2010 Detroit Lions

[sirrealone]

I also loved seeing the Dez Bryant pick in Dallas. Not that there was any doubt, but that pretty much cements the fact that Jerry Jones has admitted that the Roy Williams trade was a complete and utter failure. My opinion is that the only worse trade that I've ever seen in my lifetime was the Herschel Walker deal that set up Dallas for their dominance in the 90's. We can only hope that someday the Roy Williams trade is seen as the similar 'beginning' of a decade of dominance for our Lions!

[kenp]

Interesting draft last night, it was entertaining and moved along nicely.
I question the trade for pick #30. We had the 34th pick and sure gave up a lot for 4 spots when we probably could have got him anyway.
Best is fast but smaller and injury prone. We are to thin to be giving up players at this point.

[sirrealone]

From what I've heard, there was definite interest in Best and the thought was that the extended period between rounds would have made it an almost certainty that the Rams would have gotten offers for their pick to be possibly used on Best.

My guess is that Mayhew thought Best was the most complete player. While he probably could have targeted others at 34 had Best not been there, he knew he'd be settling, so it was worth it to ensure that he got his guy.

Many players have been injured. If teams were scared away because of injuries, then Bradford never would have gone first and probably half the guys in the first round wouldn't have been taken. At some point you have to roll the dice. None of the injuries he's sustained are ones that would change his performance, not like he had an ACL or something. And as far as his size, that's fine, but the move towards smaller speedy backs in the NFL is definitely on, and it has a better chance of working because of the rotation you see at RB these days. The time of the workhorse running back getting 90% of the snaps is gone. With all that in mind it was a great pick.

Also, to be technical, we only 'gave up' one player and that was a 7th round pick. While the player we theoretically gave up could end up being a five-time Pro Bowler, the odds of that happening is probably slim, and they're odds that Mayhew and Co. were willing to take to ensure that they didn't have to drop down to the next tier of RBs.

We also did lower ourselves in the fourth, but my hunch is that they have their eye on some potential diamond in the rough players towards that time anyways ala Sammie Lee Hill that they're confident will probably be there, and they might even be able to trade down again into the fifth round and maybe get that 7th round pick [[or even a 6th) back.

[firstandten]

Interesting draft last night, it was entertaining and moved along nicely.
I question the trade for pick #30. We had the 34th pick and sure gave up a lot for 4 spots when we probably could have got him anyway.
Best is fast but smaller and injury prone. We are to thin to be giving up players at this point.

Kemp are you sure about that, I mean Best is about 200 lbs. Has he had injuries other than the concussion ?

[smogboy]

Kemp are you sure about that, I mean Best is about 200 lbs. Has he had injuries other than the concussion ?

According to CBSSports.com, Best's injury report looks like this:

2009: Missed spring practices following offseason foot and elbow surgery. Suffered a concussion and back injury against Oregon State after getting flipped in the air while scoring a touchdown. Missed the final four games of the season, including the team's bowl game.

2008: Sat out spring practices resting a hip injury suffered following the previous season. Missed the Arizona game due to a dislocated elbow suffered against Colorado State.

It doesn't seem that bad considering he's had some time off to recover. And I'm sure Mayhew & Company have done their due diligence with their medical staff"s evaluation.

[kenp]

I hope Best is an All Pro with a long career. My point is we gave up a lot for 4 picks for a guy who probably wasnt going to be a 1st rounder. Right now we need a lot of players and giving up a draft pick to me is iffy. This is similar to Millen moving up to get Kevin Jones in the first round. If the guy has a history of concussion's its just going to get worse.but I will keep my fingers crossed.

[smogboy]

Amari Spievey, a DB in the third round.

Jason Fox, an OT in the fourth round.

So it seems as though Mayhew/ Lewand/ Schrwartz are trying to add some quality players to those areas of concern. I have no idea how after the rest of the draft is complete how the NFL pundits will rate our team but to me, the brain trust here seems to have made sound decisions. Or at least with their first two picks in Suh & Best.

One of the nicer things that I've noticed with this current regime is that they've seemed to at least notice the deficiencies and will try to address them. Whether they address those needs through trades or the draft, the sheer fact that they're not ignoring them is pleasant. The fact that they're plugging those holes with youth is also a heckuva lot better than bringing in aging veterans, other teams' cast-offs, or other feeble stop gap measures seems to at least indicate the semblance of a plan to making this sad sack franchise viable.

I'm not delusional to the point of buying my Lions' Super Bowl tickets just yet because I still think that even with the addition of this new blood, we're still a long way off talent wise from the NFL elite. It's still going to take time for this group to come together and gain some traction, but it's sure nice to see us make some smart decisions as an organization as opposed to stupid knee jerk Millen-esque choices. Check with anyone's list of all time NFL busts and Millen's chubby thumbprints are all over them.

[firstandten]

I hope Best is an All Pro with a long career. My point is we gave up a lot for 4 picks for a guy who probably wasnt going to be a 1st rounder. Right now we need a lot of players and giving up a draft pick to me is iffy. This is similar to Millen moving up to get Kevin Jones in the first round. If the guy has a history of concussion's its just going to get worse.but I will keep my fingers crossed.

I was talking to a buddy of mine who is a U of Maryland fan. He said Best had a field day on them both times they played. My buddy being originally from Detroit felt the Lions made a good move in getting Best based on the two Cal vs Maryland games that he saw.

[smogboy]

I don't know how popular of a thought this is going to be but seeing as how the 2010 NFL Draft has come and gone now, I think it might be appropriate to say thank you to William Clay Ford for granting the Lions brass the free reign to do their jobs.

Too often the old man gets grilled for the downfall of this team- and rightfully so on many occasions, but when it came down to picking up the necessary free agents and drafting this time around, he was thankfully nowhere to be see or heard. Who knows? He could've been behind the scenes orchestrating all of this, but we fans will never be the wiser. He stayed up in his ivory tower counting the money from all of the freshly minted #90 Suh jerseys for all we know. But obviously he still has to open up his wallet and authorize Mayhew/ Lewand/ Schwartz to sign these guys. It's still his initial outlay of cash that he has to pony up.

Is there a true Lions fan out there that doesn't think this team improved within the last few days? And if it took William Clay Ford staying away for it to happen, then thanks to the old man for staying away and/ or having faith in the people that know football talent. Maybe after all of these debacles over the years, he's learned something as an owner. We can only hope as fans that the talent amassed here will not go to waste [[think about all of the top notch talent that came here and wallowed in misery because we couldn't get more pieces to help them along) and they can somehow achieve something. This town is hungry for anything, but then when one skips off the bottom of the barrel under Millen, it's not too tough to improve. We want respectability. We want a competitive team.

-Jim Schwartz? The kid gloves are off now. I'd like to see you coach better this year. I want to see you do better time management, utilize the proper personnel and steal us a few games with innovative play calling [[Lord knows you doesn't have THAT much talent yet). And I know this might sound feeble but thanks for tossing the red hanky out and winning a few of those challenges for us last year too [[Was it me or did every Rod tossed out a challenge, it was soundly defeated and we lost a time-out?).

-Mayhew/ Lewand? SIgn these new draft picks. Prove to us you've made the right choices for Schwartz to use on the field. Many of the moves have been shrewd so far but it's an ongoing job [[not one to be done from a Pennsylvania cabin a few days out of the week).

-And Mr. Ford- thanks again for giving us fans something to gnaw on for at least a little bit. Your loyalty has failed you in the past with the likes of Russ Thomas and the Ron Jaworski insulting slimebag known as Matt Millen. They betrayed you and us fans. Let's hope that this current bunch can do your faith in them justice.

We could all use a better NFL product from this town.

[smogboy]

Rather than hear about stories about athletes that use steroids, blood doping, gambling or get into some other nefarious off field activities, it's nice to share a story for once about a local athlete that does well in and for the community.

In the Freep, they did an article about how Calvin Johnson is giving money back to establish a scholarship to student athletes.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...te=fullarticle

Bravo to Calvin Johnson.

[kenp]

uh oh!
Lions Prez Tom Lewand popped for drunk driving in Roscommen.

[jefferson78]

He supposedly blew over two times the limit. And he was supposed to
be a recovering alcoholic? Yeah, OK
Just another stain on this cursed organization.

[kenp]

Hope he wasnt at the Roscommen Wendy's and especially hope he wasnt butt naked.
Geez

[GOAT]

Jefferson78,
All of this comes from the top. The old drunk bastard himself has created this type of environment, so this isn't really a surprise. I would even guess Lewand had a few with the bastard.

Btw, tickets just arrived today. One thing I find is this year's schedule is terrible. Most home games are in the cold which sucks for tailgating [[though I do it anyway) and the first fake game...I mean home game is Aug. 28th!

[smogboy]

Jefferson78,
All of this comes from the top. The old drunk bastard himself has created this type of environment, so this isn't really a surprise. I would even guess Lewand had a few with the bastard.

I have no love lost for Old Man Ford either but to speculate or even insinuate that WC Ford had anything to do with what Tom Lewand did on his own accord with alcohol is absolutely ridiculous and reckless. Give me one iota of how Ford "created this type of environment". Was it the fact that Ford Field serves alcohol? Is there any proof that Old Man Ford sponsored, served or was even in any way shape or form at this charity event that Lewand attended?

We can all agree what Tom Lewand did was unbecoming of an NFL president, possibly detrimental to the team [[short term hopefully), and just not very bright. We're thankful no one got hurt by this incident. But by all accounts, this was by his own accord- not anyone else's. Don't pin blame or even speculate where blame needs to go other than to the man who has admitted to his own actions. He has accepted responsibility and hopefully will face some form of punishment and help for his issues.

As a Lions fan, I'm not too swift about what he did either, but let's deal with it in a civil way. Get the help for the man first and foremost. Accept whatever punishment [[and I do believe there should be some from the NFL) that will be doled out and live up the promise that it'll never happen again.

[smogboy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_yl...rankings062810

Interesting. They rank the Lions defensive line 16th, middle of the pack.

Now I'm optimistic but I'll also temper it with a sense of realism here. Sure, I know it's a pre-season, means nothing sort of ranking but for four guys who've never played a down together yet in a real game, I'm not so sure I would've ranked them this high just yet. I agree that the Lions have improved but to jump to middle of the pack already? I'm not ready to concede that just yet but I have high hopes that they can live up to this lofty prediction and just maybe a little beyond it.

[GOAT]

Uh yeah. I'm not here to help the Lion's org keep their employees from drinking. If you want to reach out then go for it. Since this is now the second guy from the same org who has been caught doing this stuff from an owner who has battled booze [[and perhaps senility) as well I just connected the dots; though the statement was also somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

Now lets talk Lions shall we?

Do you think Haynesworth should be someone Detroit should grab? I would think it would make the DTs pretty much a brick wall. But then again we haven't done much to protect a $42 million investment in Stafford either.

I agree about the defence and the corners are especially weak. I will wait it out for a couple of regular season games before I cast my grade on them.

[smogboy]

Uh yeah. I'm not here to help the Lion's org keep their employees from drinking. If you want to reach out then go for it. Since this is now the second guy from the same org who has been caught doing this stuff from an owner who has battled booze [[and perhaps senility) as well I just connected the dots; though the statement was also somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

So according to you, anyone with the Lions organization who has an alcohol problem can pin the blame on Old Man Ford? Let's not put out the dots when there aren't any to connect. There are plenty of things that we can blame on the owner of the team but this isn't one of them.

Now lets talk Lions shall we?

Do you think Haynesworth should be someone Detroit should grab? I would think it would make the DTs pretty much a brick wall. But then again we haven't done much to protect a $42 million investment in Stafford either.

I agree about the defence and the corners are especially weak. I will wait it out for a couple of regular season games before I cast my grade on them.

According to sh!t stirrers like Drew Sharp, it takes guts to go out and get someone like a Haynesworth. I also think it takes guts to step away from a talented malcontent like Haynesworth. What strikes me as the biggest mark against him are his peers' remarks. So what if he's reunited with Schwartz- it doesn't necessarily mean that he can keep him content. We walked away from guys like PacMan Jones as did a bunch of other teams. I don't exactly see a path being beat towards Haynesworth's door by a ton of other teams either. Is he willing to sign a one year deal to prove that he's just not a malcontent? He was all smiles and giggles when he signed with Washington but that soured quickly- who's to say it couldn't sour here with our emerging program? It's a risk not worth taking in my book at this point; this team might win another game or two with him but he's not going to be the player to put this team over the top or into the playoffs.

[sirrealone]

I say no way on Haynesworth for multiple reasons:

1) Suh is coming in with high expectations. He doesn't need the guy that should be mentoring him to be teaching him, directly or indirectly, that it's OK to play when you want, to dictate the terms of how you play and how much effort you put in, and that laziness pays. Haynesworth might have the skills down but there's too many bad things that can be gleaned and send Suh down the wrong path.

2) It could cause more harm than good. Remember Brett Farve in Green Bay and how he bristled anytime anybody suggested that anyone other than he was the man in the spotlight? If Haynesworth comes in, everyone expects him to teach Suh, but what if he feels threatened by him and shuns him, dividing the defensive side of the locker room? I think Farve is an as$hole for how he treated Aaron Rodgers, and since Haynesworth has shown that he's just as big if not bigger of an a$$, I don't think this risk is worth taking.

3) Schwartz and Mayhew are bringing in guys that want to play and have the hunger. Having a guy around who has exhibited that he will only show those things on his terms could undo practically everything that Schwartz has tried to put together in that regard. Remember when Marinelli preached his 'pound the rock' and said that everyone had to earn their spot? Then he'd name Kitna the starter months before camp and let guys like Shaun Rogers skip workouts? To me that's when he lost the rest of the team because they saw it as b-s. I think Schwartz has a good message and the guys are listening to it. Putting that at risk would be a mistake.

4) I think once a player loses his passion for the game, it's darn near impossible to get back. The $100 million contract and the $42 million that he accepted, I believe took the life out of him. At this point, he has no motivation that I can see to try to re-claim that.

5) Drew Sharp is an idiot. Whenever he suggests something, 99% of the time the team in question would be better off doing the complete opposite. So if he says to go get Haynesworth, then that says to me that taking a pass is unequivocally the right call.

[smogboy]

5) Drew Sharp is an idiot. Whenever he suggests something, 99% of the time the team in question would be better off doing the complete opposite. So if he says to go get Haynesworth, then that says to me that taking a pass is unequivocally the right call.

Drew Sharp is one of the primary reasons I don't listen to WDFN anymore. Back in the day when there were two semi-intelligent sports talk radio stations, I would switch back and forth depending on the topic. if one station wanted to talk about the growth rate of turnips, I'd quickly jump up or down the dial and hope for better conversation. Not anymore. Not since Drew Sharp signed on to do the late afternoon shift at WDFN have I even considered lingering there.

Just look at the groundswell in commentaries to his Haynesworth article. The majority of the folks there have put the kibosh on the idea.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...te=fullarticle

And using such cutesy language like calling this team gutless in not pursuing Haynesworth is just simple baiting. Like I said earlier, it might take just as much bravery, courage and intelligence NOT to jump the gun and acquire a player like Haynesworth.

Sharp also talks so highly in pairing up Haynesworth with Suh to "give the Lions one of the best DT tandems in the league." And while we're all high on Suh to become something special here, we're also keenly aware that he's still an unproven rookie. I'd much rather have him team up with a character guy and a workout fiend like Vanden Bosch than Haynesworth.

Sharp also wants to take shots at the Lions team for not wanting to improve this team by taking Haynesworth but also fails to recognize that he's not going to be the final piece of the puzzle that will nudge this team into Super Bowl contention. We're not even close yet. Let's win a handful more games, come close to being competitive in the NFC Central Division, maybe even make .500, and show progress before we take on risky players like this that could conceivably push us over the top. Prime example is the Patriots taking on the volatile Randy Moss; he came in cheap and was one of the final pieces to finally help them reach the Super Bowl. Drew Sharp wants instant gratification after the years of Millen's circling of the drain with this team. Mayhew has at least tempered that; he's shrewd and has taken his time in being very selective about what sort of pieces he wants in on this team. It's about as much chemistry, character and talent now. And while it might take a little longer, I see this team having some hope for the future. Adding a Haynesworth to the mix now is a spontaneous stop-gap measure at best. We still have far too many other needs on this team.

Sharp's only true argument for acquiring Haynesworth is the price tag; hoping that the Daniel Snyder can pick up the majority of the tab. He's hoping that by pairing him up with Schwartz again, it'll be the magical formula to returning him to his glory days. Sorry Drew, but I have more faith in the new Lions front office brass than hoping for this sort of scenario.

[sirrealone]

Drew Sharp is a moron but he's an aboslute genius at the same time. He's the only guy that can basically write column after column in which he does nothing other than stir the pot, yet continually get away with it. I think a lot of times he writes the stuff he does not necessarily because he believes it, but because he wants to stir the pot and get people thinking. I mean, you can probably go back and find opinions from the likes of Rosenberg, Albom, Samuleson, Caputo, Henning, Niyo or anybody else that covers the beat or writes opinions on the Lions, and read how they think that Haynesworth shouldn't be here. Sharp, though, writes the opposite and of course he's the one that is going to get the fans talking.

Where he's made his mark, though, is that he continues to play that 'devils advocate' card but does so in a way where he somehow doesn't lose all respect [[I know some would argue, but if he really had, he wouldn't even stir up the emotions) and where he doesn't pis* people off to the point of getting himself canned. Look back at Rob Parker. I think he tried to be the same guy on the DetNews side, but he couldn't pull it off and he crashed and burned instead.

Sharp's opinions are moronic, but the fact that he's still around and is able to stir the controversy that he does on a regular basis, I have to give him credit. Very few could do what he does and get away with it for as long as he has.

[smogboy]

Drew Sharp is a moron but he's an aboslute genius at the same time. He's the only guy that can basically write column after column in which he does nothing other than stir the pot, yet continually get away with it. I think a lot of times he writes the stuff he does not necessarily because he believes it, but because he wants to stir the pot and get people thinking. I mean, you can probably go back and find opinions from the likes of Rosenberg, Albom, Samuleson, Caputo, Henning, Niyo or anybody else that covers the beat or writes opinions on the Lions, and read how they think that Haynesworth shouldn't be here. Sharp, though, writes the opposite and of course he's the one that is going to get the fans talking.

Where he's made his mark, though, is that he continues to play that 'devils advocate' card but does so in a way where he somehow doesn't lose all respect [[I know some would argue, but if he really had, he wouldn't even stir up the emotions) and where he doesn't pis* people off to the point of getting himself canned. Look back at Rob Parker. I think he tried to be the same guy on the DetNews side, but he couldn't pull it off and he crashed and burned instead.

Sharp's opinions are moronic, but the fact that he's still around and is able to stir the controversy that he does on a regular basis, I have to give him credit. Very few could do what he does and get away with it for as long as he has.

In essence, Drew Sharp is the shock jock of Detroit sports journalism.

I don't have a problem with him playing the devil's advocate card. I wish more journalists would do that and support it with facts or at least a very strong argument. I agree that sometimes he does a masterful job of just pushing the hot button in the midst of all sound reason. I've noticed that the very few times I've listened to him, he's often been shouted down or been presented with just enough facts to back him down.

On a very VERY masochistic bent, I've often wondered what a sports talk show with Drew Sharp and Rob Parker would be like.

[smogboy]

Dre Bly signs for a two year deal.

http://www.freep.com/article/2010070...-like-its-home

I dunno. On a fan's POV, the way he left the Lions organization back then was pretty harsh. I didn't disagree with his assessment of the Mooch/Harrington debacle but with regards to the manner, I think he should've been a little more tactful and a pro about it. But then there's also the current fan in me that is thankful that we have some veteran leadership in the secondary that could bolster the troops. Even if he just came in during the nickel & dime packages, he could spell some gassed DB out there. Bly was never known as much of a tackler but perhaps with our new supposedly vaunted front four, he might even be able to get himself a few picks. He's not the second coming of Charles Woodson or Deion Sanders by any stretch but he might be able to buy us time until we can draft ourselves a top notch CB in the years to come.

Anyone else's thoughts on Dre Bly coming back?

[GOAT]

I guess he may be an improvement over who is there now but I think Bly's career is done with any way.
This smacks more of the Lions of yesteryear who would bring back players forhopes of reclaiming their former glory, only to have it smashed in their face.

[smogboy]

If nothing else in Bly's defense, he was durable enough to start all 16 games for the Niners last year. Granted when one doesn't hit that much [[although he did have 26 solos, 3 assists and one sack), it's easy to survive a whole season. He's going to play his usual cover game and maybe impart some knowledge to the likes of Delmas.

I'm just hoping that the day he does leave this team, he'll have a little more class than his first go around.