Now that the draft and most of free-agency is over, it's time to take a look at where the Lions still have holes in their roster. Since they are switching both O and D philosophies this year, the difficulty will be in determining exactly how the current players they have will fit in to the new schemes. I've tried to think it through, and based on what we saw last year and the new additions, I've come away with 3 positions that I believe will be the problem areas for the Lions this year - DE, LG, and potentially the most problematic of all - LT.
At LT, we have slapped the franchise tag on Jeff Backus with the intention of his being our LT for this season and possibly beyond. While I understand the reasoning behind the move, it doesn't mean that Backus is a top-5 LT, and doesn't mean that the Lions are set there. In fact, I'm more worried about this position than any other on the roster. Due to the new scheme, we have to look at how Backus has played the last two years, and then compare his production to Mike Martz's old team's LT - Orlando Pace. And that's what has me so worried.
The reasons for my concern are more than just Jeff Backus. The O that is being installed is very different from the one that the Lions have run the last few seasons. It places a great emphasis on the QB holding on to the ball with the ability to make a big play. By the nature of it, the O also subjects the QB's playing in it to taking a lot of hits. In the last few seasons, the Rams have had at least 4 different QB's get knocked out of games. And that's with Orlando Pace at LT.
It would be foolish to even suggest that Backus is at a level near to that of Pace. Pace is a perennial pro-bowler and easily one of the 3 best LT's in the NFL. Yet the Rams OL gave up 41 sacks last year - 10 more than the Lions did. As I just mentioned, the Rams O emphasizes holding the ball and throwing long passes. The Lions O the last few years was a dump-off and throw-away machine which as we all know artificially skews the sack total down. When we put Backus in the same position as Pace, knowing how many times Backus got beat in the quick dump-off O last year, I sense impending doom.
I know that there really weren't any good options out there for a starting LT that the Lions could have acquired. But that doesn't mean that the position isn't an issue. I only hope that Martz is creative enough and Beightol is a good enough line coach to keep our QB's alive. But with how many of Martz's QB's that seem to go down, we may be looking at Dan-O starting by turkey day.
DE is my next big problem area. IMHO, we have 4 DE's that if we were somehow able to graft them together, we'd have two complete every-down DE's. Here's the problem - James Hall and Kalimba Edwards are both pass-rushing smallish DE's. Jared DeVries and Cory Redding are both run-stuffing power DE's. None of them is an every-down DE, and because of that, opposing O's look at the personnel we have on the field, and attack the weak spot. If we have DeVries and Redding in, teams will throw. If Hall and Edwards are in, they run. If we mix it up - say Hall and Redding - they run their plays to the side of the field where they have the advantage. It's good strategy, and it's all the more effective because of how limited our DE's are. The team needs at least one every-down DE in the worst way, and IMHO the new D will suffer until that weakness is solved.
LG is the final problem area. We have brought in a bunch of journeymen, apparently with the hope that one of them pans out as a starting LG. We also drafted a rookie in the 7th round that a lot of people seem to be high on. I can't get too excited about Matua because he was drafted after a developmental CB project. It still leaves that side of the line with a huge question mark. If that question mark is answered by switching Woody to that side, it just opens a hole on that side of the line. Neither situation is ideal.
Hopefully, the Lions can show up in pre-season and show us that the guys we've brought in can actually do the job and quench my fears. A lot of people point to the Rams when Martz came on as O-Coord going from 4-12 to 12-4 and the Super Bowl in a single season. But Martz also had a young Pro-Bowl LT on that squad, the Lions don't. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but right now, I'm not expecting the world...
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Monday, May 01, 2006
Missed opportunities
Let me go on record here with my opinion of this draft. I'm not against the draft picks the Lions made this year. I think Ernie Sims will be a good LB for the Lions if he can stay healthy. I think Daniel Bullocks is an instant upgrade at FS. Brian Calhoun? Well, he's an interesting pick, to say the least. I do like him better than Pinner, and if he's even half good at returning kicks, then it may be time to say goodbye to Eddie Drummond. Jonathan Scott appears to have been a decent value in the 5th round. So the players picked aren't that bad. What I'm disappointed about was what I deem to be missed opportunities.
With each pick the Lions made on Saturday, I think they missed out on even better deals that could have been had. It started right away with not trading the #9 pick. When Leinart was sitting there at 9, everyone on the planet knew Arizona would take him at 10, and that there were a few teams behind Arizona that would have been salivating to get him. I mentioned this in my pre-draft post as well. This was an ideal trade situation for the Lions - at the worst, they could have forced Arizona to trade up one spot to get Leinart. Instead they took Sims, who I'm still a bit leary of, and who I think they could have gotten down around 15 - Denver's pre-draft spot. They missed out on the chance to pick up an additional pick, and the trades that happened a few picks later - Denver moving up to 11 to get Cutler - only proved that there were trade possibilities to be had.
Let me be clear here, In no way am I saying that the pick of Sims was a bust. He could turn out to be Derrick Brooks II for the Lions. I'm just saying that I doubt what some other people are saying that he would have gone #10 to the Cards had the Lions traded the pick. No way. The Cards have too many other more pressing needs, and had Leinart not been there, Winston Justice could have heard his name called 29 spots earlier than it was. And no way should the Lions have taken Leinart there. The last thing they needed is another rookie QB to sit on the bench and develop while ignoring other needs on the squad. The team needed other positions a lot more than they needed a QB, even one with the kind of pedigree Leinart has.
Of course if Lions history continues the way it has, Leinart will make his first NFL start agains the Lions and make them look foolish, while Sims will be injured. Leinart would then go on to lead the Cards to a Super Bowl before the Lions get to one, and become a Hall of Fame QB. Of course if the tables were turned and the Lions picked him, he'd be yet another first round bust, while Sims would become the reincarnation of Lawrence Taylor. It just seems to work that way...
The pick in the second of Bullocks also smacked of another missed opportunity, involving the same player I mentioned earlier - Winston Justice. Once again, this is not bashing Bullocks, just that a player the Lions had talked about taking at 9 was still there at the end of round 1, and into the early second round. In previous drafts, we've seen Millen make a move up to get the player he wants. Somehow, I find it very odd that they didn't make the move to get Justice. And for Philly to make a move to jump in the pick in front of Detroit to take him just smacks of how badly that pick was fumbled. You'll never hear anyone from the Lions say differently, but had Justice lasted one more spot, or the Lions picked 10 spots earlier, they would have taken him in a nano-second.
As we've been hearing, the pick in the third of Calhoun may have been due to some other happenings. I've long been surprised that the Lions have kept a kick return specialist on the roster who can't play WR effectively, and who gets hurt every year. And if Pinner is moping, then maybe it's time to broom him as well. That pick now sounds like it make a lot more sense, although my initial reaction of why they didn't take Max Jean-Giles there is still sticking. I would have loved to have seen the Lions trade up to the end of the third to get him as they still need a guard.
Of the remainder of the picks, I only have any interest in Jon Scott in the 5th round. At various times pre-draft I heard him going as high as late first round, so getting him in the 5th is decent value. If he pans out, it could be a steal of a pick. But I promise not to get too excited about a guy who slid to the 5th round as being a potential replacement for a 3rd year guy who supposedly slid to the 6th round. It could very easily be history repeating itself there. The pick of Matua in the 7th should not be confused as being the 'Guard they need'. If he was that great of a guard, they would have taken him before the developmental CB - McCann - they took in the 6th. Cannon in the 7th only hopes to make the squad for special teams play, and maybe get on the practice squad.
In all, I'm not unhappy with the players they picked up. They did fill two needs with Sims and Bullocks. In my humble opinion, they still have a glaring needs at LT, LG and DE. Based on that, I'm not expecting too great of strides this year because of these deficiencies. But we now know who the new guys are. Hopefully the new regime won't let them become accustomed to the old Lions ways.
With each pick the Lions made on Saturday, I think they missed out on even better deals that could have been had. It started right away with not trading the #9 pick. When Leinart was sitting there at 9, everyone on the planet knew Arizona would take him at 10, and that there were a few teams behind Arizona that would have been salivating to get him. I mentioned this in my pre-draft post as well. This was an ideal trade situation for the Lions - at the worst, they could have forced Arizona to trade up one spot to get Leinart. Instead they took Sims, who I'm still a bit leary of, and who I think they could have gotten down around 15 - Denver's pre-draft spot. They missed out on the chance to pick up an additional pick, and the trades that happened a few picks later - Denver moving up to 11 to get Cutler - only proved that there were trade possibilities to be had.
Let me be clear here, In no way am I saying that the pick of Sims was a bust. He could turn out to be Derrick Brooks II for the Lions. I'm just saying that I doubt what some other people are saying that he would have gone #10 to the Cards had the Lions traded the pick. No way. The Cards have too many other more pressing needs, and had Leinart not been there, Winston Justice could have heard his name called 29 spots earlier than it was. And no way should the Lions have taken Leinart there. The last thing they needed is another rookie QB to sit on the bench and develop while ignoring other needs on the squad. The team needed other positions a lot more than they needed a QB, even one with the kind of pedigree Leinart has.
Of course if Lions history continues the way it has, Leinart will make his first NFL start agains the Lions and make them look foolish, while Sims will be injured. Leinart would then go on to lead the Cards to a Super Bowl before the Lions get to one, and become a Hall of Fame QB. Of course if the tables were turned and the Lions picked him, he'd be yet another first round bust, while Sims would become the reincarnation of Lawrence Taylor. It just seems to work that way...
The pick in the second of Bullocks also smacked of another missed opportunity, involving the same player I mentioned earlier - Winston Justice. Once again, this is not bashing Bullocks, just that a player the Lions had talked about taking at 9 was still there at the end of round 1, and into the early second round. In previous drafts, we've seen Millen make a move up to get the player he wants. Somehow, I find it very odd that they didn't make the move to get Justice. And for Philly to make a move to jump in the pick in front of Detroit to take him just smacks of how badly that pick was fumbled. You'll never hear anyone from the Lions say differently, but had Justice lasted one more spot, or the Lions picked 10 spots earlier, they would have taken him in a nano-second.
As we've been hearing, the pick in the third of Calhoun may have been due to some other happenings. I've long been surprised that the Lions have kept a kick return specialist on the roster who can't play WR effectively, and who gets hurt every year. And if Pinner is moping, then maybe it's time to broom him as well. That pick now sounds like it make a lot more sense, although my initial reaction of why they didn't take Max Jean-Giles there is still sticking. I would have loved to have seen the Lions trade up to the end of the third to get him as they still need a guard.
Of the remainder of the picks, I only have any interest in Jon Scott in the 5th round. At various times pre-draft I heard him going as high as late first round, so getting him in the 5th is decent value. If he pans out, it could be a steal of a pick. But I promise not to get too excited about a guy who slid to the 5th round as being a potential replacement for a 3rd year guy who supposedly slid to the 6th round. It could very easily be history repeating itself there. The pick of Matua in the 7th should not be confused as being the 'Guard they need'. If he was that great of a guard, they would have taken him before the developmental CB - McCann - they took in the 6th. Cannon in the 7th only hopes to make the squad for special teams play, and maybe get on the practice squad.
In all, I'm not unhappy with the players they picked up. They did fill two needs with Sims and Bullocks. In my humble opinion, they still have a glaring needs at LT, LG and DE. Based on that, I'm not expecting too great of strides this year because of these deficiencies. But we now know who the new guys are. Hopefully the new regime won't let them become accustomed to the old Lions ways.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
And the Lions select...
Well, it's the Lions Super Bowl season, that time of every year when Detroit fans have the honor of learning who the latest franchise savior will be. And of course, the Lions will find a way to break their spirit, crush them, and turn them into the exact opposite of the player they were in college. We've all seen it happen far too many times. But hope springs eternal, and the NFL draft is upon us, so what the heck, here goes nothing...
The Lions get to pick 9th as of right now. I say it this way because for some reason I think this year - more than any other - that they will get to trade down. The board just looks ripe for that to happen. The fact that Arizona picks 10th, and that Cleveland at 12, Baltimore at 13, and possibly Denver at 15, Minnesota at 18 and Dallas at 19 are all in the market for a QB sets it up. In all likelihood, there will be 2 of the top 3 QB's off the board when the Lions pick, and with Arizona in the market for a QB at 10, any of the teams below them I mentioned might be willing to move up. If all 3 QB's are gone, it likely leaves a few other highly coveted players still available that again teams might be willing to trade up for. In all, it puts the Lions in a great spot to make a move.
If they do actually make the pick at 9, there are a few certainties. They will not take a WR this year. I guarantee it. Of course Millen could prove me completely wrong and do exactly that, but that won't happen now... will it? Of the other possible players available around that spot, there are a few I don't like, and a few I like. I don't like the idea of the Lions taking a QB - any of them. Besides having 4 on the roster (5 if you still count Joey), none of these guys really excites me. None are ready to step in and start, and each has some serious flaws in their game. Young is still too raw, Leinart doesn't have a strong arm, and Cutler has never won anything. Don't give me the 'Cutler was the only weapon Vandy had' stuff either - can you say Jim Druckenmiller? He was the last QB that comes to mind from a big-time conference that never won anything and was picked in the first round. Ouch. Also, dont' forget that Mike McMahon never won anything and was supposedly the 'only weapon Rutgers had'. Not a ringing endorsement for not winning games in college, is it?
I'm also not in love with the latest 'sexy' picks, Broderick Bunkley and Ernie Sims, both from Florida State. It has something to do with 'how can a school have that many top players and not win every game?' Something about them just makes me want to take a pass on them. I'd also pass on Vernon Davis. I'll put it this way - how many times had anyone heard his name while he was actually playing? If you can claim you heard it more than once, I'll call you either a college football FREAK or a liar. I hate raising players up simply because of workout numbers, which fits Davis to a tee. Based on Rod's continual references to looking 'at the tape', I'd guess he's looking at a few of these guys and saying 'great workouts, where's the game film?' I'd also pass on Jimmy Williams - there's just something that I don't like about him. Not sure what it is, but I just have a bad feeling about him.
OK, so with that out of the way, there are players that of course the Lions would salivate if they fell into their lap. Of course nearly every mock in the civilized world has Reggie Bush going #1, but if he were there at 9, he'd be a Lion. There's only a 0.000001% chance that happens though. Of the other guys expected to be gone when the Lions pick, I'd take them in this order: D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Mario Williams, A.J. Hawk. Some sites think it's 50-50 that Hawk is there when the Lions pick, I think it's 99% likely he is gone.
And that leaves... Michael Huff. He would be a great fit here in Detroit, and like everyone else, I think he'll be the Lions pick. A playmaking safety who I've heard compared to Ronnie Lott is always a good thing. He's versatile enough to play corner or safety, and he'd be an instant starter. Not a bad pick to make at that spot in the draft.
The problem comes in if he's gone when the Lions pick. There are a number of situations where that could happen, but most of them present other opportunities. Most boards have Bush, Ferguson, Williams, Davis, Hawk, and Leinart all off the board. If any of these guys falls and is there when the Lions pick, the phone will be ringing off the hook. Of course I'd only let Leinart or Davis get traded for, the other's I'd keep.
The other two players most often mentioned as being gone when the Lions pick are Vince Young and Haloti Ngata. Ngata is most likely to fall out of that list and be replaced, but a lot of people have him being replaced by Bunkley or Sims - not Huff. If Huff is taken and not one of those three, it's about the worst possible situation IMHO for the Lions. While I wouldn't mind Winston Justice or Ngata at 9, either of them could be available at 15. And it only leaves Cutler as a player someone else would be willing to trade up to get. It cuts the market for trades. It's still possible with all the QB hungry teams below them, but just not as many trade possibilities.
If Young is still there, the market for trades is wide open. As I mentioned earlier there are a lot of teams that would likely be willing to leapfrog Arizona to get a QB, and if Vince is still on the board, the offers will only get greater. I'd hate to lose Huff in trading down, but the ability to pick up another pick is always a good one. If Huff is gone and Young is there, it's an easy decision to trade down.
The other possibility is that Young and Cutler are also both OFF the board when the Lions pick. Of course if that happens, and Huff is also gone, then someone else has slipped. As I mentioned earlier, if that player is Ferguson, Williams or Hawk, I'd take them and never look back. It won't be Bush. If it's Davis or Leinart, There are still trade opportunities as a lot of teams covet them. All in all, the Lions are in a really good spot to get either a player that they really want, or make a trade back for more picks.
If they do trade back, everything will depend on how far back, and who is still around. A few players I like later in the first round are Winston Justice, Haloti Ngata, Chad Greenway, Bobby Carpenter, and Tamba Hali. I can't predict anything as I have no way to know where the Lions would drop to. Of course Millen has a habit of trading up from the second to get into the late first or early second as well, and any of those guys, should they be available in the late first round, along with Marcus McNeil would warrant a trade up. If they stay where they're scheduled to pick in the second, I'd like to see Abdul Hodge or Max Jean-Giles as the pick. Both of them would fill a need and would be solid players. In the third, there should be a few good OT's left, and possibly a safety like Darnell Bing of USC if they didn't get Huff. Beyond the third, who knows - I'd be happy getting a special-teamer from the later rounds.
So, there you have it, my Lions draft strategy. Of course come Monday, we'll all be discussing how the Lions took Santonio Holmes and how he fits in, but this is still pre-draft, so here's to hoping Millen doesn't take another WR...
The Lions get to pick 9th as of right now. I say it this way because for some reason I think this year - more than any other - that they will get to trade down. The board just looks ripe for that to happen. The fact that Arizona picks 10th, and that Cleveland at 12, Baltimore at 13, and possibly Denver at 15, Minnesota at 18 and Dallas at 19 are all in the market for a QB sets it up. In all likelihood, there will be 2 of the top 3 QB's off the board when the Lions pick, and with Arizona in the market for a QB at 10, any of the teams below them I mentioned might be willing to move up. If all 3 QB's are gone, it likely leaves a few other highly coveted players still available that again teams might be willing to trade up for. In all, it puts the Lions in a great spot to make a move.
If they do actually make the pick at 9, there are a few certainties. They will not take a WR this year. I guarantee it. Of course Millen could prove me completely wrong and do exactly that, but that won't happen now... will it? Of the other possible players available around that spot, there are a few I don't like, and a few I like. I don't like the idea of the Lions taking a QB - any of them. Besides having 4 on the roster (5 if you still count Joey), none of these guys really excites me. None are ready to step in and start, and each has some serious flaws in their game. Young is still too raw, Leinart doesn't have a strong arm, and Cutler has never won anything. Don't give me the 'Cutler was the only weapon Vandy had' stuff either - can you say Jim Druckenmiller? He was the last QB that comes to mind from a big-time conference that never won anything and was picked in the first round. Ouch. Also, dont' forget that Mike McMahon never won anything and was supposedly the 'only weapon Rutgers had'. Not a ringing endorsement for not winning games in college, is it?
I'm also not in love with the latest 'sexy' picks, Broderick Bunkley and Ernie Sims, both from Florida State. It has something to do with 'how can a school have that many top players and not win every game?' Something about them just makes me want to take a pass on them. I'd also pass on Vernon Davis. I'll put it this way - how many times had anyone heard his name while he was actually playing? If you can claim you heard it more than once, I'll call you either a college football FREAK or a liar. I hate raising players up simply because of workout numbers, which fits Davis to a tee. Based on Rod's continual references to looking 'at the tape', I'd guess he's looking at a few of these guys and saying 'great workouts, where's the game film?' I'd also pass on Jimmy Williams - there's just something that I don't like about him. Not sure what it is, but I just have a bad feeling about him.
OK, so with that out of the way, there are players that of course the Lions would salivate if they fell into their lap. Of course nearly every mock in the civilized world has Reggie Bush going #1, but if he were there at 9, he'd be a Lion. There's only a 0.000001% chance that happens though. Of the other guys expected to be gone when the Lions pick, I'd take them in this order: D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Mario Williams, A.J. Hawk. Some sites think it's 50-50 that Hawk is there when the Lions pick, I think it's 99% likely he is gone.
And that leaves... Michael Huff. He would be a great fit here in Detroit, and like everyone else, I think he'll be the Lions pick. A playmaking safety who I've heard compared to Ronnie Lott is always a good thing. He's versatile enough to play corner or safety, and he'd be an instant starter. Not a bad pick to make at that spot in the draft.
The problem comes in if he's gone when the Lions pick. There are a number of situations where that could happen, but most of them present other opportunities. Most boards have Bush, Ferguson, Williams, Davis, Hawk, and Leinart all off the board. If any of these guys falls and is there when the Lions pick, the phone will be ringing off the hook. Of course I'd only let Leinart or Davis get traded for, the other's I'd keep.
The other two players most often mentioned as being gone when the Lions pick are Vince Young and Haloti Ngata. Ngata is most likely to fall out of that list and be replaced, but a lot of people have him being replaced by Bunkley or Sims - not Huff. If Huff is taken and not one of those three, it's about the worst possible situation IMHO for the Lions. While I wouldn't mind Winston Justice or Ngata at 9, either of them could be available at 15. And it only leaves Cutler as a player someone else would be willing to trade up to get. It cuts the market for trades. It's still possible with all the QB hungry teams below them, but just not as many trade possibilities.
If Young is still there, the market for trades is wide open. As I mentioned earlier there are a lot of teams that would likely be willing to leapfrog Arizona to get a QB, and if Vince is still on the board, the offers will only get greater. I'd hate to lose Huff in trading down, but the ability to pick up another pick is always a good one. If Huff is gone and Young is there, it's an easy decision to trade down.
The other possibility is that Young and Cutler are also both OFF the board when the Lions pick. Of course if that happens, and Huff is also gone, then someone else has slipped. As I mentioned earlier, if that player is Ferguson, Williams or Hawk, I'd take them and never look back. It won't be Bush. If it's Davis or Leinart, There are still trade opportunities as a lot of teams covet them. All in all, the Lions are in a really good spot to get either a player that they really want, or make a trade back for more picks.
If they do trade back, everything will depend on how far back, and who is still around. A few players I like later in the first round are Winston Justice, Haloti Ngata, Chad Greenway, Bobby Carpenter, and Tamba Hali. I can't predict anything as I have no way to know where the Lions would drop to. Of course Millen has a habit of trading up from the second to get into the late first or early second as well, and any of those guys, should they be available in the late first round, along with Marcus McNeil would warrant a trade up. If they stay where they're scheduled to pick in the second, I'd like to see Abdul Hodge or Max Jean-Giles as the pick. Both of them would fill a need and would be solid players. In the third, there should be a few good OT's left, and possibly a safety like Darnell Bing of USC if they didn't get Huff. Beyond the third, who knows - I'd be happy getting a special-teamer from the later rounds.
So, there you have it, my Lions draft strategy. Of course come Monday, we'll all be discussing how the Lions took Santonio Holmes and how he fits in, but this is still pre-draft, so here's to hoping Millen doesn't take another WR...
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Spring Cleaning at the Body Shop
I've had this post sitting around for a little while, and figure it's time to publish it. There is likely more to add later, but this should do for now. I'll have my draft thoughts later this week...
It's the time of year to clean out the garage, open the windows, and get the house back into shape for the summer. Likewise, I need to clean up some misconceptions around here that may confuse people. I usually try to explain every blog entry in enough detail that they stand alone. But as I've been told (correctly, I might add), there are some prevailing themes that anyone who hasn't read this blog before would get an incorrect idea about my opinion. Therefore, it's spring cleaning time here at the Body Shop.
About me: First of all, I'm a fan of the Lions, nothing more. Although I wish I had inside access to the team, season tickets, and was on their payroll, unfortunately, I'm not. I'm a fan who watches every game religously. I have TiVo, and record the games as well. I use my TiVo to go back and re-watch the game and see what I may have missed the first time around, quite often looking at line play, and defensive protections - the things you really aren't focused on when watching live. It really helps shape my opinion to see what else is going on in the game besides just watching the QB and skill position players. Football is a team game, and the actions of any 1 of the 11 players on each squad can make a huge difference in the outcome of a play, drive, or game. So I go back to see what the other 15 players on the field that I wasn't focused on were doing.
Unfortunately, I rarely get to go to the games, but not for a lack of desire. I usually make it to about 2 games a year when I can somehow manage to get tickets. Finally about 3 years ago, the Boss (my wife, of course) told me to go ahead and get season tickets, so a good friend and I got in line. We were about 1000 people back in line for season tickets last year, and hopefully we'll move up enough to get them. I'm not holding my breath this year though.
As far as subject matters around here, I've had a few people ask me why I hate Tom "The Killer" Kowalski, Booth Newspapers Lions beat reporter, so much. Truth is, I don't hate Killer, I actually like reading his stuff. He does have some inside contacts with the Lions and gets some good info that I could only dream of getting. He writes a very informative column that is one of the best in the area. Where I do have an issue with him is when he begins to interject his opinion and rumors he hears as fact. He has a habit of doing this, and then only occasionally owning up to when he's wrong. If he's writing a column and it's labeled "Tom's Opinion", that's fine. But he interjects rumors he hears and his opinions into Lions game stories as if they were fact, and that just irks me, especially when I disagree with him.
For example, early last year, he claimed that 95% of the Lions offensive problems were Joey Harrington, and stated this as fact. He repeated this in his column, and on the Radio with Drew & Mike and also with Stoney & Wojo. My simple TiVo analysis of the games told me that the issue had much more to do than just Joey - Joey was not without blame, but there were failures in every aspect of the O that couldn't be blamed on Joey. Then Joey got pulled, and Garcia came in and made the same dumpoffs, same checkdowns, and got hit the same way Joey had. Garcia, a 3-time Pro Bowler in the exact same system with the same coach, looked every bit as bad and in many ways worse than Joey did running the O. It served to prove my point that Joey wasn't the only issue, and prove Killer wrong. But he never came back and admitted he was completely wrong with his "95% Joey" problem statement. This is what is frustrating aobut Killer.
Some people have also asked about me calling Roy Williams iRoy, and why I hate him. Again, I don't hate him, I just don't worship the ground he walks on. IMHO, he's an above average, bordering on great talent who makes the spectacular catch but drops the easy ones. He won't be a great player until he starts making the easy catches. That goes for a lot of other players as well, but Roy stands out because I hear so many people gushing about him.
That about does it for now. I'll make sure I answer any other questions that anyone else has.
It's the time of year to clean out the garage, open the windows, and get the house back into shape for the summer. Likewise, I need to clean up some misconceptions around here that may confuse people. I usually try to explain every blog entry in enough detail that they stand alone. But as I've been told (correctly, I might add), there are some prevailing themes that anyone who hasn't read this blog before would get an incorrect idea about my opinion. Therefore, it's spring cleaning time here at the Body Shop.
About me: First of all, I'm a fan of the Lions, nothing more. Although I wish I had inside access to the team, season tickets, and was on their payroll, unfortunately, I'm not. I'm a fan who watches every game religously. I have TiVo, and record the games as well. I use my TiVo to go back and re-watch the game and see what I may have missed the first time around, quite often looking at line play, and defensive protections - the things you really aren't focused on when watching live. It really helps shape my opinion to see what else is going on in the game besides just watching the QB and skill position players. Football is a team game, and the actions of any 1 of the 11 players on each squad can make a huge difference in the outcome of a play, drive, or game. So I go back to see what the other 15 players on the field that I wasn't focused on were doing.
Unfortunately, I rarely get to go to the games, but not for a lack of desire. I usually make it to about 2 games a year when I can somehow manage to get tickets. Finally about 3 years ago, the Boss (my wife, of course) told me to go ahead and get season tickets, so a good friend and I got in line. We were about 1000 people back in line for season tickets last year, and hopefully we'll move up enough to get them. I'm not holding my breath this year though.
As far as subject matters around here, I've had a few people ask me why I hate Tom "The Killer" Kowalski, Booth Newspapers Lions beat reporter, so much. Truth is, I don't hate Killer, I actually like reading his stuff. He does have some inside contacts with the Lions and gets some good info that I could only dream of getting. He writes a very informative column that is one of the best in the area. Where I do have an issue with him is when he begins to interject his opinion and rumors he hears as fact. He has a habit of doing this, and then only occasionally owning up to when he's wrong. If he's writing a column and it's labeled "Tom's Opinion", that's fine. But he interjects rumors he hears and his opinions into Lions game stories as if they were fact, and that just irks me, especially when I disagree with him.
For example, early last year, he claimed that 95% of the Lions offensive problems were Joey Harrington, and stated this as fact. He repeated this in his column, and on the Radio with Drew & Mike and also with Stoney & Wojo. My simple TiVo analysis of the games told me that the issue had much more to do than just Joey - Joey was not without blame, but there were failures in every aspect of the O that couldn't be blamed on Joey. Then Joey got pulled, and Garcia came in and made the same dumpoffs, same checkdowns, and got hit the same way Joey had. Garcia, a 3-time Pro Bowler in the exact same system with the same coach, looked every bit as bad and in many ways worse than Joey did running the O. It served to prove my point that Joey wasn't the only issue, and prove Killer wrong. But he never came back and admitted he was completely wrong with his "95% Joey" problem statement. This is what is frustrating aobut Killer.
Some people have also asked about me calling Roy Williams iRoy, and why I hate him. Again, I don't hate him, I just don't worship the ground he walks on. IMHO, he's an above average, bordering on great talent who makes the spectacular catch but drops the easy ones. He won't be a great player until he starts making the easy catches. That goes for a lot of other players as well, but Roy stands out because I hear so many people gushing about him.
That about does it for now. I'll make sure I answer any other questions that anyone else has.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Change for the sake of Change
Well, we can finally say goodbye to Joey Ballgame. It's now a done deal. In comes Jon Kitna and Josh McCown, out goes Joey Harrington. For a large group of fans, just being rid of Joey will be seen as a major improvement. For another group of fans, it's a colossal disappointment. You can guess I'm probably in the second group, but not because I was a Joey Lover. Mostly because I don't see any progress, I see change simply for the sake of change.
Seriously, is either Jon or Josh really an upgrade over Joey? Nope. Jon has been such a great QB that he has been replaced by a younger "more talented" guy in both of his previous NFL stops. The only advantage Josh has over Joey is that he hasn't yet been booed by Lions fans. Neither one really excites me as the future of this franchise.
I won't get into all the rumor mongering that seems to be getting talked about - the supposed "sabotage". Most of it couldn't be backed up in any case, and even the writers of the stuff - you know, Killer - has already changed his tune about what was said and how it was said. Of course he calls his revisionist history "clarification", but I digress. Until we hear something from the Lions and / or Joey, we won't know the real story. And neither side has spoken yet.
In a lot of ways, I'm sad to see Joey go. It represents a failure of the last 4 years beyond the teams record. We spent 4 years being told he's the guy, and now it just gets thrown out the window. Who to blame the failure on isn't an easy task as equal parts could be pointed at the Ford's, Millen, Mornhinweg, Mooch and Joey himself. The Ford's for wanting a franchise 'face' of the team, irregardless whether he was the best fit. Millen for bowing to their pressure and not taking Jammer. Mornhinweg for teaching Joey the art of the checkdown and throw away too well. Mooch for not supporting and working with him. Joey for simply not being able to run the teams O the way everyone expected him to. It was a comedy of errors to the nth degree.
And here's the worst thing - until they do something to fix the O-Line, the quarterbacking around here won't get any better. The O may be more exciting due to the change in philosophy, but there is still a turnstyle at LT, and they are still missing a LG. No offseason moves have improved these positions which have been so problematic for the Lions in the past few years. Jeff Backus is no Orlando Pace, and even with Pace at LT, QB's in Martz O regularly took a pounding. Now replace Pace with Backus, and let's see what happens - the Lions could set a new league record for most sacks allowed next year. I understand the thought process about why they couldn't afford to lose Backus, but they can't afford to have him at LT for the next 4 years either.
Outside of the two QB's, they signed Corey Bradford, the 2006 version of Kevin Johnson and Shawn Jefferson. It's an OK move, but it won't do anything to really help teach the kid WR's more than KJ or SJ did. They signed Dan Campbell - a blocking TE - for an O that rarely uses a blocking TE. And now they've signed Rex Tucker, an OK Guard who hasn't been able to stay healthy in about 3 years. None of these moves really excites me as being a 'great' move. None of these guys will be starters. None will have a huge impact. And that leaves some gaping holes we saw last year - DE, OLB, LT, LG. Sure, we may be able to fill one or two of those spots in the draft, and maybe Backus will be OK (although history isn't on his side) and maybe our LB's will stay healthy (and history isn't on their side), and things will be fine. Maybe Rod will be able to perform miracles on the O-Line and D-Line. Maybe Martz will truly unleash the potential of our skill position players. Maybe...
As you might be able to guess, that's too many maybe's in my opinion. Too many question marks born of seeing the complete ineptness of the players on this team for the last several years. There has always been potential, but little in the way of results. I promise to keep a wait-n-see approach until after we see these guys in action for a few regular season games next year. But right now, I'm not expecting too much.
Seriously, is either Jon or Josh really an upgrade over Joey? Nope. Jon has been such a great QB that he has been replaced by a younger "more talented" guy in both of his previous NFL stops. The only advantage Josh has over Joey is that he hasn't yet been booed by Lions fans. Neither one really excites me as the future of this franchise.
I won't get into all the rumor mongering that seems to be getting talked about - the supposed "sabotage". Most of it couldn't be backed up in any case, and even the writers of the stuff - you know, Killer - has already changed his tune about what was said and how it was said. Of course he calls his revisionist history "clarification", but I digress. Until we hear something from the Lions and / or Joey, we won't know the real story. And neither side has spoken yet.
In a lot of ways, I'm sad to see Joey go. It represents a failure of the last 4 years beyond the teams record. We spent 4 years being told he's the guy, and now it just gets thrown out the window. Who to blame the failure on isn't an easy task as equal parts could be pointed at the Ford's, Millen, Mornhinweg, Mooch and Joey himself. The Ford's for wanting a franchise 'face' of the team, irregardless whether he was the best fit. Millen for bowing to their pressure and not taking Jammer. Mornhinweg for teaching Joey the art of the checkdown and throw away too well. Mooch for not supporting and working with him. Joey for simply not being able to run the teams O the way everyone expected him to. It was a comedy of errors to the nth degree.
And here's the worst thing - until they do something to fix the O-Line, the quarterbacking around here won't get any better. The O may be more exciting due to the change in philosophy, but there is still a turnstyle at LT, and they are still missing a LG. No offseason moves have improved these positions which have been so problematic for the Lions in the past few years. Jeff Backus is no Orlando Pace, and even with Pace at LT, QB's in Martz O regularly took a pounding. Now replace Pace with Backus, and let's see what happens - the Lions could set a new league record for most sacks allowed next year. I understand the thought process about why they couldn't afford to lose Backus, but they can't afford to have him at LT for the next 4 years either.
Outside of the two QB's, they signed Corey Bradford, the 2006 version of Kevin Johnson and Shawn Jefferson. It's an OK move, but it won't do anything to really help teach the kid WR's more than KJ or SJ did. They signed Dan Campbell - a blocking TE - for an O that rarely uses a blocking TE. And now they've signed Rex Tucker, an OK Guard who hasn't been able to stay healthy in about 3 years. None of these moves really excites me as being a 'great' move. None of these guys will be starters. None will have a huge impact. And that leaves some gaping holes we saw last year - DE, OLB, LT, LG. Sure, we may be able to fill one or two of those spots in the draft, and maybe Backus will be OK (although history isn't on his side) and maybe our LB's will stay healthy (and history isn't on their side), and things will be fine. Maybe Rod will be able to perform miracles on the O-Line and D-Line. Maybe Martz will truly unleash the potential of our skill position players. Maybe...
As you might be able to guess, that's too many maybe's in my opinion. Too many question marks born of seeing the complete ineptness of the players on this team for the last several years. There has always been potential, but little in the way of results. I promise to keep a wait-n-see approach until after we see these guys in action for a few regular season games next year. But right now, I'm not expecting too much.
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