By Dean Holden

Quarterbacks 

A very large percentage of Lions fans disapproved of the selection of Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick in 2009.

A very large percentage of that percentage changed their tune in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns, when Stafford led his team to a victory from a double-digit deficit, shattering a number of rookie passing records and his left shoulder in the process.

This year, Stafford enters the season as the undisputed first-string quarterback, in the eyes of the coaches, the media, and even the fans. It has been a long time since the Lions were able to say that everyone agrees on who the starting quarterback should be.

Stafford has looked exceptional in the preseason, and it seems he needs only to stay healthy this year in order to make a huge leap forward in his progression.

Of course, if he doesn’t, the Lions have Shaun Hill, who was the starter for half the season last year in San Francisco. Hill met with moderate success, but his play style is really more compatible to that of the “just don’t screw it up” game-managing backup.

And still, Hill showed more promise in the preseason than most quarterbacks have in years. Last year, when Stafford was shut down for the year with injury, my heart sank as Daunte Culpepper took the field.

This year, while I of course have no desire to see Stafford start anything less than 16 games, I feel confident that the Lions field a backup of more than adequate quality.

Then there’s Drew Stanton, who is pretty much just playing out the string. At one point, I thought he was getting screwed, not ever getting to see the field. Then he turned in an atrocious preseason, and I realized it’s because he’s made no progression.

He continues to let guys cycle in and out of the depth chart ahead of him, with no notable increase in production or effort. This is his contract year, and I fully expect it to be his last year in professional football.

Given his record, Martin Mayhew is likely to find a project QB in the seventh round of next year’s draft who shows more promise in his first year than Stanton did in his career.

Running Backs

Jahvid Best has quite a task before him.

It is entirely possible that Best has managed to pull higher expectations onto himself than either Ndamukong Suh or Matthew Stafford.

50-yard runs against first-string defenses in the preseason will do that.

But more than just that, the rest of Detroit’s running backs seem to have waned (or maybe they just pale in comparison?) thus far.

Kevin Smith is clearly not 100 percent healthy, and it remains to be seen if he will actually be good when he is.

Maurice Morris is consistent, but no better than average. At 30, he is the Lions’ oldest running back by far.

Aaron Brown had a good preseason, but is the exact same type of back as Best, so he provides no change of pace. His primary value is as a kick returner.

Jerome Felton made the squad because he provides the only thing resembling a power running game. But he actually looks better in the open field than he does in short-yardage situations. He will have trouble moving a pileup at the line of scrimmage consistently.

In other words, a huge percentage of the Lions’ ground game success is going to ride on Best meeting and exceeding the lofty expectations set for him. He can do it, but for a back whose primary concern is durability, you have to wonder if it’s a good idea for him to try shouldering the load himself.

Wide Receivers

The Detroit Lions would be thrilled with the knowledge that they have upgraded their wide receiver corps from one major target and a bunch of overmatched scrubs to two major targets and a bunch of slightly less overmatched scrubs.

Honestly, that’s the best-case scenario.

We know Calvin Johnson will perform. The biggest question is Nate Burleson.

So far in the preseason, Burleson looks like a legitimate possession receiver. Problem is, he says he’s a deep threat. Certainly, if Burleson can prove himself to be the same home run threat that Johnson is, Johnson will have a much easier go of things (like consistent double teams, instead of triples).

However, I have yet to see any sign of it. Possibly, the Lions are holding his big play ability back for the regular season to take teams by surprise, but that might be too wishful of thinking.

Regardless of how, the Lions need Burleson to be productive this year, because the rest of the roster includes the decidedly mediocre Bryant Johnson, the mistake-prone Derrick Williams, and waiver wire return specialist Stefan Logan.

Of that trio, Bryant Johnson is the only one likely to compile any notable stats in the regular season. He was overmatched as a second option, but may fall into his comfort zone as a third.

Williams has been disappointing as both a receiver and a return specialist (which is primarily what he was drafted for), and is only being kept around in case he decides to show some upside.

Logan is a question mark, but shouldn’t factor in beyond being a candidate to run some punts back.

Tight End

Every tight end on the Detroit Lions’ current roster could be a starter somewhere in the NFL. It’s an odd position to have that kind of depth, but that’s what we’re looking at.

Brandon Pettigrew, the 20th overall pick of the 2009 Draft, started showing real signs of progression last year before tearing his ACL on Thanksgiving. He appears to have made a full recovery, and sits firmly atop the Lions’ depth chart. His blocking skills are already top-notch, and his receiving ability is coming along nicely, though he may never be a threat to stretch the field.

Tony Scheffler will carry high expectations into the season, given that the Lions gave up former first-round pick Ernie Sims to get him, leaving a Zack Follett-sized hole at weakside linebacker. Scheffler has looked strong in the preseason, and should be targeted quite a bit on intermediate routes.

Will Heller is still a good, well-rounded tight end, but will no doubt lose some reps on account of the talent in front of him. Still, his presence allows Jim Schwartz to run double tight end sets all day, and still have the freedom to spell Scheffler or Pettigrew without a huge drop in production.

If this bunch can produce good numbers on the receiving side, it will take a lot of pressure off the Lions’ paper-thin group at wide receiver, and give Stafford a number of large targets to fire at for first downs.

Offensive Line

The Lions’ much-maligned offensive line returns four of five starters from 2009. This, to most, sounds like bad news. But here’s the breakdown.

Gosder Cherlius is playing more consistently at right tackle.

Stephen Peterman is sorely underrated.

Dominic Raiola is still smaller than he needs to be, but he’s been a starter for nearly a decade, and is the vocal leader of the line, if not the entire offense.

Jeff Backus looks more confident and less mistake-prone, and there’s a very good reason why.

That reason is the new guy in town, Rob Sims. Sims takes up the left guard position next to Backus, and provides Backus with a reliable partner in shoring up the left side of the offensive line.

Last year, Sims’ position was filled, seemingly, by a different player each week. Backus had neither chemistry nor trust with whoever that man turned out to be, and both players’ performance suffered because of it.

In the preseason, the offensive line has actually looked like a strong point. Holes have opened up in the run game, and quarterbacks have been hardly touched.

On the second string, the key word is versatility.

Backup center Dylan Gandy would be a capable replacement for Raiola if the man ever missed a game, and adds to his value by also filling in at guard.

Corey Hilliard displaced veteran Jon Jansen with his strong preseason play and his ability to play at either tackle position.

Rookie project Jason Fox has a long way to go, but could also make a name for himself at either left or right tackle.

Manny Ramirez could play either guard position if needed, but hopefully won’t have to. He is assuredly the least-talented lineman the Lions have. Which is impressive, considering he was once a consistent starter.

Special Teams

This one’s easy.

Jason Hanson returns as all-purpose placekicker, Nick Harris returns as punter, and all is right with the world.

Both are among the top 10 at their positions, and while it’s true that Hanson is aging, since when did that matter for a kicker? At the rate he’s going, he has another five quality years in the tank. If he has another down year, I’ll be a little worried, but don’t bank on it.

Since nobody knows the name of their team’s long-snapper until he makes a mistake, let me come right out and say that it’s Don Muhlbach, and he rarely makes mistakes.

The Lions will go with Aaron Brown as kick returner, who showed good speed and decent vision at the position in the preseason. He had a couple of runbacks where one more cut would have broken him loose, so maybe he’ll learn where those are in the future. He’s at least much better than Derrick Williams, who just runs in a straight line until he gets laid out.

At punt returner, things get a bit muddled. Derrick Williams would have been the favorite in the role, but he was awful in the preseason. Dennis Northcutt was by far the Lions’ best punt returner statistically, but he’s now unemployed. Stefan Logan was picked up off waivers, presumably for this role, but he hasn’t done anything yet.

Expect punt return duties to be “by committee” until someone stands out.

Defensive Line

If nothing else, this group is going to be fun to watch. So much potential, peppered with seasoned veterans. Almost looks like a top-caliber squad.

Okay, maybe not yet, but very soon. Maybe by the end of this season.

Double team-drawing specialist Ndamukong Suh is the highest-profile player on the line, and so far it appears that the consensus among opposing offensive lines is to put two bodies on him, all day, every day. That’s good, as it will help his fellow linemen produce, and give him some valuable lessons about beating those doubles in the future.

Corey Williams fills the other starting role, and while he has performed adequately, he is getting a strong run for his money by 2009 draftee Sammie Hill. Hill has blown the Lions’ coaches away with his rapid development, and could be looking at a starting job as soon as mid-season (again), if he continues at his current rate.

Andre Fluellen fills out the roster at defensive tackle, which seems to indicate that the Lions have finally determined whether he plays tackle or end. Fluellen beat out the more productive but less disciplined Landon Cohen for the spot, but is miles from the other three in terms of talent.

Starters at end will be wild man Kyle Vanden Bosch, whose work ethic is well documented and will therefore not be mentioned in this space, and Cliff Avril, who is primed to either have a breakout season or bust completely.

But some of the most interesting stories here lie in the backup defensive ends. Turk McBride is not one of them, aside from some bemused surprise that he actually made the final roster.

But Willie Young and Lawrence Jackson? There’s some intrigue.

Young, a seventh-round pick this year, is a 250-pound defensive end who has shown Dwight Freeney-like ability to run around seemingly club-footed right tackles to get to the quarterback.

Jackson, on the other hand, is a former first-round pick brought in cheap. Pete Carroll was cleaning house in Seattle and decided to ship Jackson off because he didn’t fit his system.

He’s currently on the bottom rung of the depth chart in Detroit, mostly due to a lack of field time. But he’s only two years removed from being a first-round pick, so there has to be something there. It will be interesting to see what that is.

Linebackers

I’m guessing the Lions expected their linebacker position to work out a little differently when they traded Ernie Sims and allowed Larry Foote to walk away.

Since then, the linebacker position has consisted of injuries, setbacks, and Julian Peterson.

DeAndre Levy was drafted to fill the middle linebacker position. He stepped in on the weakside to fill in for an injured Ernie Sims, and shocked everyone by being quite good. So the Lions let Foote go back to Pittsburgh, and commissioned Levy to fill the middle linebacker position, as they intended. Jordon Dizon was to back him up in that role.

Only Levy is now battling a groin injury, and Dizon is lost for the season.

This leaves us with the very real possibility that the Detroit Lions will open the 2010 season with Isaiah Ekejiuba as the starting middle linebacker.

And you thought we might have been in trouble with Levy.

Zack Follett, for all our love of his hitting ability and quirky web videos, would have a difficult time covering Orlando Pace as an eligible receiver. Which makes him a fairly poor fit as starting weakside linebacker.

So who’s behind him on the depth chart? Landon Johnson, or possibly Ashlee Palmer. Either might actually be an upgrade in the coverage game. We at least know Palmer can make a wicked one-handed grab.

Julian Peterson is a bright spot here. The revival of the Lions’ offensive line has freed Peterson up to be the playmaker he is, and the gutting of the rest of the linebackers has made him far and away the strongest player of the bunch. And remember, the Lions got him from the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick and one Cory Bartholomew Redding.

Seriously. Bartholomew. Don’t tell me you don’t think that’s awesome, because you are a liar.

Cornerbacks

If there is a spot with more question marks surrounding it than linebacker, it’s right here.

The cornerback position has been one of the weakest the Lions have had ever since they lost Dre’ Bly. The Lions attempted to fix that partially by actually re-signing Dre’ Bly, but he ended up cut.

So the Lions’ current cornerback situation entails Chris Houston and Jonathan Wade as starters. Both are young, neither has looked fantastic. Wade looked better in camp, but he wasn’t covering Calvin Johnson, and he was injured for most of the preseason contests.

Houston is fast and agile, but mistake-prone. Even if he plays his receiver perfectly, his spotty ball skills could result in a lot of passes being caught right over his shoulder. Or pass interference calls. Maybe both.

Aaron Berry has recently been announced as the Lions’ new nickel back, taking the role over from Eric King, who is no longer with the team.

The Lions are still classifying Amari Spievey as a cornerback, despite playing him the second half of the season at safety (and to great effect), so he’s in there, too.

At this point, though, the focus has to be on Alphonso Smith, who was acquired from the Denver Broncos for Dan Gronkowski in a trade of two guys who were about to get cut. Smith was the 37th overall pick of the 2009 Draft, and could end up anywhere on the Lions’ depth chart, considering its tenuous nature.

One year is too soon to give up on any draft pick, much less a second-round cornerback. If the Lions can succeed in developing Smith where the Broncos failed, they will have walked away from this with an absolute steal, and a greatly improved defense.

Safeties

Where’s your O.J. Atogwe now?

In only a few short months, safety has gone from one of the Lions’ biggest holes to perhaps the area with the greatest potential.

From the start, Louis Delmas was starter No. 1. Period. No exceptions. But the spot next to him was a big dark silhouette with a giant question mark on it.

Who would it be? Marquand Manuel? Ko Simpson? Daniel Bullocks?

Who had Randy Phillips? Yeah, me neither.

And in fact, Phillips would have been the wrong answer, too. C.C. Brown is slated to start the season across from Delmas, but don’t expect that to last. Phillips is closing on the position fast.

Phillips might be the story of the preseason for the Lions. An undrafted free agent out of Miami, Phillips missed the combine and failed two physicals with an injury, before signing with the Lions and doing nothing but make plays in the preseason. He’s a bit inconsistent in pass coverage, but he can blitz and he is a beast of a run-stopper. That weakness in pass coverage is likely what’s keeping Brown in the starting role for now.

Granted that the sample size is only a couple games, Amari Spievey’s future appears to be at safety as well. He struggled at cornerback in his preseason games, even getting an earful of Gunther Cunningham after getting burned for a deep touchdown.

Then he played a couple games at safety and appeared to perform much better. Spievey’s strengths are zone coverage and tackling, so a move to safety seems natural, if eventual.

Then we have mystery man John Wendling, brought in after being cut by the Buffalo Bills. Wendling played safety at Wyoming, and like many in the Lions’ secondary, has fantastic athleticism and suspect ball skills.

But more importantly, he dispels some very prevalent stereotypes about white people.

http://bleacherreport.com/users/64307-dean-holden

Before the season, this is what I said about the Lions. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Detroit Lions went 2-14 or 3-13 again. I wouldn’t be surprised if they won 5-7 games, I wouldn’t be too surprised if they won 8 or 9. It almost entirely will depend on Matt Stafford.” However, what would have surprised me before the season is exactly what happened, Stafford getting hurt and only throwing 96 balls and the Lions still going 6-10.

Their defensive line stepped up big time with 44 sacks. They lost only 3 games by more than 8 all season (Minnesota, Dallas, New England) and in all of those games they were in it until the 3^rd quarter or later. They finished the season with a differential of -7 and finished the season on a 4 game winning streak, including two on the road, snapping their NFL record road losing streak.

One of three things will happen next season. Stafford will play like he did in their win over Washington, 26-42 for 212 yards, 4 touchdowns, and a pick, and this team will contend for the playoffs. Stafford will prove to be overrated and not much better than Shaun Hill and they will go 6-10, 7-9 again. Stafford will get hurt again.

They do need to do a few things this offseason to continue to grow as a team. Their pass defense ranked 26^th in the league despite the amazing pressure that the defensive front accumulated. They need at least 2, if not 3 new starters in the secondary (2009 2^nd round pick Louis Delmas is the only sure keeper).

They should try to get a new left tackle. Backus is not the guy you want blocking Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews, and Jared Allen 6 times a year when your quarterback’s shoulder is as sturdy as Greg Oden. They also need to add another starting at linebacker, but this team is well on their way to finally making it back to the playoffs.

 

 

2010 Record: 6-10

Draft Position: 13

2010 Season Recap: Click Here

Offseason Needs: Click Here

Free Agents/Team Transactions: Click Here

Draft Grades: Click Here

Key Offseason Moves: None

Lions Blogger: Dean Holden

 

2010 Posts 

Not a Playoff Team, but Finally a Fun Team To Watch, Why The Lions Should be 4-0…and Why They’re Actually 0-4, Ndamukong Suh: Leading Detroit Lions’ Improved D Line Packers/Lions Preview Lions/Vikings Preview In Defense of Shaun Hill Detroit Lions Depth Chart Breakdown Detroit Lions 2010 Season Preview Detroit Lions Draft Grades Detroit Lions Free Agency Grades

 

 

 

Average total drafted in last 5 years: 28.8

1. Luke Kuechly (Boston College) Top 15

2. Dont’a Hightower (Alabama) 1

3. Lavonte David (Nebraska) 2

4. Mychal Kendricks (California) 2

5. Zach Brown (North Carolina) 2

6. Bobby Wagner (Utah State) 2-3

7. Sean Spence (Miami) 3-4

8. Nigel Bradham (Florida State) 3-4

9. Bruce Irvin (West Virginia) 4-5

10. Josh Kaddu (Oregon) 4-5

11. Terrell Manning (NC State) 4-5

12. Keenan Robinson (Texas) 4-5

13. Kyle Wilbur (Wake Forest) 4-5

14. Demario Davis (Arkansas State) 4-5

15. Tank Carder (TCU) 4-5

16. Travis Lewis (Oklahoma) 5-6

17. Emmanuel Acho (Texas) 5-6

18. James-Michael Johnson (Nevada) 5-6

19. Audie Cole (NC State) 5-6

20. Vontaze Burfict (Arizona State) 5-6

21. Chris Galippo (USC) 6-7

22. Alex Hoffman-Ellis (Washington State) 6-7

23. Najee Goode (West Virginia) 6-7

24. Miles Burris (San Diego State) 6-7

25. Danny Trevathan (Kentucky) 6-7

26. Tyler Nielsen (Iowa) 6-7

27. Jerry Franklin (Arkansas) 7-U

28. Caleb McSurdy (Montana) 7-U

29. Tahir Whitehead (Temple) 7-U

30. Darius Fleming (Notre Dame) 7-U

31. DJ Holt (California) 7-U

32. Cameron Collins (Oregon State) 7-U

33. Ryan Baker (LSU) 7-U

34. Shawn Loiseau (Merrimack) 7-U

35. Marcus Dowtin (North Alabama) 7-U

 

 

The full value of this deal is 5 years 33.5 million, but it’s essentially a one year, 8 million dollar prove it deal because only the first year is guaranteed (7 million signing bonus, 1 million base). But still, 8 million dollars a year for one of the worst starting offensive tackles in the league last year (61th on ProFootballFocus, allowing 10 sacks, 40 pressures, and committing 6 penalties). That’s a lot. I know they didn’t have a lot of other choices, but yikes! The Cardinals better hope Riley Reiff falls to them at 13, solidifies the left tackle spot, and Brown can resurrect his career at right tackle. However, even an elite right tackle isn’t worth 8 million. Eric Winston is one of the best and he got 22 million over 4 years.

Grade: D

 

Deal for Seahawks: Yet another veteran going for cheap. If I was an NFL team, I would definitely trade 2-3 mid round picks for proven vets this offseason. Washington is not a starting caliber back, but he’s an explosive change of pace guy and a Pro-Bowl kick returner, two things the Seahawks really need. He’ll fit in well with LenDale White.

Grade: A

Deal for Jets: They did sell him for cheap, but I understand why they did this. Because they were able to steal Joe McKnight (Leon Washington 2.0) in the 4^th round, they could trade Leon Washington and his expiring contract for a 5^th rounder.

Grade: B+

 

 

Leon Hall is one of the best cornerbacks in the league when he’s right. He was arguably better than any cornerback not named Darrelle Revis or Charles Woodson in 2009 and the Bengals are betting he bounces back from an injury plagued down year in 2010. If he does, this 4 year 39 million dollar contract with a mere 14 million guaranteed is going to be a bargain. I like this.

Grade: A

 

 

Wide Receiver

Miami

6-2 209

Draft board overall prospect rank: #28

Draft board overall wide receiver rank: #4

Overall rating: 82 (early 2^nd)

40 time: 4.45

3/28/11: Time travel with me for a bit. The year is 2008 and Kenny Phillips has just been taken 32^nd overall by the New York Giants, the 14^th straight year a Miami Hurricane went in the first round. In the two drafts since then, no Hurricanes have been drafted in the first round. Leonard Hankerson could be the one who puts a stop to this madness.

Despite quarterback Jacory Harris struggling mightily throughout the season, Hankerson still dominated for the Hurricanes this year. Hankerson caught 72 passes (30% of his team’s total) for 1156 yards (37% of his team’s total) and 13 touchdowns (62% of his team’s total). This was against good competition and he’s no one year wonder, leading the way with 45 catches for 801 yards in 2009 as a junior.

He was the star of the Senior Bowl and should have been MVP as he carried MVP Christian Ponder all game. Hankerson ran crisp routes and found the ball on under throws. He proved to be faster than expected at The Combine with a 4.45 at 6-2 209. He doesn’t appear to be that fast on tape, but he has adequate speed and good moves in the open field.

His main issue is drops. He has gigantic hands, but he drops too many balls. A lot of teams will have him significantly lower on their boards for this reason, while some will be intrigued enough by his physical prowess and production to give him a look in the first round. For me, the benefits outweigh his drops and I have a borderline first round grade on him. He’s so physical and productive and he is a very crisp route runner. He finds the ball well and is tough to bring down in the open field. He’s also a red zone target.

NFL Comparison: Pierre Garcon

 

 

Deal for Seahawks: LenDale White is a risk, but the Seahawks pretty much give up nothing to get him, moving down from 104 to 111 in the 4^th round to get him. If anyone can bring LenDale White’s talent back out, it’s Pete Carroll so I really like this move, coupled with their trade for Leon Washington. The Seahawks have stablized the running back position for a 5^th rounder and a swap for 4^th rounders.

Grade: A

Deal for Titans: What’s the difference between Alterraun Verner and Walter Thurmond. 7 picks, and apparently LenDale White. I know the Titans were done dealing with him, but they pretty much got absolutely nothing out of this deal. White still has some talent. The Titans could have at least gotten an extra pick in the process to use on a replacement. Who is going to spell Chris Johnson in the backfield now? He can’t carry the load on his own.

Grade: C-

 

 

 

Running Back

Oregon

6-0 241

40 time: 4.62

Draft board overall prospect rank: #148

Draft board running back rank: #13

Overall rating: 60*

            LeGarrette Blount burst onto the national stage in a big way this year. The thing is, he probably wishes he hadn’t. Blount burst onto the national stage by punching on opposing player after a poor performance in Oregon’s week 1 national televised game against Boise State. Blount was initially suspended for the season, but reinstated for the last two games of the season to put together a very disappointing senior season with 22 carries for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns. Already with red flags about his weight and work ethic, Blount slipped from a late round pick to a guy who was most likely going to go undrafted, which was very disappointing for a guy coming off a junior year in which he rushed for 1002 yards on a mere 137 carries and looked poised to break out as a senior. However, Blount’s pro hopes turned around when he was invited to the Senior Bowl. Blount was given one last chance and made the most of it. In my opinion, he was the best running back there. He had a lot of very nice runs and looked impossible to stop in the open field. His looked in as good of shape as I had ever seen him in, and ran with a great pad level and bulldozed guys over in the open field, on one play breaking a tackle and then jumping 4 yards, over a defender, and into the end zone, and on another play, literally dragging the entire defense with him from about the 6 yard line to the 2 yard line on a play that set up a touchdown. Most importantly, he looked determined and committed to turning his life around and playing football. He looked like a younger Jamal Lewis or Brandon Jacobs. Now, its easy to get excited about that one game. Though he showed a lot of good things, the character red flags are still there. You can’t punch someone in the face on national TV and expect that to go away just because you had one good game. He also needs to lose about 10 pounds to become more mobile and break more tackles with quickness rather than pure brute strength and pad level. His hands are pretty much bricks. He did catch 2 passes in 3 games this year, which isn’t bad, but he had only 2 in his entire junior season. His ability to break the big gain is fairly limited and for that reason, any team that runs with him often will have a fairly limited, however consistent and grinding, offense. As the Bengals showed us this year, that doesn’t always work. In the end, I think someone takes a chance on Blount late, say 5^th round or later. It is likely going to be a team that doesn’t put a ton of stock on character, but he has good upside. I don’t see him as an every down back, but he’s, at the very least, a solid goal line back, granted he keeps his emotions in check.

NFL Comparison: Lendale White

*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here