“When people ask me with a negative connotation about going to Detroit—the city, the economy, the team—I say what about New Orleans? After [Hurricane] Katrina nobody wanted to be there, the locals or the players getting drafted or traded there. All of a sudden New Orleans is a place to go. The Saints revived the city. I honestly believe if we continue to work hard and bring the right guys in, we can turn around the organization and help revive [this] city.”
Late last night, word finally broke on Twitter—sorry, hundreds at the same time, no idea who was first—that the Lions and Ndamukong Suh had agreed to the terms of his first Lions contract (see what I did there?). During last Sunday’s Fireside Chat, I’d noted, with growing distaste, how quickly Lions fans were beginning to turn on Suh. Never before had the Lions’ fanbase been so united in their desire for a given player to be the Lions’ first draft pick—and yet, a few days’ worth of not being in camp had people jumping on Twitter and cussing out Ndamukong, and his sister Ngum.
Then again, the most likely explanation is that Ndamukong Suh is a dude in his early twenties who is going to spend the next decade of his life (if he's lucky) getting the utter shit kicked out of him, being beaten and broken, his body ripped apart and ravaged so that by the time he's 40 he'll barely be able to walk and won't be able to read any of the street signs thanks to all of the concussions. He'll then spend the next thirty or so years of his life (again, if he's lucky) dealing with the hellacious trauma of his chosen career, with mounting medical bills and aches and pains that most of us can't even fathom. Be honest, if someone told you that you were going to be finished at 35 and then were going to spend the rest of your life taking a half hour getting out of bed in the morning because the pain was just too damn much and trying to remember your kids' names and wondering if you would need a wheelchair before your fiftieth birthday, you'd probably press for as much money as you could too. And that's all assuming you'd even be good enough to play for a decade and not for three or four years. These dudes need to get paid and need to get paid quickly.
This is absolutely right: most quality players only get to sign two—or if they’re lucky, a few—of these big, guarantee-laden contracts. Many never even get past one. I wonder what Charles Rogers would do now to pocket one more million of that upfront money?
A big Lions fan on Twitter, @AKDW90, asked me “What difference would it be if he gets $40M or $50M?” and I answered “About ten million dollars.” Frankly, ten million dollars is a lot of dollars, no matter how many dollars you already have. Moreover, consider this: Ndamukong worked like crazy for five years at Nebraska, through two coaches, and trained like a madman to thoroughly dominate the NFL combine. Why did he do that? To be the best he could be—and to get drafted as highly as possible. He earned his #2 overall draft slot through years and years of his own hard work; why should he throw any of that away and sign for less than he can get? So he can make a handful of August practices?
Just as I was mentally composing my own "Settle Down" piece, Neil wrote a sequel. It’s a little more firm in its critique. As I like to keep it family here on this blog, there’s very little of it I can quote to you—yet, this one sentence might be the most salient:
Look, you know things have gotten out of hand when I am the one trying to be the voice of reason and preaching civility.
Commenter TimT—who I have the utmost respect for—objected to all of this Gonzo fan-on-fan aggression, but I found it cathartic and satisfying. There’s no room around the the blue bonfire for people who will get on Twitter and viciously flame Ndamukong Suh’s little sister because the big man was four days slow on signing his contract. Please, people, perspective. This guy’s going to be the anchor of the Lions’ defense for years to come; is this what you want him to think of Lions fans?
Speaking of the blue bonfire, if there was an antidote to the nastiness of the Lions fans on Twitter, it was the awesomeness of the fans of the rest of the NFL on Twitter. Raider homer @rnstrong immediately fired off a Tweet for the ages:
SUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I instantly became a Lions fan the moment they drafted him
You see? It’s already beginning, people. Ndamukong Suh is going to be everything I thought Aaron Curry would be: a once-in-a-generation combination of size, speed, ability, and intelligence. A humble, honest, hardworking young man blessed with a philanthropic spirit. The savior of the worst defense the NFL has ever seen, and avatar of renaissance for both the Lions, and the City of Detroit. Today, as Ndamukong Suh practices with his teammates for the first time, the blue bonfire burns as brightly as it has in years. As the Honolulu Blue flames reach for the August sky, people from all over are rushing to to see the source. Join us.
“You know what I'm craving? A little perspective. That's it. I'd like some fresh, clear, well seasoned perspective. Can you suggest a good wine to go with that?”
Though players are supposed to report this evening, it's still about 24 hours before the 2010 Detroit Lions open training camp for real: on the field. We should be buzzing about Matthew Stafford’s first camp as the established starter, positional battles on the offensive line, and the new. Instead most talk is about whether or not the Lions’ two first-round draft picks, Jahvid Best and Ndamkong Suh, will sign their contracts in time.
There’s a lot of fear, uncertainty, and doubt that comes with a late camp entry. “He’s way behind,” “We’ve already installed 90% of the system,” and “If he can’t get the starting job in camp, he’ll be a backup all year,” are all phrases you hear at this time of year. But, I’m going to remind you folks of something: Calvin Johnson missed the first eight days of training camp!
Oh, there was woe. Oh, there were lamentations. Oh, there was gnashing of teeth. Calvin wouldn’t learn the offense in time. He needed to contribute in 2007, and he couldn’t if he didn’t know the offense. There wouldn’t be time to build a rapport with Jon Kitna. If he couldn’t be an effective starter in camp, he wouldn’t get enough reps to play well in the preseason. If he didn’t play well in the preseason, he wouldn’t have the confidence to excel right away in the regular season. If he didn’t excel in his rookie season, he’d be a year behind! Oh no oh no oh no his entire career hangs in the balance!
Believe me, people, I was right there with you all! But then . . . well, Calvin Johnson signed. He showed up for work. And what do you know? He turned out to be 6’-5”, with 4.35 combine-40-yard-dash speed. He also turned out to be just as humble, hardworking, and serious about his craft as advertised—and now, you’d never know he missed a few days of practice as July turned in to August.
I wanted the Lions to draft Suh because his body is put together in an extraordinarily rare combination of size, strength, speed and explosion—and inside that body, he’s a humble, generous, intelligent young man who understands his place in the world. None of that is going to change between now and Saturday or Sunday or Monday. Ndamukong wanted to get signed and get into camp—and, give or take a few days, he’ll be signed, and he’ll get into camp. I can’t recommend a good wine for that—but I do suggest you pick up a bottle of Lion Stout, and put a hearty mug in the freezer.
The first time I wanted Dré Bly to be a Lion was in 1999. Recent top draft picks Terry Fair and Kevin Abrams were on the roster—but neither seemed to be on track for stardom, and the Lions have always needed as much cornerback help as they could get. Besides, Bly’s resume as a playmaker was absolutely astonishing. From the Dré Bly Wikipedia entry:
In his redshirt freshman season at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Bly received all-American honors. He is only one of five players in NCAA history to achieve this honor as a freshman (Tony Dorsett, Herschel Walker, Bjorn Merten, and Marshall Faulk being the others) [1].
Bly was the only football player in UNC and ACC history to receive consensus 1st team All-America honors three times in his college career. In his sophomore year, he was one of three finalists for the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Year Award. Bly held the ACC record for career interceptions (20).
Regrettably, the Lions did not draft Bly. They traded at least their second- and fifth-round pick (historians disagree) to the Dolphins to move up to the 27th slot. Once there, they took mountainous right tackle Aaron Gibson of Wisconsin. Bly and his surprisingly slow 40 time (4.51) slid into the second round, where the St. Louis Rams pulled the trigger at the 41 slot.
The second time I wanted Dré Bly to become a Lion was in 2003, when his four-year rookie deal expired. After two years straight years of riding the pine for a Super Bowl team, Bly finally got his shot at the big time in 2001, and didn’t disappoint. In 16 games, and 4 starts, Bly had 6 interceptions, and returned two of them for scores. Bly also saw extensive use as a punt returner starting in ‘01.
In ‘02, Bly ascended to a full-time starting role—and while his INT numbers dipped to 2, he defensed 18 passes, forced 4 fumbles, and recorded 54 solo tackles. In short, as they say in the business, he made himself a lot of money. To be specific, he made a lot of William Clay Ford’s money: a five-year, twenty-four million dollar contract, six million of which came up front. I’d gotten my wish.
On the surface, Bly’s four years here were a success: 19 interceptions, 38 passes defensed, and two Pro Bowl appearances. Yet, injury hampered his play; he missed nine games in four years. Further, his gambling style resulted in negative plays, as well as positive ones. Here’s a notable one, from his days in Denver:
"If we'd had production on offense, in particular the quarterback position, Mooch wouldn't have been fired. If Jeff Garcia hadn't gotten hurt, we wouldn't be in this position today. Mooch wouldn't have gotten fired. We're all at fault, but I just feel like Joey [Harrington]'s been here four years, and being the No. 3 pick in the draft, he hasn't given us anything. He hasn't given us what the third pick in the draft should give us."
For this, Bly took quite a bit of heat. After all, here he was, taking a public and private stand against the team’s quarterback, blaming him for their coach’s dismissal. Right or wrong (and, in hindsight, he was more right than wrong), that’s something you just don’t do. He bounced from Detroit to Denver, then from Denver to San Francisco—and, in the words of Eminem and Phil Zaroo, we forgot about Dré.
The third time I wanted Dré Bly to be a Lion, I didn’t even know it; I’d merely been calling for the Lions to add a decent, veteran cover corner. Well, late on Friday, the Lions announced they’d signed Bly to a two-year deal. Quoth the ever-quotable cornerback:
I feel like I played my best ball here in Detroit. I feel like it's home and to come back and have the chance to finish my career where I played my best ball -- where I feel like I'm part of the community -- is a great feeling.
Broncos beat writer Frank Schwab wryly noted on Twitter that having the chance to draw an NFL paycheck must also be a great feeling for Bly. The results of his stints in Denver and San Francisco were mixed, but unlike here, they were remembered more for the negative plays than the positive ones.
What does this all mean for the Lions? Bly is, by far, the most experienced corner on the roster—and, presuming he hasn’t declined too much, should still be one of the most physically talented, as well. Jim Schwartz does prefer a more aggressive, jamming cover corner—but all of the Lions’ current corners fit that mold, and they’re either too inexperienced or insufficiently skilled to play deep man coverage. That may be all that Bly can do at this point, cover a receiver downfield—but it’s the one thing the Lions needed most.
I have no idea whether Bly will enter the season as the #1 corner, or if he’ll be cut before the season starts. I could believe either scenario, but I’d suspect something in between, leaning more towards “Bly starts at least two games for the Lions by the end of the season.” No matter what happens, though, this is a halfway-decent attempt at addressing the Lions’ biggest flaw, and in July that’s difficult to do. Here’s hoping, indeed, that the third time is the charm.
We won’t get to see this First Real Football in detail. There won’t be any TV broadcast we can TiVO and replay. There won’t be any live streaming play-by-play. There probably won’t be any live Tweeting, either (since the Twitter-savviest Detroit sports journalist, Greg Eno, has informed me he won’t be there). And of course, we won't have any of the typical measures of football success to go by--yards, points, wins, or losses. So, we’ll have to wade knee-deep into the stream of quotes, blurbs, blogs, and articles that will flow through our favored information channels in the nights and days following these practices, and hope to catch some fish of truth.
In the absence of absolutes, all we have to measure is the relatives: one player against another, one position group against another. Until this point, though, there hasn’t been much “Real Football”—no hitting, no tackling, no full-speed blitzing or blocking—so we’ve seen none of the truth that only fire can tell.
"That guy has got impeccable cutting and great speed, so he's gonna be one of those guys that can take it to the house for us. When he gets the ball, he's got great vision, great athleticism. He's gonna be great, man. I like what I see in him so far."
Superficially, Best’s, ahem, best attributes are his speed, acceleration, quickness, burst, explosion, and other synonyms for running fast. But Jahvid’s first word to describe what he does best is “vision,” and it’s exciting to hear a teammate say the same thing.
Of course, as a Lions tailback, and a first-round pick to boot, Best will be unfairly compared to Barry Sanders. But in this way, Best definitely reminds me of Barry—for all that was (rightly) made of Barry’s speed, acceleration, quickness, burst, and explosion, his greatest gift was his vision. His vision, that let him see daylight where there was none. His vision, that let him see when he’d get more daylight by pausing and letting his pursuers overpursue. His vision, that allowed him to avoid big hits before they came. His vision, which allowed him to apply his ability to run fast in game situations. His vision, which converted talent into greatness with perfect efficiency.
That greatness is singular; Barry Sanders will ever be the only Barry Sanders. But if Best, and his teammates, are right, and Best’s best quality is his vision, his greatness could be something to behold as well. Fortunately for us, training camp will be public again this year, so we can all behold it together.
As many outlets have reported, the Lions have been docked two days’ worth of OTA practices for CBA violations. Specifically, the Lions’ OTA practices exceeded allowed limits for tempo and contact. This might sound familiar—indeed, the Lions lost two OTA days due to fiesty practices back in 2006, as well. Guessing which player had filed the NFLPA grievance turned into a favorite parlor game for Lions fans, bloggers, and newsmedia.
“If there’s dissension in the ranks, Marinelli’s ‘Pound the Rock’ message is already falling on deaf ears. ”
“GOOD! Those lazy goldbrickers need to be whipped into shape! Let ‘em whine, the wheat will be separated from the chaff.”
Of course, Marinelli was trying to make an impact. He was touting himself as a hard worker, a motivator who demanded his player be motivated. His mission was to cut out the deadwood and have 53 rowers all swinging their invisible pickaxes in harmony, or something. That all 53 weren’t buying in right off the bat was troubling; wasn’t Rod supposed to be able to get a cat to want to run through a brick wall? It seemed an ill omen for building a truly cohesive unit.
More importantly, what does this mean for the Lions and their team chemistry? This isn’t a lazy, underperforming group going into their first practices under a hardnosed taskmaster. This is a talented young team, handpicked by Mayhew and Schwartz for their New Era Of Awesome Lions. Who’s not buying in? Who’s so disgruntled with Schwartz that they’d go to the NFLPA? Could this be a sign of the upcoming CBA-pocalypse? Is this whistleblowing the first shot in the upcoming labor war between Lions players and Lions management?
No. You see, in the wake of years of tacit, wink-nod slides from non-contact, to kind of a little contact, to mostly-full-speed OTAs, the NFLPA is now reviewing tapes of OTAs. Apparently, the tempo and contact crossed the line. There was no whistleblowing. There is no dissent. The Grandmaster’s plan is still intact, ready to be executed . . . he’ll just have fewer days to tell the players how to do it.
*UPDATE: At the time of writing, I wasn’t aware that PFT’s report wasn’t the final word on the issue. Corrected the language to reflect this.
Yesterday was Memorial Day, a day where Americans everywhere remember, honor, and celebrate the sacrifices of those who give their lives to protect us. We gave up work and school to visit cemeteries, watch parades, play badminton, and eat sausage, all while remembering those who gave their lives so we’d be free.
For a small fraction of America, though, today is O.J. Atogwe day—the day we skimp on work and school to cross fingers, light candles, murmur incantations, and refresh football websites, seeing what’s going on with St. Louis Rams safety O.J. Atogwe.
According to Brian Stull of toastedrav.com, the Rams continue to negotiate with Atogwe, and will up to and beyond midnight tonight. For those not already pounding F5 on Pro Football Talk, Atogwe is a restricted free agent, due a one-year tender offer worth 110% of last year’s salary. However, since the Rams made Atogwe their franchise player last season, he raked in an average of the top five safeties’ salaries for 2009. 110% of his 2009 salary is nearly seven million dollars.
Even if Atogwe were worth that kind of money for 2010—and, coming off shoulder surgery, that’s questionable—the Rams are in rebuilding mode. Paying Atogwe that kind of money, just to be right back in this same situation next year, doesn’t make sense. The Rams would love to him lock up to a long-term deal, but it doesn’t sound like that’s close. If it doesn’t get done by midnight, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
Note the following line from Stull’s article:
Dallas, Miami, and Jacksonville are all reportedly interested in Atogwe, but none signed him to an offer sheet prior to the April 15th deadline.
Note the significant absence of the word “Detroit” in there. As I’ve said before, the “vibe” I get is that the Lions broke the bank on Vanden Bosch and Burleson—and were willing to do so because the coaching staff knew them so well. Despite being just into his prime (he’ll be playing his sixth season, at age 29), and a perfect fit for the skill set the Lions need, I will be stunned if Jim Schwartz is on Atogwe’s doorstep with a Fathead and a bottle of vino at midnight.
Further, if Dallas and Miami are involved, the Lions are going to have serious competition: two teams with deep pockets and winning rosters, looking for that last piece, in an uncapped year. It’s true that Atogwe is from Windsor, and grew up rooting for the Lions, but business is business, and this is Atogwe’s job, not hobby.
This will likely be Atogwe’s first, and last, giant long-term deal. If he signs a five-year contract, he’ll be 34 at the end of it, and playing a position where speed is crucial. Further, he’ll probably be making ridiculous, back-loaded money. If he even sees the end of that deal, he won’t be a hot commodity for 2015. He may, or may not, play elsewhere for a year or two after that—but in terms of big money, this is it.
For all these reasons, I don’t see the Lions as major players for his services . . . but I’m crossing my fingers anyway.
It’s not a secret: coming into the draft, the Lions needed cornerback help. Of course, the Lions always need cornerback help, but the Lions really needed cornerback help. At the top of the third round, the pickings were slim. The Jets’ surprise selection of Boise State CB Kyle Wilson kicked off a run on cornerbacks: four went in just seven picks. With two more corners coming off the board before the Lions got back on the clock, all of the “first- or second-round” corners were gone; there was no slider, no steal, no early Christmas present sitting there for the Lions. One such guy I thought might fall, Chris Cook, actually went with the 34th pick of the second round.
Unfortunately, the next tier of man-to-man cover cornerback prospects, like Akwasi Owusu-Ansah and Trevard Lindley, were definite fourth-rounders. Until Michael Schottey started putting Amari Spievey’s name out there on the Mlive.com live chat, he wasn’t even on my radar.
Amari wasn’t really on the major recruiting sites’ radar, either. Coming out of Middletown, CT, as Xavier High School’s all-time leading rusher, Spievey was rated a two-star corner by Rivals, and a two-star cornerback/runningback by Scout. He had 3,606 yards and 50 TDs, along with 87 tackles and 16 INTs. In 2005, he was named the Connecticut Player of the Year, while leading Xavier to the Class LL state championship.
"The offensive coordinator at Iowa is from Connecticut and my school is actually his school's rival and I used to run all over them. I kind of caught his eye and they had been recruiting me since I was a freshman."
Once at Iowa, Spievey didn’t have a seamless transition. He was redshirted his freshman year, and had difficulty maintaining motivation. Through a combination of being switched to defense (he’d played runningback his whole life), being so far from home (he’s very close to his mother), and having a staph infection (ow), Spievey lost his way. He wasn’t mixed up in the party scene; he’d just lost confidence and direction both on the field, and in the classroom. Spievey got the wake-up call he needed, according to Nick Cotsonika, by being dismissed from the team:
"When I got dismissed, that kind of just shook me up and just woke me up, like, 'Man, you better take advantage of this opportunity that you have here,' " Spievey said. "I knew that if I had a chance to come back that it would be my last chance. After that, I would be out of football. I made sure I wasn't going to mess it up."
That's exactly what Spievey did. In 2007, he had seven INTs, 242 INT return yards, two INT return TDs, returned two kickoffs for TDs, boasted a 39-yard kickoff return average, and blocked four punts. His The Iowa Central Community College Tritons went 9-2 en route to being ranked 7th in the nation, and Spievey was named NCJAA 1st-team All-American. He also pulled his GPA up, netting a 3.0 and 2.7 in his two semesters there.
Welcomed back to Iowa University—and the Hawkeye squad—with open arms, Spievey embraced the challenges of big-time college football. Amari opened his junior year as the starting right cornerback, and closed it on the All-Big Ten team (coaches’ second-team, media’s honorable mention). He finished third on Iowa in tackles, with 68 (43 solo); he had four INTs and six passes defensed. He was also named to CollegeFootballNews.com’s Sophomore All-American second team. Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker on Spievey’s turnaround:
"When he came back, he came back with a different attitude," Norm Parker said. "He was much more into studying film and that kind of stuff, the stuff you have to do to prepare to play a game, than he was before he left. All of a sudden, he believed a lot more of what you said than he did in his first go-around. He just wasn't mature. I think it helped him mature."
His senior season, Spievey had two things he'd never had before: respect, and expectations. Named to the preseason Jim Thorpe award watch list, and a bevy of preseason all-Big Ten teams, Spievey was expected to be an impact player on defense, and that he was: starting every game, he was second on the team in solo tackles, with 42, 2 interceptions and eight passes defensed.
The postseason awards followed. He was named All-Big Ten again, this time to the first time by the Big Ten coaches, as well as The Sporting News and Phil Steele’s own first-team All-Big Ten lists. He was also named to College Football Insider’s All-America third team, and Pro Football Weekly’s honorable mention All-America team.
Spievey decided to forego his senior year. Between his redshirt year, his juco detour, and leaving early, he’s actually right on schedule: He had four years of school, and just turned 22 years old. With his physical maturity, the accolades he’d received, and the limitations of Iowa’s system, he had little left to prove.
An interesting sidenote: Spievey was an art major. Yes, that’s right, an art major. I have the privilege of being the son of an art major, and I knew a couple of art majors in college . . . none of them were big-time college football players. Spievey told Scout.com why:
“My whole family is good at drawing. I've been drawing since I was little. My brother was always drawing, so I've been watching him for years and found that I had the ability to draw, too. And I found that it's something I love to do. Whenever I have free time I pull out some paper and a pencil and just draw whatever I see, whatever's on my mind. I talked to Coach Ferentz and he said, "while you're here you might as well do something you love to do" and I love to draw, so I decided to be an Art major.”
So. This is the part where I run down his profile as a prospect, but I’m going to sideline for a bit. Adam Jacobi of the excellent Iowa blog, Black Heart Gold Pants put together an Amari Spievey Owner’s Guide, and it is a definitive reference. Getting away from all the “stiff hips,” “thick lower body,” and “has the high, tight bubble you look for” stuff, Jacobi gives us the in-game bottom line on what Spievey does on the field:
Will Spievey be awesome? It depends on where he goes. At Iowa, he was the most special cornerback we've ever watched. He got torched once against Illinois in '08 and once against Penn State in '09. Those happened and you're free to read as much as you please into those plays, but also consider that they're the only two times that he got torched. It's not as if he's just plain too slow. On, say, the Ravens, he'd fit in beautifully.
Okay, so: really special player, really hardnosed tackler, great instincts, very physical, good athlete, but possibly lacking in the blazing/gambling/one-on-one fly route erasing department. Also, a suggestion that he could be a standout in a defense which runs a defense where the corners press with safety help up top, such as the Tampa 2.
Cue the wailing, lamentations, and gnashing of teeth from Lions fans everywhere.
Let’s hear what all those scouty types have to say, anyway:
Spievey is a two year starter for the Hawkeyes after transferring from Iowa Central Community college. He has a good combination of size and athleticism for the position. Spievey doesn’t have great power and pop as a run support defender but gives consistent effort and is solid in the open field. Spievey is just average as a reactor to route progressions and has some work to do in this phase of his game. He does have a good feel for leverage in the running game and is quick to squeeze running lanes from the perimeter. Spievey shows good hands with the ball in the air and is aggressive to make a play in traffic. Spievey is a good football player that has a higher ceiling than many prospects but may take some time to work into a starting role.
Man Coverage: Usually played off in Iowa's defensive scheme and was able to transition to face receivers and stay on their hip down the sideline. Could be an effective press corner, but needs to get his hands on the receiver more consistently. Strong enough to ride his man out of bounds if getting the jam. Loses track of his man when turning to look for the ball downfield. Plays tall, has a high, choppy backpedal and only average lateral movement. Allows receivers to eat up cushion too quickly.
He's a technically sound corner who showcases good footwork in his drop, does a nice job keeping his feet under him and wastes little motion when asked to click and close on the ball. He displays a good feel in coverage and looks natural when asked to read and react in zone coverage and close on the football . . . the biggest knock on Spievey is his lack of a second gear when asked to turn and run downfield. He demonstrates above-average fluidity when asked to transition out of his drop but struggles to get back up to speed quickly and seems to get too upright when asked to run vertically downfield . . . Overall, he's a tough corner who can tackle, press and find the ball in both off-man and zone coverage but will struggle when asked to turn and run with speed downfield.
SI.com grades Spievey as a 2.65; a "future starter".
Analysis: Spievey has been a terrific player at Iowa the past two seasons and has the skills necessary to develop into a second cornerback on the NFL level. He's a top-100 pick who should see action in nickel packages as a rookie in the NFL as he completes his game.
As always, there's a lot of contradiction here: Spievey either has "good feel or "isn't instinctual", either "wastes little motion" or "is inefficient", either "doesn't have great power and pop" or is the best tackling corner ever. However, there is a consensus picture: he's really, really good until he has to turn and chase—but if he can improve that dimension of his game, he’s a complete player with high upside.
It's difficult to say what "scheme" the "Lions run" when it comes to the secondary, since between injuries and lack of talent, the Lions were pushed up to, and beyond, the breaking point. They 2009 in all-hands-on-deck panic mode against Drew Brees and the Saints, and then lost Ko Simpson, Eric King, Jack Williams . . . the starters were terrible, and they were losing their injury replacements to injury.
It’s reasonable to assume that given healthy, quality defensive personnel, the Lions would use more man-to-man, to allow their safeties to be more aggressive blitz. Then again, it’s reasonable to assume that the Lions will be deploying their safeties in 2-deep umbrellas, as Gunther turns up the wick on OLB pass rushing.
Either way, the Lions like their defensive players to be multidimensional; no player should limit what the defense can do. They’ll expect him to learn what he doesn’t know, and improve where he’s lacking. The stuff they care most about: smart, big, tough, physical, aggressive, but doesn’t make the big mistakes—and learns from them when he does, that stuff’s all there.
The comparison Lions fans leap to is nasty, physical Tennessee CB Cortland Finnegan; I hesitate to compare any third-round rookie to a perennial Pro Bowler. But Finnegan needed a few years to develop his game, and if we give Spievey enough time, he may get there as well. Of course, why bother waiting and seeing when we can know right now?
We consult the most authoritative oracle, the Solomonic arbiter of future NFL success: YouTube Highlight Reels!
Observe the "snap-back" (Gunther's phrase for the motion DeAndre Levy’s tackling victims) at the two hits Spievey delivers at the 1:10 mark here :
Here’s the NFL Network’s Draft Recap breakdown of Spievey. These are some great clips here, and we see Spievey make some excellent plays on the ball. What struck me most was his awareness of where he is on the field, his understanding of angles, and his instincts to turn INTs upfield and make plays. You see his background as a runningback and kick returner in his open-field vision, too.
Here, also, is the 2009. IOWA. DEFENSE. SIX. SECONDS. OF. HELL. In the 4 minute video, six seconds is about all we see of Spievey (check 2:52), but it’s still worth a look-see.
After all that killer rawk music, I'm totally amped to go play some Quake II or something! Anyway, the upshot is that Amari Spievey is an unusually tough, smart, motivated player, who has the technique, strength, instincts, and maturity to compete for a starting job right away—and acquit himself well, for a rookie. Moreover, the giant smoking crater that is the Lions’ depth chart at the cornerback position will give Spievey the opportunity to do exactly that: compete for a starting job right away.
The issue will be whether or not he can hold up in man-to-man coverage on the outside. As a nickel corner, I think he’d be a plug-in impact player. But I have a sneaking suspicion he ends up on the outside right away, where he’ll be repeatedly tested by Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, and, let’s face it, Brett Favre.
Spievey's saving grace for 2010 might be Louis Delmas. If Amari plays the same right cornerback position he did in college, he should (if memory serves) have Delmas behind him more often than not, allowing Spievey to be aggressive and physical—and therefore, effective.
Will James was a similarly-built, excllent the-play-in-front of him tackler last season. But, his rotten coverage skills, and the rottener safety play behind him, forced the Lions to play him ten, twelve, or even fifteen yards off the ball; practically at safety depth. You can’t be a physical, press corner if the wideout is in lined up in the next zip code.
To that end, I want to mention something interesting: TJ, from Lions blog The Mane Point, saw that Spievey was initially listed on the Lions’ official roster at DetroitLions.com as a safety. It’s since been changed back to corner—but given his skill set, and the Lions’ similarly smoking crater next to Delmas, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Spievey flex a little between corner and safety.
Long term, the outlook is extremely bright. There’s no question in my mind that Spievey possesses all the physical tools to be an excellent all-around starting cornerback in the NFL, even if he’ll never achieve Champ Bailey status as a one-on-one cover man. He will be much better in 2011 than he will be in 2010—and, I believe, much better yet in 2012 than in 2010. The only problem for the Lions is, they need Future Amari Spievey to arrive in August.
On Friday morning, I awoke to an unpleasant surprise: my glasses were missing a lens. After twenty-odd minutes of tearing their perch on my bookshelf apart, I concluded that the Lens Gnomes had simply made off with it. Acute myopia, with a twist of astigmatism, renders me worthless without corrective lenses--but the rat race must be run. So, into work I drove, one eye closed.
Shopping from a list of nearby insurance participants, I called SEE Eyewear and got their earliest available appointment: 3:00 p.m. After a long hard day of squinting at computer code, I drove over there pirate-style. That's when they broke the bad news: they had no on-site lab, so the very earliest they could get me new glasses was Wednesday--maybe Tuesday, if God and UPS made a tiny miracle together. I had a Big Problem.
Fortunately, the good folks at S.E.E. (it's an acronym!) had a solution: they could sit me for a quick contact fitting, and I could wear trial lenses until the day my specs arrived. Easy-peasy, yes? No.
You see, I've had glasses since the first grade. I've never 'made do', never worn contacts, and never considered RK or LASIK. Going without my glasses would be like going without my nose; for the past twenty-three years I've never looked in the mirror and clearly seen one without the other. That nose has pad-shaped divots at the bridge, and my temples sport thin horizontal grooves. My glasses are a literally a part of me.
However, I had to face my face without them. A brief fitting session, and slightly-less-brief crash course on contact lens insertion, and the contacts were in.
My eyes felt more opened than they ever had before. My entire field of vision was clear. I could see all around me, wind wafting past my eyes, my face relieved of a polycarbonate burden it had borne for decades. Everything was new again! You couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I walked around looking at things. Mrs. Inwinter exclaimed that in our twelve years together, she'd never looked into my eyes knowing I was looking back--until now. It seemed like a wondrous new world had opened up for me . . . then I realized: this is what it's always like for everybody else.
The Detroit Lions are facing a similar crossroads. After the incredible burden of 0-16, the glorious celebration when that burden was cast off, and two straight offseasons of talent addition, the Lions cannot go into this season hoping to win a single game, or even win a game or two more than last. No, the Lions have assembled a talented roster, with legitimate talent on both sides of the ball. The veterans will be expected to play as they have, and the youngsters will be expected to produce up to their potential. A 3-13 season will be a disappointment, not a thrilling sign of what's to come.
You can see it best, perhaps, in the defensive line: Jason Hunter. Jared DeVries. Landon Cohen. Turk McBride. Andre Fluellen. These guys are good players; they certainly belong on an NFL roster. But Sammie Hill, Corey Williams, Ndamukong Suh, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Cliff Avril take up five spots, and seventh-rounder Willie Young should catch on. That leaves three, maybe four, more spots for five players. A player who is good enough to play in the NFL will be released, because they aren't good enough to play for the Lions.
As Uncle Ben told us, with great power, comes great responsibility--and with great potential, comes great expectations. It's assumed that second-year quarterback Matthew Stafford will take a big step forward. It's assumed that Vanden Bosch and Nate Burleson will step in and produce. It's assumed that both Lions first-rounders, Suh and Jahvid Best, will step in and be the impact players they were in college. If these players don't step up, there are going to be some serious grumblings from the fans--and presumably, the owner, since he's on the hook for these players' staggering contracts.
If they do, the Lions will have, at minimum, a legitimate NFL offense: everyone running with the ones is either an established NFL starter, or a first-round pick of the last three years. It's tempting to start pencilling in pinball numbers for this newly-legitimate Lions offense, but then it hits you: this is what it's always like for everybody else.
The Lions, like Pinocchio, have cast off their strings and become Real Boys, but now they face real dangers, difficulties, and pitfalls. Yes, it's terrible coming off of an 0-16 season. Yes, it's terrible being the butt of every joke. But, there's also something easy about that, something safe: a real team, with real expectations of competitiveness, doesn't come back out of the locker room for an extended curtain call because they won a game. Those days are over, thank God, but it's a mixed blessing: there's no longer nowhere to go but up.
We no longer view this team through the glasses of perennial loserdom. We no longer see them as a ragtag bunch of misfits for whom victory is a rare and treasured accident, we see them as they are: a very young, talented team with a lot of potential--and a whole lot to prove. It's been a long time since we've been able to take the Lions at face value, but now, as full-roster OTAs begin, it's time. Let's take the blue-colored glasses off, step into the warm spring sun, and see the Lions as they truly are.
Last offseason, I did a little research on the Lions’ secondary problems. It seemed to me that there’d been an “overhaul” back there every year, going as far back as I could remember. I looked it up, and was horrified. Starting with the season-ending injuries to CB Bryant Westbrook and S Kurt Schultz during the 2000 season, the Lions have brought in two or more new starters in almost every subsequent year:
2001: Signed CB Todd Lyght, CB/S Robert Bailey, and S Chidi Iwouma. Subtracted S Corwin Brown, CB Darnell Walker, and CB Marquis Walker.
2002: Drafted CB Andre Goodman and CB Chris Cash; signed S Corey Harris, S Brian Walker, CB Eric Davis, and S Bracey Walker. Subtracted Terry Fair, Ron Rice, Kurt Schultz, Robert Bailey, and Chidi Iwouma.
2003: Signed CB Dre' Bly, CB Otis Smith, and drafted S Terry Holt. Subtracted Todd Lyght and Eric Davis.
2004: Signed CB Fernando Bryant, S Brock Marion, S Vernon Fox, and drafted CB Keith Smith. Subtracted Brian Walker and Corey Harris.
2005: Signed S Kennoy Kennedy, CB R.W. McQuarters, and S Jon McGraw; drafted CB Stanley Wilson. Subtracted Brock Marion and Chris Cash.
2006: Drafted S Daniel Bullocks and signed CB Jamar Fletcher. Subtracted Andre Goodman, R.W. McQuarters, Bracey Walker, and Vernon Fox.
2007: Drafted S Gerald Alexander, CB A.J. Davis, and CB Ramzee Robinson; signed CB Travis Fisher. Subtracted Dre Bly, Terry Holt, Jamar Fletcher, and Jon McGraw.
2008: Traded for CB Leigh Bodden, and signed S Dwight Smith, S Kalvin Person, and CB Brian Kelly. Subtracted Fernando Bryant, Kennoy Kennedy, and Stanley Wilson . . . and Brian Kelly.
2009: Drafted S Louis Delmas, traded for S Ko Simpson, and signed CB Philip Buchanon, CB/S Anthony Henry, CB Eric King, and S Marquand Manuel. Subtracted Leigh Bodden, Travis Fisher, and Dwight Smith.
This list ins’t meant to be comprehensive; any player prior to 2009 on the list played in at least ten games for the Lions. in ‘09 and ‘10, I included any player who was expected to make a significant contribution to the team. This is why players like CB Jahi Word-Daniels, a practice-squadder briefly activated to fill an injury-opened roster spot, aren’t on there.
However, there are some seemingly-insignificant players who might play a role when the curtain goes up on the 2010 season, like CB Jack Williams. Williams, a fourth-round pick in his second season, was signed after Week 7 last year, when the Broncos released him. He blew his left ACL on his first play as a Lion, and was placed on Injured Reserve. He’s a talented young corner who could immediately push King and Spievey if healthy—but we have no idea how healthy he really is.
As it stands, though, we’re right on track for another overhaul this time next year. Chris Houston, as promising and young as he is, was still replaced and traded after his disappointing 2009 performance. Amari Spievey (yes, Meet the Cubs piece on him coming soon) is going to step in and play, but every cornerback has a year or two of ramp-up time. The only possible long-term answer to the #2 safety problem is Daniel Bullocks, but who knows what he’ll be able to contribute?
Eric King, in my humble estimation, doesn't belong anywhere near the starting lineup.
Though the uncapped UFA bonanza is over, and the draft is long in the books, there IS one possible acquisition left out there; one possible target who could forestall multiple-starter secondary churn next season. O.J. Atogwe, the St. Louis Rams’ excellent young ballhawk, has refused to sign his RFA tender—meaning he’ll become an unrestricted free agent come June 1st. As Twitterer @Msu4Us pointed out, Atogwe is from Windsor, so if there’s any “childhood fan” mojo, it’ll likely be for the Lions . . .
On the other hand, the Lions’ front office has already spent a ton of the Fords’ money this offseason, and Atgowe will likely command a fortune on the unrestricted market. Unless the Lions are convinced that Atogwe is THE answer to their defensive problems, I don’t anticipate that dramatic of a move.
No, the likely answer is that one of the amassed throng of mediocre safeties will have to scale the mountain of bodies before them, and plant their flag at the summit . . . where it will stay until next season, when the roster dynamite levels the mountain, and the annual secondary rebuild begins.
As I nurse the last of my very tiny bottle of Patron, closing out the World's Smallest Cinco de Mayo party, I'm thinking about what is currently tomorrow--but in fifteen minutes will be today [sorry, it’s today now—Ty].
What I'm getting to, here, is Thursday: the first media-viewable Organized Team Activity. We should be seeing a flurry of articles, photos, and reports of the new Lions veterans: Vanden Bosch, Burleson, Williams, Houston, Scheffler, and the rest. As excited as we all are about the rookies--and excited, we should be--it's these veterans that are going to be the difference between 2-14 and, maybe, respectability in 2010.
This will be the first chance we get to see these Lions, though not with our own eyes. Without the newness and uncertainty of last season’s OTAs, without the shame of 0-16, these practices should be all-positive affairs. There’s no searching for a direction or wondering who’ll fit in. There already IS a direction; the only concern is moving forward, getting better.
I’m curious to see if the new blood will revitalize the practices, with high-energy guys like Vanden Bosch and Scheffler ,who are legitimately excited to be here, setting a higher tempo, pushing everyone around them to get better. I’m also curious to see the dynamics of leadership on defense . . . whose unit, now, is this? Shaun Rogers, Ernie Sims, Larry Foote, they’re all gone. Does Vanden Bosch command that kind of respect from Day One? What about Levy, Avril, or Delmas?
On another note, Gosder Cherilus is rehabbing from a knee surgery we didn’t know he had, to repair a knee injury we didn’t know he had. It’s tempting to retroactively blame some of his subpar performances on it, but knees don’t get flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
On another, other note, the Red Wings face elimination at home tonight. I am very sad about this. I’ve come to expect playoff hockey to fill the gap between the draft and Training Camp; now hockey might be over before veterans and rookies even take the field together. It’s just not right. Actually, what’s not right is professional hockey being played into July . . .
On another, other, other note, Ernie Harwell passed away. You won’t see any maudlin memorials in this space; I got all of my sadness out of the way back when his cancer was made public. No, I’m only feeling a gentle happiness at my memories of his voice, and Tiger baseball.
Here's the latest installment of the Lions Congregation, one of the best roundtable features . . . well, around! The men of the cloth congress and discuss several topic questions:
Now that they drafted Suh, what does our starting D Line look like?
Given the changes that have been made to the Lions roster so far in the off-season, what do you think are the strongest and weakest position groups?
Which Undrafted Free Agent(s) do you feel have the best shot to make the team, or even to camp?
Please, take note: two of the questions were submitted by laypeople--so if you have a question you'd like the Congregation to delve into, please submit it to lionscongregation@yahoo.com!
7.48, 255:Timothy Toone, Weber State WR About seven seconds into my research on Toone, I knew what we were in for. That catchy, alliterative name, plus a phonically germane nickname: “Tarzan.” Those incredible, flowing, straw-colored dreadlocks. His tiny FCS Utah school. His blazing speed, his special-teams prowess, and his legendary work ethic. Of course, his coveted “Mister Irrelevant” status as the final pick in the 2010 draft. All the elements are there, all the pieces are in place. Tim Toone is a mortal lock to be this year’s marquee inductee into the Lions Fan Hall of Fame. Immediately, my words from last year about Zack Follett came rushing back to me:
Zach Follett is going to be the next inductee into the Lions Fan Hall of Fame. Players like David Kircus, Scotty Anderson, Casey Fitzsimmons, David "Blue" Adams, Greg Blue, and Buster Davis have been drafted late (or signed as a UFA) by the Lions, made a big play or two in training camp or preseason, and become cult heroes--often, with fans insisting that these practice squadders and/or bench riders would be immediate upgrades over the current starters, if only they were given the opportunity. Zack Follett perfectly fits this profile; I have no doubt we'll be seeing Follett jerseys in the stands sooner rather than later.
The only way he could be any more perfectly qualified would be to have played at GVSU, or come up through the Detroit Public Schools system. Unfortunately, Toone hails from from Peoria, Arizona—where, despite being first-team All-State as a senior, he was unknown to Scout.com, and an unranked one-star recruit at Rivals.com. His senior year, he caught 37 balls for 1,125 yards, setting an all-time state record for YpC with 30.4. Thirty. Point. Four. Yards. Per. Catch. I love me some high school statistics.
It was difficult, but it helped me grow up. It made me more responsible. I had life goals after I came back from the mission. I knew how to work hard towards those goals.
Work hard he did, immediately making an impact as a deep threat. He had seven catches for 275 yards (39.3 YpC). Nine games in, he took over as punt returner, and in his first game he took a punt back 61 yards to the house.
As a redshirt sophomore, he was the team’s second-leading receiver, with 32 catches for 698 yards (21.81 YpC) and 10 TDs, tying the school’s single-season receiving TD record. Toone was named Honorable Mention All-Big Sky conference that year, but it was only a hint of what was to come. Over the next two seasons, Toole became the Wildcats' primary offensive threat: over the next two seasons, he averaged 83.5 catches, 1,314.5 yards, and 8.5 TDs--and was first-team All-Big Sky Conference in both seasons.
How does all that small-school success translate to the big time? Sports Illustrated grades Toone as a 2.05, a practice-squadder. Most of the information I can find agrees: at Weber State, Toone’s calling card was his blazing speed, but that speed is merely adequate at the next level. However, his technique, his willingness to go across the middle, his hands in traffic, routes, body control, they all grade very well. His lack of typical deep-threat size (5’-11”, 170 pounds) means that though he put up outlandish, ridiculous YpC numbers in college, he projects to the NFL as a sneaky, second-level possession receiver—one who’s very dangerous after the catch.
As for character . . . well, Toone grades highest of all in that category. Here’s a great ESPN TV interview of Toone, where they closed it out by asking how he’d apply the lessons learned in west Africa to his life in the NFL:
It's for Detroit, the team is for Detroit. To try to help them out, and do everything I can to make that city proud, and happy to be a Detroit Lions fan.
It’s not just his off-the-field exploits that show great character and work ethic. Here’s a little piece from the Deseret News, telling how Toone punished himself for loafing after an eight-catch, 135 yard, 2 TD performance that won his team the game:
I just was not playing like I usually do, so I had to go in there [the up-down circle]. I felt like I didn't block and do all that I needed to do, all the little things that count. Maybe if I would have blocked a little more, some big plays would have sprung and we wouldn't have been in that situation [to need a last-minute touchdown].
Wow.
Well, enough of that nonsense; let’s get to what really matters; the only true oracle of NFL success: YouTube highlight reels!
Subjectively, it’s hard not to love the hell out of this kid. Like I said, all the indicators, all the effort, all the character in the world. Looking at these clips, he’s obviously in a class by himself on this field, but his speed is far from breathtaking. However, his hands, routes, football sense, and open-field ability will certainly give him the inside track on impressing the coaches over, say Derrick Williams.
In fact, that's how I’d say Toone projects: as Derrick Williams’ replacement, if Williams doesn’t get his head screwed on straight. Sap away a little bit of Williams’ speed, and add all the common sense, sticky hands, and work ethic that he lacks, and it’s hard to see how the resultant player wouldn’t be Toone.
I'm not guaranteeing a roster spot for Toone, but I’ve said several times that neither Bryant Johnson, nor Dennis Northcutt, nor Derrick Williams appears to have any great future here as a Lion; any of them could be cut tomorrow and I wouldn’t be that surprised. A kid who’s put service, hard work, and team success above all else—including his own career? You absolutely want to see him succeed, and I think he’s got an excellent chance here.
A developmental quarterback who could push Stanton in camp.
A starting, three-down power runningback with speed.
A developmental power-blocking fullback, to complement Jerome Felton.
A left tackle, who could be groomed to replace Jeff Backus.
A power-blocking center, to be groomed behind Raiola.
A starting, disruptive pass-rushing DT to rotate w/Williams & Hill.
A starting, three-down, two-way defensive end, a la Kyle Vanden Bosch.
A developmental middle linebacker.
A starting, athletic, blitzing outside linebacker, a la Julian Peterson.
At least one starting cornerback.
A starting safety, who’s very strong in pass coverage.
I'll be reprising last year's Meet the Cubs series, so I won't go into depth on each pick just yet--but look at the way the Lions addressed those needs. In fact, I'd say they may have strayed from their "BATFAN" strategy. Of course, Suh was the consensus #1 overall prospect, and fit a need, so he was unquestionably the Best Available That Fits A Need. However, the move back up to get Best was an attempt to get a specific player to fill a specific need.
Given the undeniably special talent Best possesses, and the perfect fit he represents, it was a good move--but it wasn't just taking BATFAN when their pick came up. It's worth noting that I was wrong about the Lions and Best; it sounds like he was their target all along, as Killer had said. Rather than a power back with speed, they now have a home-run-hitting speed back, who's strong enough to hold up for three downs.
After the trade up for Best, the Lions stood pat throughout the second round, and into the third, finally taking Amari Spievey when their next pick came around. Spievey, arguably, wasn't the even consensus best corner on the board at that point. Again, I have no knowledge of the Lions' prospect grades, nor do I know what their assessment of their own cornerbacks. But in my eyes, it's undeniable: the Lions reached to fill a need, because the need was great, and later picks wouldn't fill it.
I'm not quite sure what to make of this. Am I wrong, and the Lions took the top player left on their board? Am I wrong, and the Lions don't see corner as an extreme need? Or, are the Lions beginning to see their roster one that has a few "holes" that must be "filled" instead of a lifeless vaccuum, desperate for any talent that can be found?
It could be any of those reasons--or all, or some, or none of those reasons. I wouldn't be the first to compare the Spievey pick to last year's controversial third-round choice, DeAndre Levy. Of course, Levy didn't take long to endear himself to the Lions' coaches and fans. But on the day he was drafted he still appeared to be a reach for a great need; I can only hope Spievey turns out as well as Levy.
The remaining picks appear to stick to the BATFAN philosophy-and in fact, did a very good job of getting intriguing prospects in the fourth and seventh rounds. When you add in the UDFA signing of FB Matt Clapp, the Lions came very close to snagging the entire shopping list--when I'd said it wouldn't be possible. Here's what's left:
A developmental quarterback who could push Stanton in camp.
A power-blocking center, to be groomed behind Raiola.
A starting, three-down, two-way defensive end, a la Kyle Vanden Bosch.
A developmental middle linebacker.
A starting, athletic, blitzing outside linebacker, a la Julian Peterson.
A starting safety, who’s very strong in pass coverage.
There's a little more information yet to consider: at one point, during the second day, Tom Kowalski reported via Twitter that there was a rumor that Cliff Avril had been traded to Miami for a fifth-round pick. Killer then called the Lions to confirm, and the Lions told Killer that:
After a few phone calls -- and a lot of stern denials -- it was clear the Lions were not trading Avril. In fact, the Lions actually are very happy with Avril's approach to the offseason. He showed up with an extra 10 pounds of muscle and has been working very hard during the offseason workouts. Avril, who has a better relationship with new defensive line coach Kris Kocurek than he did with the recently retired Bob Karmelowicz, has turned up his intensity.
Well, if that's all true, we can optimistically pencil in Avril as the starting left end. And, while we're at it, we can assume the Lions aren't interested in pushing Stanton, either--they didn't even sign a UDFA quarterback as a camp arm. Therefore, the remaining list looks like this:
A power-blocking center, to be groomed behind Raiola.
A developmental middle linebacker.
A starting, athletic, blitzing outside linebacker, a la Julian Peterson.
A starting safety, who’s very strong in pass coverage.
So, the Lions are only an outside linebacker and a free safety away from having a playoff-caliber starting lineup? Well, no. We're presuming that all of these free agent signees and drafted-to-start rookies actually step in and play at a high level, which never happens. My personal rule of thumb is that when a team acquires a player to step in and start, it works out about 50% of the time. So, take Suh, Best, Spievey, Scheffler, Sims, Houston, Burleson, Vanden Bosch, and Williams, and flip a coin for each. Anyone who comes up "tails", assume their role will be on next year's shopping list.
Have I depressed you? Sorry; I didn't mean to--and you shouldn't be depressed, anyway. The amount of talent the Lions have added in this offseason is impressive--and when you consider just how far the roster has come since I stared this blog, the day Mayhew and Lewand took over, it's nothing short of astonishing. Of course, it's all on paper until we see it on the field, but this draft did nothing to shake my faith that this time, things really will be different.
It took me longer than I meant to to get my draft plans figured out, but it’s now settled: I’ll be attending the creatively-named Draft Night Event at Ford Field. I’ll be seeing the sights and talking to people beforehand, and recording video live from the event. I’ll be trying to upload them and link to them as the night goes on. Hit me up on Twitter if you’re there—and if you aren’t camera shy, you might even get to be “famous”!
And by "famous", I mean you will get to be on the Internet. Which like, you probably already are. But you know, more on the Internet.
Also, if my laptop isn’t confiscated and the WiFi holds up, I’ll be part of the Mlive.com NFL Draft Live Blog, along with Phil, Killer, Schottey, and the rest of the gang. I’ll be posting up the video links there, too, so if you’re following along, you won’t miss out. Failing that, I will of course be Tweeting the everlovin’ love out of it @lionsinwinter.
The fourth round of my quasi-mock will be up before the afternoon is out, but I’m not going to do the seventh. Besides being a massive effort, with so many selections and too many players to scout, there’s nearly zero chance that the Lions stand pat throughout the fifth and six rounds while they have four seventh-rounders burning a hole in their pocket. I anticipate that those picks will be used as trade lubricant, and the draft board will start changing rapidly come Saturday.
I love making the pilgrimage to the stadium, there's really nothing like it. Connecting with the fans, hearing the cheers, feeling the excitement, spotting jersey fails, and spotting jersey wins—like the old guy in an authenic Lem Barney throwback I saw last year. Paying like $13 for a Labatt and a Kowalski, soaking in the tepid rays of the Detroit sun, even indoors . . . it’s awesome. I can’t wait to capture the moment when they draft Ndamukong Suh on video—and I can’t wait to share it all with you!
A developmental quarterback who could push Stanton in camp.
A starting, three-down power runningback with speed.
A developmental power-blocking fullback, to complement Jerome Felton.
A left tackle, who could be groomed to replace Jeff Backus.
A power-blocking center, to be groomed behind Raiola.
A starting, disruptive pass-rushing DT to rotate w/Williams & Hill.
A starting, three-down, two-way defensive end, a la Kyle Vanden Bosch.
A developmental middle linebacker.
A starting, athletic, blitzing outside linebacker, a la Julian Peterson.
At least one starting cornerback.
A starting safety, who’s very strong in pass coverage.
So, let's go shopping. With each pick, I’ll give you the players who could fill the above needs, and then rank ‘em as I feel the Lions have them ranked, based wholly on my own ill-informed opinion.
I've been banging the Suh drum for quite a while, though not as long as some. The fact of the matter is, he's the best overall prospect in the draft, and--just like Calvin Johnson a few years ago, the Lions are going to be in position to get the best player in the draft, because the #1 overall team will take a quarterback. Don't stress if the Rams, as rumored, trade down--nobody's going to give up the necessary king's ransom to move up to 1.1, just so they can turn around and hand a defensive tackle eighty million dollars. Even if, through some ridiculous machinations, Suh goes #1 overall, the Lions will hold all the cards to trade down. So don't stress.
Berry, I'm not sold on. I haven't watched much of his play, but have heard rumblings from those who have that he's still more "jawdropping potential" than "actually a phenomenal safety". Besides, building the defense around two athletic, playmaking, gambling, hitting safeties seems like putting the cart before the horse, especially given the salaries involved. But, a not-insignificant school of thought holds that Berry is the best player in this draft, or the second-best behind Suh, and he inarguably fills a need on the shopping list. Ergo, I place him at 2, over my own objections.
McCoy, I still don't think is the right fit for the scheme--but Schwartz has said there isn't as much separation between Suh and McCoy as everyone thinks, and these two are clearly the two best non-QB prospects in the draft.
Okung, everyone knows my feelings about. When Mayhew was asked if Okung was clearly the best tackle in the draft, Mayhew said he thought there were "two best tackles in the draft," and refused to elaborate. Some have speculated the Lions would prefer Trent Williams, but from what I've read, Williams is a little stiff in pass protection, and needs a lot of technique work. No, I think the more complete LT is Bryan Bulaga. I know he's not the elite ÜBERTAKKEL that everyone has been screaming for since Lomas Brown, but to be brutally, brutally honest, folks, I think the Lions would be happy to Jeff Backus with Next Jeff Backus.
Round 2, Pick 2 (#34 overall): Ryan Mathews, Fresno State RB
While most have the Lions ready to take Jahvid Best if he's there, Mathews is the "power back with speed" the Lions truly covet, not the "speed back" that Best is. I Tweeted Sports Illustrated's Peter King about this, and he said the Lions brass would "do handsprings" if Mathews was there for them at 34.
Kareem Jackson didn't get the attention that his partner, Javier Arenas, did--but Jackson is the much more NFL-ready prospect, even if he isn't quite as head-turning of an athlete. He's a much headier, smarter, more polished cornerback--exactly the kind of Jackson, like Mathews, is about a 50/50 shot to be there for the Lions--essentially, if the Chargers take Mathews, Jackson should fall, and if the Chargers take Jackson or Rutgers CB Devin McCourty, Mathews should fall.
In the unfortunate scenario where Mathews, Jackson, and McCourty are all gone, it's hard to count out Jahvid Best. Best was an absolutely lethal tailback before his frightening neck injury; Scott Linehan's word "eraser" almost doesn't do him justice. Personally, I still question his size, and between-the-tackles mojo. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Lions aren't as high on Best as everyone thinks. That leads me to my next possibility . . .
Everson Griffen is cut right from the Schwartzian cloth: 6'-3", 273, technique, speed, great against the run and a gifted pass rusher. The only reason I hold back my prediction on him--the fourth(ish) option instead of the first or second--is that I don't think he possesses the high-motor, high-IQ psychological profile that Schwartz and Cunningham love. But it's undeniable that he, physically, is a perfect fit.
Roger Saffold is a very versatile guard, who's frame and skill set remind some of Branden Albert, the famed one-that-got-away-when-we-passed-on-him-and-got-Gosder-Cherilus-instead-even-though-Albert-hasn't-been-very-good-at-LT LT. Saffold would fill the swing guard/tackle role that Daniel Loper vacated, and might push Jon Jansen out the door.
Round 3, Pick 2 (#66 overall): Corey Wootton, Northwestern DE
2. Chris Cook, Virginia CB, 2b Brandon Ghee, Wake Forest CB
3. Ricky Sapp, Clemson LB
4. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Indiana CB
5. John Jerry, Mississippi OG
This pick is going to turn some heads, but everything I read about Corey Wootton just SCREAMS Jim Schwartz. He’s extremely smart, very driven, extremely high motor, perfectly framed at 6’-6”, 270, has first-round tools but fell due to an injury that hampered his senior year, a true three-down, two-way monster. The troubling thing is that the Lions would be turning down a step-in-and-start cornerback, and they need at least one, but remember what I said? There are too many needs. They’re not going to fill all the needs, they’re going to take the best player on their board.
#2 is kind of wishful thinking; most mocks I've seen have Cook going in the low second. But, his combination of physicality and football IQ are in the Schwartz mold, and his excellent size (6'-2") and speed (4.46) should help him make up for his lack of polished technique. He can also flex between corner and safety, so the Lions can use him as needed—and really, they need two of him! Ghee is a guy who could go anywhere from the late first to the mid-third, from what I’ve seen, but he’s also fast and loves to hit.
I've been trying and trying to figure out who Gunther's "nobody else thinks I can do what I think this guy can do" linebacker is, and I think I have it narrowed down to two: Clemson LB Ricky Sapp, and Washington's Donald Butler. Either would have the blend of size, speed and high-impact tackling that the Lions want. I'll put Sapp here . . .
Awkasi Owusu is the consolation prize if neither Cook or Ghee fall. Another big (6’-0”, 207), fast (4.47) CB/S flex guy, Owusu has excellent ball skills—and is a great returner, both on special teams and after the interception. He’s a D2 guy, so he’ll need some time to develop. but as with Sammie Hill, the Lions aren’t afraid to take the guy from the small school.
Okay, Google disabled my account again, and I've run out of time. No round four, but keep an eye out for Donald Butler, Washington LB, Awkasi Owusu-Ansah, Indiana CB, Ciron Black LSU OT/OG, Mitch Petrus, Arkansas OG/OC, and John Connor, Kentucky FB.
Late last night, word finally broke on Twitter—sorry, hundreds at the same time, no idea who was first—that the 
Posts
