Detroit Lions news and notes

2010 Detroit Lions preview

Every year there are four of five truly bad NFL teams. For the last decade we have counted the Detroit Lions amongst those teams. Now I think they have separated themselves a bit. I am not in any way saying this is a good football team  just that they are not among the four or five worse teams in this league. I truly believe that this team is on the right path, and if a few things can go right they look capable of winning six or seven games this year. I would give GM Martin Mayhem one more NFL draft before I start to criticize the way he has gone about rebuilding this team.

Detroit Lions bring back Dre' Bly

Let me get this started by saying I actually really like this move. Not because I think that Dre' Bly will be the player for the Detroit Lions he was in his first stint with the team, but because I think his role now will be to mentor a group of pretty young Corners and Defensive backs.

Tom Lewand arrested for drunk driving

So I was in Cleveland, Ohio all weekend with my family and buying Cleveland Browns gear so I can attend the Lions/Browns pre season game with the Michigan Browns Backers, and I get home to find that Detroit Lions President Tom Lewand was arrested for drunk driving Saturday Night.

Another Lions brawl, Really?

I don't know what to think about this. For the second time this off season the Detroit Lions have ended a practice with a full out brawl between the offense and the defense. On one hand I like the intensity, the fire that this roster seems to have, but on the other hand a brawl that doesn't allow the coaching staff to finish practice is not a good thing.

Are Albert Haynesworth and the Detroit Lions a good fit?

It seems pretty clear that Albert Haynesworth days as a member of the Washington Redskins are near an end. The team will cut him or work some kind of trade to get rid of him, and since he played in Tennessee for Jim Schwartz it seems pretty likely that the Detroit Lions would be near the top of the list of teams Haynesworth would be willing to go to.

Can the Lions get a deal done for Suh before training camp opens?

I hate to break it to you Lions fans out there, but this doesn't look very good. The Detroit Lions face an uphill battle on multiple fronts to get the 2nd overall pick, Ndamukong Suh, signed to a contract. His agent, Eugene Parker, is the current hold out king of NFL player agents. According to profootballtalk.com as of 2009 only one of his 18 first round draft pick clients have reported to training camp on time. He was also the architect of last year's Michael Crabtree holdout.

2010 Detroit Lions draft class

It is kind of hard to gauge exactly what the Detroit Lions accomplished in this draft. They are still bad enough to have significant needs at several positions, and the most glaring needs were play makers on the defensive side of the ball. For the most part, this looks like a pretty good draft class, and they may have landed one of the best defensive prospects to come along in quite some time.

 Thoughts on the 2010 Detroit Lions draft class

I have the same feeling about the 2010 Detroit Lions draft class that I did about the 2009 draft class. It is not how I would have but the team, but I really think that Martin Mayhew and Head Coach Jim Schwartz deserve the benefit of the doubt. They have gone out and gotten their guys, and I am ok with that, but some of these guys seem a little risky.

2010 NFL Draft review: Detroit Lions

I am not exactly sure how I feel about the Detroit Lions draft class of 2010. On one hand they got a highly coveted prospect in Ndamukong Suh, but there is a very high risk associated with taking a guy with so much hype behind him. They traded up in to the bottom end of the first round to take Jahvid Best the RB from Cal, and he has a long history of injury. Much like 2009, I like the Lions mid round picks the best. They picked up Amari Spievey in the third round, and the bulky six foot seven OT Jason Fox in the fourth round.

Lions trade LB Ernie Sims

Another Matt Millen First round draft pick has been purged from the Detroit Lions roster. Ernie Sims has been traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, in a three team deal that ha the Lions picking up TE Ton Scheffer from the Denver Broncos and their 7th round pick (220th overall).

Are the Detroit Lions trying to avoid another big rookie contract?

The Detroit Lions seem to have an overall strategy, that has more to do with the business side of things then it does the winning, losing, and talent level of the roster that fans seem to care more about.

Lions mulling trade for Guard Simms

The Detroit Lions brain trust of General Manager Martin Mayhew, Team President Tom Lewand, and Head Coach Jim Schwartz has done a pretty good job in free agency and through trades of improving the talent level of the team. Now they are mulling a trade to pick up Offensive Guard Rob Simms from the Seattle Seahawks.

Draft Day decision makers: Detroit Lions

The best thing we can say about Martin Mayhew is that he spent seven years under former Lions GM Matt Millen learning how to not conduct a NFL Draft. In all honesty many Detroit Lions fans were not very happy when it was announced that Mayhew would be taking over for his former mentor. Since taking over Mayhew has done noting but good.

2009 NFL Draft one year later: Detroit Lions

As we gear up for the 2010 NFL Draft, it is time to take a look at what teams did in last year’s draft. Not only will this give us some insight on how each team goes about its draft, but could give us some valuable insight on who the teams will pick in this year’s draft. We begin with the lowly Detroit Lions, who had the first overall pick in the 2009 draft.

Detroit Lions come out swinging in free agency

I have been a Detroit Lions fan for more than 20 years, and I have never seen this team be so aggressive in free agency. I have heard head coaches, General Managers, and the like give press conferences saying hat everything is fine, we have a plan, and then the make some crazy signing or trade that brings nothing in return. Current Lions GM Martin Mayhew may not be telling us what his plan is, but it seems pretty clear he will not tolerate all the losing.

For their next trick, the Lions rebuild their defensive secondary

Dare I get excited for the Detroit Lions 2010 NFL Draft? Dare I say that when this front office staff they would seriously rebuild the defense, that hey actually meant it. While many Lions fans continue to wait for a Matt Millen'esque move, it seems Martin Mayhew and Head Coach Jim Schwartz actually have a plan, and that plan apparently involves listening to the scouts.

Lions add WR Burleson

In an off the radar kind of move the Detroit Lions landed a number two receiver in Nate Burleson, on the first day of free agency. They will pair him with star WR Calvin Johnson and look to stretch the field a bit on their opponents. Having Burleson is a great move for several reasons, the most important being teams will no longer be able to double team Calvin.

Detroit Lions start to rebuild defensive line

On the first day of free agency Detroit Lions General Manager Martin Mayhew and Head Coach Jim Schwartz have made a few moves to start the rebuild project on the defensive line. First they traded for DT Corey Williams from the Cleveland Browns, and then they signed DE Kyle Vanden Bosh from the Tennessee Titans to a four year 26 million dollar contract.

Trade rumors: Lions shopping for Cromartie

There have been some rumors that the Detroit Lions were talking trade with the San Diego Chargers for CB Antonio Cromartie. While it would be very nice to add a corner of Cromartie's talent, trading is not the way out for the Detroit Lions.

NFLComplete.com Mock Draft: Detroit Lions First Round Selection

The Lions have a big dilemma here; do they finish the work on the offense started last year? Or do they start the work of the defense? I think they have 70 million dollars invested in QB Matthew Stafford so they have to find a way to protect him better.

Lions cut Jared Devries

On Wednesday the Detroit Lions cut aging veteran DE Jared Devries. Devries has been with the club for a very long time; he was drafted in the third round in 1999 and predates the Matt Millen era of this team. While he wasn't exactly a star player, he was a solid player and many Lions fans were big fans of his.

Fix the franchise: Detroit Lions edition

There is one simple universal truth about the Detroit Lions. They need a new owner, because William Clay Ford Sr. is a buffoon. I can back that argument with one simple fact, over the years all the pieces of the Lions have been changed; new head coaches, new QB’s, new General Mangers, the only thing that is consistent is the losing. The only piece that has not been changed is the owner. Ford Sr. is a clown and this franchise has little hope until he sells the team, or nature takes its course and the team is willed to someone else.

Is Julian Peterson worth 24 million dollars?

The Detroit Lions have a big decision on their hands. LB Julian Peterson, whom they traded for last off season, is due 24 million dollars over the next three seasons and 7.5 million in 2010. They now must decide if they need to keep him with DE Jared Devries coming back from injury, LB DeAndre Levy likely taking over the middle of the defense, and the Lions set to possibly draft another LB in the draft.

Lions sign RB Dede Dorsey

When Kevin Smith suffered a season ending injury against the Baltimore Ravens, we all knew that the Detroit Lions would be in the market this off season for another RB. Sure they still have Aaron Brown, and Maurice Morris under contract, but they needed some help at the RB position.

2009 Detroit Lions WR's grades

If we were to grade the Lions receiving corps on potential I think Calvin Johnson would get a very high grade, however with a rookie QB, and the problems their offensive line has in pass protection, the Lions wide out don't get a very fair shot at making an impact. With that being said let us look at the individual grades for the 2009 Lions wide outs:

Larry Foote to test free agent market

Larry Foote's one year with the Detroit lions can be viewed as a success. He led the team with 70 tackles, but the Lions very much want to give their middle linebacker position to 2009 third round draft pick DeAndre Levy. Foote is at the end of his career, and although he is a native of Detroit and attended the University of Michigan the Lions need to move on, and probably so does Foote.

The Lions are truly a classless orginization

Sometimes I am truly amazed at how the Detroit Lions choose to run their football team, and operate their business ventures, including Ford Field. I wrote abut my experiences at recent events at Ford Field and Comerica Park in a recent post on Pride of the Tigers. Today I get to bring all you the fallout.

To catch everyone up two weeks ago I took my family to the Monster Jam event at Ford Field. We had tickets to the pit party and my son, and nephew wanted to go and see the trucks and meet the drivers.  Much as we had done in 2009.

Today in Detroit Lions history- January 24th

January 24th, 2001- As a lifelong Detroit Lions fan this is very hard to write. On 1-24-2001 Lions President Matt Millen hired San Francisco 49ers Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg to be the new Head Coach of the Lions.