DE, DT, CB, RB, and WR.
What do you guys think?
They have clinched the number 2 pick in this year’s draft.
They have not won since beating the Cleveland Browns.
Sitting at 2-14 under rookie head coach Jim Schwartz, the Lions look to improve next year.
A yearly review will be posted in a few days.
With two games remaining @ San Francisco and at home against the Bears, the Lions look to gain some momentum into next season.
Last season the Bengals had plenty of momentum with three consecutive wins to end the year.
Notes:
The Lions currently sit at 2nd worst in the NFL, Rams are technically the worst. Detroit currently holds the 2nd pick while SL holds the 1st pick.
As we all know the draft is a topic to debate at this time. Ndamukong Suh is a sure top 2 pick. The Rams are desperate for a franchise quarterback. Jake Locker would have been there guy, but now they have to look at last year’s possible number one pick Sam Bradford or Notre Dame Quarterback Jimmy Clausen. Is Suh too good to pass up? The combine will tell whether or not it is. At this point, he is my top pick.
Lion Targets:
Ndamukong Suh
Gerald McCoy
Eric Berry
Derrick Morgan
Russell Okung
23-13 for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Once again the Lions started off well by scoring first with a 54 yard touchdown strike from Stafford to Johnson.
The Bengals capitalized by throwing plenty as well as opening their running game with Cedric Benson who had 36 carries for 110 yards. Chad Ochocinco had 9 catches for 137 yards with a touchdown.
The Lions were led by Kevin Smith with 16 carries and a touchdown and Megatron who had 6 catches for 123 yards with a touchdown.
Concerns:
Stafford left the game with late in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Culpepper. He apparently injured the same left shoulder from the Browns game.
The Lion’s seem to have trouble scoring past the first quarter.
They are now 2-10. The Suh sweepstakes are now at hand!
Updates:
Chad Ochocinco wants the Bengals to throw it 50 times against the Lions. That’s probably a great idea, but whats the point when you have a solid running game with Cedric Benson, who is projected to be back this week.
Dewayne White and Ernie Sims are projected to be back this week while Guard Daniel Loper is questionable, but more like doubtful.
Predictions:
The Bengals are just going to throw over, run over the Lions. Don’t expect this one to be close. Stafford is looking at probably 40 passing attempts, while Kevin Smith is looking at 15 carries for less than 50 yards.
Final Score
Cincinnati 35 Lions 14
Even after today’s lost there will be a time to look back to the season and realize how good this team can be. Calvin Johnson, Kevin Smith, Brandon Pettigrew, and especially Matthew Stafford are the building blocks for this team. The defense still remains to be a work in progress, but there are building blocks there also.They have Delmas, Levy, Hill, and that goes a long with veterans Grady Jackson, Julian Peterson, and Larry Foote. The secondary continues to be a problem. Buchannon is stepping up as of late, but they don’t have a shut down corner. They have not had one since Dre Bly.
The draft has stars like Suh, McCoy, Okung, and Berry. The Lions will have to take one of those guys if they want to keep adding on to their talent. Suh has been a top five projected pick all year, but now he is a top 2 or 3 at the latest selection. Okung is the best OT in the draft and he can be the protection Stafford needs for the next ten years. Berry could be the other safety paired with Delmas or be the cover corner they have been searching for.
If today’s game didn’t shake up your thoughts about the draft it should now. The pass rush didn’t get there at all. They need a supreme pass rusher that can stop the run as well. Suh is that guy, he is 6′3 296 lbs. Jim Schwartz loves big defensive tackles like Haynesworth, Hill, and Grady Jackson. If they can’t get Suh or decide to pass on him, they must take Berry or Okung. Okung is needed to actually allow Stafford to play the next year all the way through. Berry might be the best player, athlete, and or overall talent in the draft. Can they really pass on a player of his calibur? Both O and D lines are stacked in the draft. A guy like Terrence Cody DT from Alabama is a projected 2nd round pick. He is a 365 pound tackle that Schwartz would love.
Needs in order:
Pass rush in general preferably DT, Protection OT, Playmaker S or CB.
It looked promising when they capitalized on a Jordy Nelson fumble to lead 7-0 and stayed in the game at halftime when it was 7-13. They could not sustain any good drives throughout the game and that is what cost them.
Notes:
Stafford and CJ played even though both were projected not to do so.
Stafford threw for a td and four interceptions.
CJ had two catches for 10 yards with td.
What cost them:
Charles Woodson shut down megatron which led to a bad passing day for Stafford.
News:
Brandon Pettigrew, coming off his best game suffered an injury and didn’t return to the game at any point. The severity is unknown.
Detroit is up 17-0 in the first quarter!
By the end of the game they only had 20 points. Stafford threw his touchdowns in the first quarter and threw five interceptions after that. The growing pains continue to plague Stafford, but it will be worth it.
Everybody knew the Lions weren’t ready this year, but they need to let the other teams know like the Viking this Sunday that they still got something to play for. What is that? Respect, in each single game they were in it one way or another. Injuries have plagued plenty of their starters.
The next game they should win is at home against the Browns.
Pay attention to the top tier college players coming out.
Here is an interesting question to think about, do you take the top DT McCoy or Suh or top OT Okung or Williams with your top pick or even Eric Berry?
They lost to the lowly Rams @ Home.
What this says is how much Calvin Johnson impacts the game. They can’t win a game without him because of the way the defense has to respect him. Kevin Smith hasn’t done much damage on the ground because defenses are focused on him. Stafford looked rusty which was sort of expected. Either way they should of won that game.
They play @ Seattle on Sunday. Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson are projected to play, meaning the Lions have a chance. The Seahawks are 2-5 and its a not a surprise because of the injuries they keep getting hit with.
The Lions must make them pay for man coverage on Calvin Johnson, respect the run with Kevin Smith, and Matthew Stafford must manage this game. The defense won’t have to worry about a running game too much, they have to worry about the receiver tandem of Burleson, Branch, and Houshmanzadeh along with John Carlson.
In the end this game should be relatively close because of both teams struggles. Seahawks 21-14
