They be bad…..really bad.
After watching the complete
disaster that was the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, it’s safe to assume
that there is going to be a house cleaning at Ford Field. Seriously, how can
there not be? Marinelli has to go, it’s that simple. And without a new GM or
Director of Player Personal, the organization has yet to address the front
office. What should the Lions do? And who will make the decisions come draft
day, and what should they do?
Well, as I mentioned in my
previous column, I would go with Scott Pioli from the New England Patriots,
however, we’ll save that debate for later on down the road. As the weather
has become gloomy, and temperatures begin to make their arctic plunge for
the winter season, let us take a look at the spring, and the 2009 NFL
Draft.
The Lions, barring some
sort of miracle, will have the first overall pick. Teams that have the first
overall pick, generally, go with a quarterback in that spot. Some turn out
to be great decisions (Peyton Manning), while some do not (Tim Couch, Jeff
George). However, if you look around the league, the majority of your
starting quarterbacks are first or second round picks from the NFL Draft,
with some exceptions (Tom Brady always comes to mind, and Tony Romo sure
fits the bill, but he had years to develop before being thrust on to the
main stage). Detroit, with two selections in the first and third round, more
than anything, needs to come out of the 2009 draft’s first day with the
quarterback of the future. If they decide that Dante Culpepper is their
quarterback, then by all means, they keep him, and build around him.
However, I’m not so sure that’s the case. Anyways, let us move forward with
analysis of the situation.
For this part of the
discussion, let’s assume the Lions decide to draft a quarterback with that
first overall selection, there will be one, maybe two guys there worthy of
being looked at. Everyone’s favorite, Matthew Stafford from the University
of Georgia, and Heisman trophy favorite Sam Bradford from Oklahoma. Both
would make great choices, and both are three years removed from high school.
With that pick, I would go with Stafford for three reasons:
1.
He has played against SEC
defenses, which are much better, and faster, than Big 12 defenses. Having
played against this upper level of defensive competition will help with the
adjustment to the NFL.
2.
He has never played behind a great
offensive line, which is great training, because he wouldn’t be playing
behind an offensive line in Detroit for his first couple years, so he’ll
feel right at home. Bradford’s entire offensive line will be hearing the
name on draft day, and if you watch Oklahoma highlights, you’ll notice that
Bradford will sit in the pocket untouched for months.
3.
Bradford has played in a spread
style offense against defenses that are, simply put, horrible. It’s easy to
look good when that’s the situation. Stafford comes from a more pro style of
offense, where he’s asked to make more true reads than Bradford has been
asked to make.
So, with the first overall
selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Matthew Stafford,
QB, University of Georgia.
With their
next selection, the team can go a variety of places, and it all depends on
who and what is available at that spot. There is almost no spot on this team
that couldn’t use an upgrade at some place.
Personally,
if it were up to me, I would go after either cornerback or guard. However,
guards you can always add with middle round selections, and the Lions have a
good number of those. At this spot, I would think the Lions would be wise to
go with Alphonso Smith, the cornerback from Wake Forest. He may be somewhat
undersized, but he’s intelligent, a ball hawk, and a playmaker. And he’s
good value here in the later part of round one.
So, with the twenty second
selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Alphonso Smith,
DB, Wake Forest.
With their
second round selection, the Lions need to start addressing their line
position. There will be a slew of quality players available at these spots
at the top of the second round. If I were the Lions, I would look defense,
and I would want to find someone who could rush the passer. This really
doesn’t take nearly as long as the first round selections. If the Lions can
develop some semblance of a pass rush, their entire defense will become that
much better. With that in mind, I think the Lions look at Florida State end
Everette Brown. He’s quick off the end, and has the size to hold up. The
junior, should he declare, is a first day selection, and could possibly move
into the bottom part of the first round.
With the first selection in
the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Everette
Brown, DE, Florida State.
With their top selection in
the third round, I look at position of weakness, or the potential to pick up
a steal. In doing so, I look at Travis Beckum, the tight end from Wisconsin.
A first round talent who broke his leg near the end of the college season
will have had almost 6 months to recover from the injury when the time comes
for the draft (this pick is assuming he recovers from the injury), and will
have had a good amount of time to recover from the injury. He could be a
steal should the leg heal, and would be good value here. The Detroit Lions
are horrid at the tight end position, and could really use help in a
playmaking tight end.
With the first selection of
the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Travis
Beckum, TE, Wisconsin.
With their second selection
in the third round, quite simply, I look at the receiver position. This
team, beyond Calvin Johnson, really doesn’t have a whole lot to be impressed
with. They need another receiver. There is value in another Georgia guy, as
they look at Mohammed Massaqoui. Not the fastest guy, but he’s got good
hands, and has been playing at a high level for four years. He’s good size,
and would be a good target for Stafford either as their number 2 receiver,
or as their slot guy on third downs.
With their second selection
in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Mohammed
Massaqoui, WR, Georgia.
If the Lions are able to
come out of the first round with a quarterback, wide receiver, tight end,
defensive end, and cornerback, I think we can assume this draft could yield
success down the road for the team. In the later parts of the draft, they
can look at offensive line depth, maybe another corner, and someone who can
return kicks to help the special teams.
All right, that covers the
first three rounds of the draft. I’ll go in depth in the end of the draft,
as well as possible free agents. Until then, have a good one.
Will 2008 ever get better?
Will 2009 ever come?
If ever there was a franchise at a
crossroads, the Lions certainly fit the bill. Without a general manager
(some would say the franchise has been without that for an extended
period of time), and with a coach that certainly won’t return next
season, the future couldn’t be more uncertain.
There are certainly more questions
than there are answers at this point, though a big one has already been
answered. With Matt Millen having been fired, who will step in to
replace him?? It’s anybody’s guess at this point. However, here is what
we do know.
The Lions are a bad football team.
Actually, they are wretched, but, really, when you haven’t won a game
all season, and the second half of your schedule includes the likes of
Tennessee, Minnesota, and New Orleans coming to Detroit, and road games
at Indianapolis and Green Bay, you know this team is in trouble.
Needless to say, I think it’s safe to say the Lions won’t be waiting
long to make their pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
As we enter the home stretch of the
2008 season, the time has come for the Lions to start to look towards
the future. They first must find themselves a general manager.
Personally, I would go after Scott Pioli, the ‘other’ guy in the
building of the Patriots. He’s got firsthand knowledge of building a
winner with less than stellar talent, and comes from a franchise that
has done nothing but win this decade. The franchise, along with a
competent general manager, needs someone who is a winner (Look at the
change in Miami, simply from a change in attitude).
Secondly, the team really needs an
infusion of talent. Much like the Kansas City Chiefs did last year, the
Lions, more than anything else, need to get quantity (of course, when
you’re this bad, you’re going to have a shot at quality as well) . The
two first round picks are nice, and will certainly help to rebuild this
franchise. The picks they acquired for Roy Williams were a major gain
for a team in need of help.
Lastly, this team needs to identify
the players they want to build around, and who should stick around. Get
rid of the players that don’t fit the bill, and lock up the players that
do. Start bringing in players that help, and building up the depth of
the franchise through the draft.
My next article will tackle the
draft, as many Lions fans have already turned their attention to April,
but here are a few thoughts for the future in regards to the Lions moves
come April. Stay tuned.