Rumor mill: Another Lion in the "Pac"?

Help may be on the way for what figures to be a sketchy secondary (detailed yesterday right here). According to an Associated Press story last week, the Lions are reportedly interested in Adam "Pacman" Jones. Nothing is imminent, as GM Martin Mayhew reiterated today, but there has definitely been contact. Jones says he is in talks with not just Detroit, but 3 other teams as well. Just to be clear: there has not even been a meeting between the two sides, only discussions. This is far from a done deal, and is probably unlikely. But since the stories out there, let's pretend, shall we? What would a Pacman signing mean for Detroit?

Look, I know the arguments for bringing him in. Two areas this team is most spotty at are cornerback and in the return game. Jones does both things. Or at least he did. He played no football at all last year, and has more arrests than career interceptions. The last time we saw the Pacman, he was in Dallas playing sub-par corner and averaging under 5 yards per punt return. And now he's had a year off. What exactly is he bringing to the table? He is saying all the right things, and assuming his legal issues are a thing of the past that's all well and good. That's not my issue. Can he still play the game? This is the question people should be asking. And I think Mayhew and Schwartz have asked it in their heads. The answer they came up with will be revealed when camp starts, and Jones is either wearing blue and silver or another color.

image credit: theredzonereport.com

Lions projected depth chart, Part 2 (defense)

Defensive End
Starters: Jason Hunter, Kyle Vanden Bosch
Bench: Cliff Avril, Jared DeVries

Defensive tackle
Starters: Ndamukong Suh, Sammie Hill
Bench: Corey Williams, Joe Cohen

Outside Linebacker
Starters: Landon Johnson, Julian Peterson
Bench: Zack Follett, Vinny Ciurciu

Middle Linebacker
Starter: DeAndre Levy
Bench: Jordan Dizon

Cornerback
Starters: Chris Houston, Amari Spievey
Depth: Eric King, Dante Wesley, Jonathan Wade

Free safety
Starter: Louis Delmas
Bench: Marquand Manuel

Strong safety
Starter: Ko Simpson
Bench: Marvin White

What should stand out at you here is the defensive line. Not only are the starters strong, but all of the reserves know how to play too. This should allow plenty of rotation keeping all bodies fresh and the rushes in the fourth quarter as strong as they are in the first.
What stands out at you should you be a pessimist is that secondary. The starters aren't great, and it only falls off from there. I wouldnt be surprised to see veterans like Manuel and Wesley cut in favor of younger talent with at least moderate upside (Jahi Word-Daniels and Daniel Bullocks stick out in my mind as possible young replacements. Throw them in and see what happens.) The Linebackers won't win you any games, but they do the job adequately enough. Levy, Dizon and Follett are all young guys who should improve over last year. I doubt Peterson makes it through the entire year as the starter. His prime was multiple seasons ago, and he just isn't the stud he used to be at the position.

Strength: D-Line
Weakness: Secondary
Overall outlook: Defense looks to once again be the downfall of a promising team. The line should be better, even above average, but I forsee teams getting whatever they want in the passing game off this weak secondary.

Lions projected depth chart, Part 1 (Offense)

Now that the draft is in the history books and the vast majority of impact free agents are off the board, its time to look at what the Lions have, and perhaps more importantly, what they don't have. This depth chart is in no way official, and may not be accurate as of now much lesswhen the season starts. This is me looking at the roster and putting guys in. Jim Schwartz and staff may have different plans.

Quarterback
Starter: Matthew Stafford
Bench: Shaun Hill

Running back
Starter: Kevin Smith
Second string/change of pace: Jahvid Best
Third string: Maurice Morris

Wide reciever
Starters: Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson
Third/slot WR: Bryant Johnson
Bench: Dennis Northcutt and Derrick Williams

Fullback
Jerome Felton

Tight end
Starter: Brandon Pettigrew
Bench: Tony Scheffler, Will Heller (3 TE sets)

Tackle
LT Starter: Jeff Backus
RT Starter: Gosder Cherilus
Depth: Jon Jansen, Jason Fox, Corey Hilliard

Guard
LG Starter: Rob Sims
RG Starter: Manny Ramirez
Depth: Stephen Peterman, Roy Schuening, Kurt Quarterman

Center
Starter: Dominic Raiola
Bench: Dylan Gandy

Quarterback needs no explanation, Stafford is the guy, Hill the veteran backup with little upside. Whats around Stafford is exciting. This offense showed flashes of brilliance last year, and with everyone growing a year older, and the additions of Burleson and Best, Stafford has toys to play with. The depth of this offense is underrated. They can go three deep at running back, run two-TE sets without sacrificing pass-catchers with Scheffler, and have three wideouts that can stretch the field and catch the ball (And a fourth that can just catch the ball-Northcutt-and a fifth that can just stretch the field-Williams). Northcutt and Williams are expected to play roles on special teams this year more than on the offense, as is fourth RB Aaron Brown, who will once again fight for the priamry kick return job.

The Downfall to this potential-packed offense once again is expected to be offensive line. The chart above is pretty much official, with one exception. Peterman will probably end up starting over Ramirez, but I'd prefer to see the younger guy in there. It is not that any of the players are bad, per se. I'd much rather have the talent on this line than, say, the Redskins or Raiders lines. Those lines suffer from a lack of talent. This one suffers from a lack of discipline and consistency. Stafford had pockets last year at times, and other games he was running for his life. Stafford's winning throw in the Cleveland game was because he had as much time as you can expect in the red zone. He was able to look at two full options and check down to the middle, despite the fact Cleveland sent extra guys. Another year of coaching might be the fix, and the fact that outside of Jason Fox and Rob Sims the team didnt address the line shows they think this is the case.

Overall evaluations
Strengths: Pass catchers
Weaknesses: Offensive line, youth at skill positions

Wrapping up the 2010 NFL Draft

After the two first round picks, the Lions had four more picks in the rest of the draft: Picks in rounds three, four, and two in the seventh. With those selections, they took Iowa cornerback Amari Spievey, Miami (FL) tackle Jason Fox, North Carolina State defensive end Willie Young, and Weber State wide reciever Tim Toone respectively, with Toone being the final selection of the entire draft, dubbing him "Mr. Irrelevant."
Let's start with the easy ones: if all goes to plan, you're not going to see Fox, Young, or Toone this year. This is an offensive line that wasn't great, but Fox doesn't improve it much. He is solely a depth/project guy. Miami is known for putting out NFL-caliber talent and Fox was a multi-year starter, so there is potential. What else can you ask for from a fourth round pick? Young and Toone have an uphill battle ahead just to make the final 53-man roster.

So what aout Spievey? There's no doubt in my mind he makes the roster, and is in the defensive backfield rotation year one. He reminds me of Antoine Winfield: he's a good cover guy but is most known as a solid tackler. He doesn't mind playing on the other side of the line of scrimmage, getting his nose in the opposing runningback's business. Spievey is not a pro-bowler, and he will get burned at times. But as poor as this secondary was last year, Spievey is still an upgrade over a lot of the roster.

Overall, the main noise in this draft is of course Suh at 2, and the trade back up to get Best at 30. Of the 2nd and 3rd day picks, Spievey is the one who figures to have the biggest impact.

image credits: insidetheu.com (Fox) and Johnathan D. Woods/The Gazette (Spievey)

NFL Draft: No Suh-prise

I couldn't resist. Corny headlines are my forte. But as predicted by about every major draft guru/man in his living room, The Rams took Bradford one, and the Lions followed with DT Ndamukong Suh with the 2nd selection. Suh was widely regarded as the best prospect at any position in the draft (with Gerald McCoy also receiving much love at the same position). This is exciting. The offense is young and talented with Stafford, Pettigrew, Scheffler, Burleson, Kevin Smith, and of course Calvin Johnson. Now the defense can start coming into its own as well. You cannot underestimate the impact a dominating defensive tackle can have on a game. Suh is going to require two blockers on almost every play (and sometimes will still get through) allowing pass-rushers on the end, like new addition Kyle Vanden Bosch, to get singled up on the outside where they can do damage.

Just when you were finished thinking about the defensive possibilities with Suh in the lineup, the Lions made a trade to move up to the 30th pick in the first round. As soon as this was announced, I thought "this better be Jahvid Best or a defensive player." With OLBs Sergio Kindle and Jerry Hughes on the board, pick 30 was a nice one to have. Alas, I was pleasantly surprised when they went with Best. I've had an unnatural appreciation for Best since he first hit the scene at California. Best was my pick to win the Heisman before the last college season. Unfortunately, he did suffer a concussion last year, which is presumably why he fell as far as he did. The truth is, outside of those durability concerns, there isn't much separating Best from Clemson back C.J. Spiller, who went 9th in this draft. They have similar heights, builds, and skill sets.

What does this mean for Kevin Smith? It's not a knock on him. The fact is the NFL is a two-running-back league now. Gone are the days of the 300 carry back, unless your supremely talented and have no good options behind you. Kevin Smith, while a usable back, is not a guy worthy of toting the rock 300+ times in a season. Best is a great speedster to complement Smith's downhill tendencies. Also likely influencing this pick is the fact Smith is recovering from a torn ACL suffered last year.

photo credits: www.huskerextra.com (Suh) and www.walterfootball.com (Best)

NFL releases schedule, Lions fans cry foul

Yesterday, the NFL released the upcoming 2010 schedule. The simple rundown: 6 division games as usual, 4 games against the NFC East, 4 more against the AFC East, Then the last place finishers in the NFC South and West (Bucs and Rams).
Those division draws are nasty. At best, you're looking at winning 2 of the 6 division games in the NFC North, and I personally see a split with Chicago and a goose egg vs. Green Bay and Minnesota, giving the Lions a 1-5 division record.

The NFC East, as usual, is one of the toughest top-to-bottom divisions in all of football. The only bad team last year--Washington--has improved dramatically on paper addressing QB and RB needs with veteran (read: old) players, and their remaining gaping hole at LT could easily be addressed with the 4th overall pick in tomorrow night's draft. All hope is not lost--Washington's game is at Ford Field, and I need not remind you one out of last year's two wins came against that same team. But still, it is tough to see the Lions pulling out any games from this slate.

The AFC East is no cakewalk either. The Patriots still have all their major offensive pieces intact. The Jets have made a mockery of the off-season by acquiring nearly every big name player available, most of whom are in their prime. The Dolphins got Brandon Marshall last week to complement an already stellar running team with a weapon in the passing game. The Bills are the Bills, have made no noise this off-season, but alas, that game is on the road, on December 12th. Ford Field is no Buffalo, New York in December.

The entire schedule is listed below, per NFL's website. It's tough to predict individual games, especially so early when the draft has yet to occur, but it's hard to be optimistic about this year with the hand Detroit's been dealt. A 5-win season would be par for the course for this young, improving team. Anything more than that would be a pleasant surprise.
See every teams schedule, of course, at http://www.nfl.com/schedules

9.12 @ CHI
9.19 PHI
9.26 @ MIN
10.3 @ GB
10.10 STL
10.17 @ NYG
--Bye Week--
10.31 WAS
11.7 NYJ
11.14 @ BUF
11.21 @ DAL
11.25 NE *Thanksgiving Day*
12.5 CHI
12.12 GB
12.19 @ TB
12.26 @ MIA
1.2 MIN

Lions acquire TE Scheffler

The Lions acquired Tight End Tony Scheffler from Denver yesterday in a three team deal. The Lions sent linebacker Ernie Sims to Philadelphia, who sent a 5th round pick (#137 overall) to Denver.
First, let's state the obvious: Sims will be missed. He is a tackling machine, and has a great feel for the game. However, he is in the last year of his contract and would be very unlikely to resign in the off-season. Moving him gets some value from him, while at the same time gives head coach Jim Schwartz a way to get Zack Follett on the field. Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham and Schwartz have both been looking to get Follett on the field more in defensive packages, because of the energy he has brought on special teams.

Some look at the Scheffler acquisition with raised eyebrows. Yes, the team spent its first round pick last year at the position on Brandon Pettigrew, but it was known long before he was drafted that his primary value was as a blocking tight end, and his pass catching abilities were a work in progress. He showed very little progress in that regard year one, and while I doubt the team has given up on him entirely, bringing in Scheffler even for just the one year left on his contract gives developing QB Matt Stafford someone else to target. Scheffler is the anti-Pettigrew--a very polished route runner with surprising speed and great hands and run after the catch abilities. Just don't ask him to do what Pettigrew does in the trenches. Scheffler has never been an effective blocker at all.

Overall, this deal definitely makes sense for Detroit. The staff has done its share of convincing that the Sims-Follett drop off won't be as significant as some fans seem to be grumbling, and you get some value out of Ernie before he bolts in free agency. Oh, did I mention Scheffler is a Michigan guy (born in Morenci) and played collegiately at Western Michigan in Kalamazoo? You're going to get effort from him, and he may be brought back for a reasonable price next year.

photo credits: www.mlive.com (Sims) and webpages.scu.edu (Scheffler)