The Cobra
09-05-2010, 07:03 PM
Cobra......
Say what they want, trade who they want, cut who they want,sign who they want, draft who they want------you still have to prove what you`re made of on the field, and that requires a gut check starting from the top.---
The top involves WC Ford, the senile, liver spotted old goat that years ago proved he could care less about the Lions when he hired Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew to run the team-----the team has been run into the ground, beat up, laughed at etc etc but Lewand and Mayhew are still there. Now does that say anything about commitment to you??
Commitment to me means that they would draft/buy/trade for an offensive line to protect their franchise in Stafford (a keeper) because their best player won`t do much if he`s on a stretcher by halftime. Stafford is a gamer--seems like he was born with the heart and courage of the old Lions------it may be his Waterloo.
It does appear the the Lions will be better this season----not much room to get worse--2 wins in 2 yrs? So that`s kinda of a gimme. They did great in the draft, made some smart moves in the off season----now it`s time to prove away their old nemisis---"just how are we going to lose today" syndrome. JMO
Well Slammer, I fear another loooong season with a little light and a whole lot of excuses. --------------hope I`m wrong cause I`ll be cheering for `em.
As per TSN......................
It may seem outlandish to say that optimism abounds when talking about a team that has a grand total of two wins in the last two seasons combined. But that is indeed the case in Detroit, as Jim Schwartz enters his second season as coach with a team that has seen some very significant upgrades.
Lions fans are used to seeing their team outmatched week after week, but it appears the blueprint for positive change may finally be rolling out at Ford Field. Add great selections in the draft with some key additions acquired in free agency and via trades, and a few supremely talented returning athletes – including a promising quarterback with serious moxie and a year of experience -- and you have reason to believe that the days of being the league's biggest pushover are over.
DETROIT LIONS 2010 PREVIEW
Team Page | 2010 Schedule | Roster
Stadium: Ford Field
Owner/Chairman: William Clay Ford
GM: Martin Mayhew | Coach: Jim Schwartz
Super Bowl Wins: 0
Arrivals:
S C.C. Brown, WR Nate Burleson, QB Shaun Hill, LB Landon Johnson, OL Rob Sims, TE Tony Scheffler, DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, DB Jonathan Wade, DT Corey Williams
Depatures:
DB Dre' Bly, CB Phillip Buchanon, DB Daniel Bullocks, DB Marquand Manuel, E Casey FitzSimmons, LB Larry Foote, OT Jon Jansen, OG Daniel Loper, S Kalvin Pearson, RB Cedric Peerman, QB Patrick Ramsey, LB Ernie Sims, S Ko Simpson, DE Dewayne White
2010 DRAFT CLASS
ROUND PLAYER POS. SCHOOL
1 Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska
1 Jahvid Best RB California
3 Amari Spievey CB Iowa
4 Jason Fox OT Miami
7 Willie Young DE North Carolina St.
7 Tim Toone WR Weber St.
Reasons For Optimism... Perhaps the biggest reason to dream big this season is quarterback Matthew Stafford. Coming off an impressive freshman year, the 22-year-old not only seems comfortable with the playbook to start his second year of professional football, but he has confidence – perhaps even cockiness -- that impresses teammates. Now with 11 different starting quarterbacks in Detroit over the last decade, the revolving door has been spinning furiously, and the idea of having a bona-fide star under centre in Motown seems too good to be true. But the talent that surrounds him suggests he's got a shot at a very productive season.
Stafford's pass-catching weapons are deep. Nate Burleson as the No. 2 wideout may be just the guy to take some defensive heat off No.1 Calvin Johnson. Burleson had 63 receptions for 812 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games for the Seahawks last season. He will see a lot of rolled coverage away from him and towards Johnson, and if Stafford can recognize the opportunites, they should be there for the taking. With some of that defensive pressure averted, the lanky Johnson should be able to get the better of many defensive backs in the league.
The decision to trade up and draft Jahvid Best at running back in the first round could materialize as one of the best moves the team has made in years. He is known for his speed and elusiveness, and presents a serious threat to score, which defenses haven't seen from the Lions at that position in a long time. Tony Scheffler and Brandon Pettigrew also offer legitimate options at tight end as well.
The optimism extends to some aspects of the defense as well. The team drafted defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who should be the keystone of a decent defense. The unit can't be much worse than the 2009 version, which ranked at the bottom of the NFL in numerous categories. In preseason play, Suh was often double-teamed, which could work to the advantage of the rest of the line and provide solid odds that someone else can get to the quarterback. Newly-added Kyle Vanden Bosch will add some relentless pass-rushing that the Lions have so sorely needed.
Reasons For Pessimism...While the Lions' starters look much-improved on both sides of the ball, the team's lack of quality depth is highly concerning. The second and third units need an alarming amount of work, which means that injuries could not only effect the team's record this season, but they could really hurt the re-building process that is currently humming along in Detroit. Linebacker Jordon Dizon was already hurt in the first preseason game and put on injured reserve, depleting the depth chart before the season has even started.
Keeping the starters healthy is key, but it may not be easy to keep these guys rested and protected. There is little to no depth behind Best at running back, so it could be tough to establish the run without leaning heavily on this rookie. With little depth there, the Lions have taken a real gamble at such an important position in their play-action heavy offense.
Stafford was injured twice last season at quarterback, suffering a separated shoulder and a partially dislocated kneecap. The injuries were largely thanks to an offensive line that missed too many blocks and couldn't keep its quarterback upright. The options at backup quarterback are inexperienced. Offensive tackle Jeff Backus needs to stop missing tackles and taking so many penalties and OT Gosder Cherilus – benched last season – will need to start playing up to the expectations that the team had for him when they drafted him 17th overall in 2008.
The injury to safety Louis Delmas, the best player in Detroit's secondary, is huge because no NFL team gave up more passing yards than the Leos did last season (265.6 yards per game). If improving in that area seemed challenging before, it appears formidable without Delmas.
Reasons For Realism...While the new additions are the reason for optimism, getting everyone up to speed may cause the team a slow start to the season, which is hardly affordable as the Lions open with three of their first four games against the NFC North, all on the road. A year ago, the Lions were 0-6 in the division and were the only team in the league to go winless on the road.
Some experts have the Lions winning as many as six games this season, which may be generous for a team who, while on the right path to improvement, still has to face some tough opponents: the Giants, Cowboys and Dolphins on the road, the Patriots at home, and of course the constant challenges of the NFC North. The three quarterbacks they face in the division, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler threw 90 touchdowns last season, which is more than any combined group of quarterbacks in any other division in the league.
The Lions and their fans should be realistic about the team's chances this season. Sure, they have some extremely talented athletes – both returning and new – who offer significant upgrades at some positions. But history shows Detroit has struggled to build a durable and consistent roster.
Say what they want, trade who they want, cut who they want,sign who they want, draft who they want------you still have to prove what you`re made of on the field, and that requires a gut check starting from the top.---
The top involves WC Ford, the senile, liver spotted old goat that years ago proved he could care less about the Lions when he hired Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew to run the team-----the team has been run into the ground, beat up, laughed at etc etc but Lewand and Mayhew are still there. Now does that say anything about commitment to you??
Commitment to me means that they would draft/buy/trade for an offensive line to protect their franchise in Stafford (a keeper) because their best player won`t do much if he`s on a stretcher by halftime. Stafford is a gamer--seems like he was born with the heart and courage of the old Lions------it may be his Waterloo.
It does appear the the Lions will be better this season----not much room to get worse--2 wins in 2 yrs? So that`s kinda of a gimme. They did great in the draft, made some smart moves in the off season----now it`s time to prove away their old nemisis---"just how are we going to lose today" syndrome. JMO
Well Slammer, I fear another loooong season with a little light and a whole lot of excuses. --------------hope I`m wrong cause I`ll be cheering for `em.
As per TSN......................
It may seem outlandish to say that optimism abounds when talking about a team that has a grand total of two wins in the last two seasons combined. But that is indeed the case in Detroit, as Jim Schwartz enters his second season as coach with a team that has seen some very significant upgrades.
Lions fans are used to seeing their team outmatched week after week, but it appears the blueprint for positive change may finally be rolling out at Ford Field. Add great selections in the draft with some key additions acquired in free agency and via trades, and a few supremely talented returning athletes – including a promising quarterback with serious moxie and a year of experience -- and you have reason to believe that the days of being the league's biggest pushover are over.
DETROIT LIONS 2010 PREVIEW
Team Page | 2010 Schedule | Roster
Stadium: Ford Field
Owner/Chairman: William Clay Ford
GM: Martin Mayhew | Coach: Jim Schwartz
Super Bowl Wins: 0
Arrivals:
S C.C. Brown, WR Nate Burleson, QB Shaun Hill, LB Landon Johnson, OL Rob Sims, TE Tony Scheffler, DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, DB Jonathan Wade, DT Corey Williams
Depatures:
DB Dre' Bly, CB Phillip Buchanon, DB Daniel Bullocks, DB Marquand Manuel, E Casey FitzSimmons, LB Larry Foote, OT Jon Jansen, OG Daniel Loper, S Kalvin Pearson, RB Cedric Peerman, QB Patrick Ramsey, LB Ernie Sims, S Ko Simpson, DE Dewayne White
2010 DRAFT CLASS
ROUND PLAYER POS. SCHOOL
1 Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska
1 Jahvid Best RB California
3 Amari Spievey CB Iowa
4 Jason Fox OT Miami
7 Willie Young DE North Carolina St.
7 Tim Toone WR Weber St.
Reasons For Optimism... Perhaps the biggest reason to dream big this season is quarterback Matthew Stafford. Coming off an impressive freshman year, the 22-year-old not only seems comfortable with the playbook to start his second year of professional football, but he has confidence – perhaps even cockiness -- that impresses teammates. Now with 11 different starting quarterbacks in Detroit over the last decade, the revolving door has been spinning furiously, and the idea of having a bona-fide star under centre in Motown seems too good to be true. But the talent that surrounds him suggests he's got a shot at a very productive season.
Stafford's pass-catching weapons are deep. Nate Burleson as the No. 2 wideout may be just the guy to take some defensive heat off No.1 Calvin Johnson. Burleson had 63 receptions for 812 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games for the Seahawks last season. He will see a lot of rolled coverage away from him and towards Johnson, and if Stafford can recognize the opportunites, they should be there for the taking. With some of that defensive pressure averted, the lanky Johnson should be able to get the better of many defensive backs in the league.
The decision to trade up and draft Jahvid Best at running back in the first round could materialize as one of the best moves the team has made in years. He is known for his speed and elusiveness, and presents a serious threat to score, which defenses haven't seen from the Lions at that position in a long time. Tony Scheffler and Brandon Pettigrew also offer legitimate options at tight end as well.
The optimism extends to some aspects of the defense as well. The team drafted defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who should be the keystone of a decent defense. The unit can't be much worse than the 2009 version, which ranked at the bottom of the NFL in numerous categories. In preseason play, Suh was often double-teamed, which could work to the advantage of the rest of the line and provide solid odds that someone else can get to the quarterback. Newly-added Kyle Vanden Bosch will add some relentless pass-rushing that the Lions have so sorely needed.
Reasons For Pessimism...While the Lions' starters look much-improved on both sides of the ball, the team's lack of quality depth is highly concerning. The second and third units need an alarming amount of work, which means that injuries could not only effect the team's record this season, but they could really hurt the re-building process that is currently humming along in Detroit. Linebacker Jordon Dizon was already hurt in the first preseason game and put on injured reserve, depleting the depth chart before the season has even started.
Keeping the starters healthy is key, but it may not be easy to keep these guys rested and protected. There is little to no depth behind Best at running back, so it could be tough to establish the run without leaning heavily on this rookie. With little depth there, the Lions have taken a real gamble at such an important position in their play-action heavy offense.
Stafford was injured twice last season at quarterback, suffering a separated shoulder and a partially dislocated kneecap. The injuries were largely thanks to an offensive line that missed too many blocks and couldn't keep its quarterback upright. The options at backup quarterback are inexperienced. Offensive tackle Jeff Backus needs to stop missing tackles and taking so many penalties and OT Gosder Cherilus – benched last season – will need to start playing up to the expectations that the team had for him when they drafted him 17th overall in 2008.
The injury to safety Louis Delmas, the best player in Detroit's secondary, is huge because no NFL team gave up more passing yards than the Leos did last season (265.6 yards per game). If improving in that area seemed challenging before, it appears formidable without Delmas.
Reasons For Realism...While the new additions are the reason for optimism, getting everyone up to speed may cause the team a slow start to the season, which is hardly affordable as the Lions open with three of their first four games against the NFC North, all on the road. A year ago, the Lions were 0-6 in the division and were the only team in the league to go winless on the road.
Some experts have the Lions winning as many as six games this season, which may be generous for a team who, while on the right path to improvement, still has to face some tough opponents: the Giants, Cowboys and Dolphins on the road, the Patriots at home, and of course the constant challenges of the NFC North. The three quarterbacks they face in the division, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler threw 90 touchdowns last season, which is more than any combined group of quarterbacks in any other division in the league.
The Lions and their fans should be realistic about the team's chances this season. Sure, they have some extremely talented athletes – both returning and new – who offer significant upgrades at some positions. But history shows Detroit has struggled to build a durable and consistent roster.