I wanted to touch base, let everyone know what’s been going on, as I’ve been posting irregularly here at SLR. I’m sure you’re asking, “Big Al, why so quiet when it comes to the Lions?”

1. There’s very little in the way of Lions news right now. By very little, I mean absolutely none. Seriously, there’s not a thing to report, or comment upon. If there is a dead time in the 365/24/7 NFL, we’re in it.

2. Ian, a very good friend, put his trust in me to run his popular Detroit Tigers blog, Bless You Boys, while he’s out of the country.  Ian’s done a great job at building readership, and I don’t want to screw up his hard work. As you might guess, it being in the middle of baseball season, ByB takes a fair bit of my attention in writing posts, and participating in game threads. I’ll be helping out there through this weekend.

3. The Red Wings and Pistons are in the middle of epic playoff runs, and hey, I am a big fan of both teams! (As I write this, both are losing in their respective games, DAMMIT!) I’m watching both series closely, and commenting upon them often at TWFE. In other words, 3 of Detroit’s pro teams are going gangbusters news wise, while the Lions are essentially dark.

4. I’m rolling around some ideas as to how I want to write about the Lions as we get closer to camp.

So there will be activity as SLR, as the Lions warrant coverage.  Right now, they don’t warrant much, save for when they insult their fans or do something else insanely stupid. Give it time, it’s not a matter of if the Lions will do something idiotic, it’s only a matter of when…

With mini-camp underway, we are finally getting a trickle of news from the Lions. and it’s not of the “email telling fans to fuck off” sort.

More //sarcasm on// good news //sarcasm off// on the player personnel front. Ernie Sims, one of the few players on the Lions considered to be Pro Bowl material, had to undergo shoulder surgery. No one’s talking as to when, or how, Sims was hurt.

Sims is reluctant to discuss the injury to his right shoulder, or even when it occurred last season.

“To be honest, I don’t know exactly what game it was,” Sims said Wednesday. “It was something I was playing with. It’s something I had to play with. It was probably about half the season.”

One little throwaway line concerns me…

“I don’t want to push it,” Sims said. “I believe I’ll be ready for camp.”

“Believe I’ll be ready?” Considering camp is approximately 2 months away, I would hope so. If Sims isn’t ready, the Lions have MAJOR issues at a position at which they are already extremely thin.

Finally, we have some GOOD news. Remember the Lions’ kick ass throwback unis? The solid Honolulu bluejerseys with solid silver pants and helmets from their 1950’s glory days? The really cool unis the Lions replaced with their horrific, arena football-like, porn ’stached goon approved, black jerseys? They’re coming back!

Now this is a classy uni. Screw Millen’s Raiders inspired black alternates…

The Lions will wear their old throwback uniforms for two games this season as part of their 75th anniversary celebration.

Plain silver helmet. Plain Honolulu blue and silver jersey. Plain silver pants and blue socks.

The Lions will wear them Nov. 9 against Jacksonville, when they unveil their 75th anniversary team, and for their Thanksgiving Day game Nov. 27 against Tennessee.

Even better news is the throwbacks will become the 3rd uniform, the alternate worn on special occasions like the Thanksgiving Day game. We will no longer see Millen’s black jerseys, at least for the foreseeable future.

Thank fucking God!

According to Mlive’s Killer Kowalski, Drew Stanton is still having issues throwing the ball. To say he’s inconsistent is being generous. Just ask the man running the offense, Jim Colletto…

Today, he didn’t throw an interception so that was a huge plus,” said Lions offensive coordinator Jim Colletto after Wednesday’s morning workout.

It makes you wonder how many picks Stanton has been throwing up to this point! And there was this confidence inspiring bon mot from Colletto as well…

“I kind of close my eyes and don’t pay attention,” Colletto said with a smile.

Um, yeah. That’s encouraging as all Hell. (Big Al says, comment dripping with saracsm…) This is the QB of the future and offensive coordinator, folks! Good Lord…

In some ways, the Detroit Lions are the most consistent team in the NFL. They are always inept, always clueless, always make the wrong move, always say and do the wrong thing. We have seen their latest misstep, and it’s par for the Lions’ course.

As reported by Oakland Press columnist Pat Caputo, a Lions season ticket holder who had several promises broken in regard to where his seats in Ford Field would be located, received an email from an employee of their ticket office. A message that was meant for internal eyes only.

But the pesky “reply all” button came back to bite the Lions in the ass. Within the email was a statement that reveals the Lions’ philosophy towards their long suffering, long abused and long milked for cash fanbase.

“Fuck ‘em until next year”

I’ll repeat it, for emphasis…

“Fuck ‘em until next year”

Once again, just because the Lions deserve to be embarrassed.

“Fuck ‘em until next year”

One more time, just because.

“Fuck ‘em until next year”

As a long-time fan of the Lions, I question my sanity all I can say is I’m not surprised. Nothing the Lions do surprises me at this point. If there is a way to screw up, to shoot themselves in the foot, the Lions will find a way.

As if they realized telling the fans to fuck off was quite enough, Lions money man, VP and COO Tom Lewand, decided to raise the ineptness bar. When Caputo followed up with the Lions about the email…

Lions executive vice president and chief operating officer Tom Lewand vehemently disagreed with my contention there is a correlation between the tone set by Ford and Millen — and this incident.

“If you write that, it will be factually incorrect and bordering on slander,” Lewand said. “And I will come after you.”

Amazing! Talk about thinking on your feet! Lewand, knowing the Lions have a history of making bad situations worse, threatens a B-level newspaper columnist and sports talk radio host with slander! Lewand came through in the clutch…unlike any of the Lions’ players.

So Lewand says anyone connecting the losing attitude that prevails in throughout every area of the Lions front office to the epic failures that are William Clay Ford and Matt Millen is committing slander?

Here’s the definition of “slander”

–noun
1. defamation; calumny: rumors full of slander.
2. a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report: a slander against his good name.
3. Law. defamation by oral utterance rather than by writing, pictures, etc.

In regard to legitimate criticism, you’d think the Lions would have a thicker skin by this point. But in their small, greedy, dimwitted minds, if anyone has the WRITTEN OPINION the Lions take their apparent disdain for their own fans direct from the top, namely the owner and GM, they would consider giving our WRITTEN OPINION to be committing slander? Please. Get a damn grip.

Well, here are some facts. You can’t say any of the following is slander.

• The Lions have failed to make the playoffs since a porn ’stached goon named Matt Millen took over as president and GM.
• The Lions have won a single, solitary playoff game in William Clay Ford’s 40+ years of ownership.
• They raised ticket prices, even though their fans are in desperate financial straits.
• They are one of the few NFL franchise to have never made the Super Bowl.
• The TV networks think so little of the Lions, and their chances, their only nationally televised appearance will be on Thanksgiving Day.
• Since Ford took over, not a single fired Lions’ head coach has been the head coach of another NFL team.
• The Lions were the first NFL team to lose to an AFL team.
• The only Lions head coach of the Ford era to have an overall winning record, Joe Schmidt, walked away from the job rather than have to deal with Ford crony GM Russ Thomas.

There’s plenty more facts supporting the opinion the Lions are the worst franchise in all of sports, but I think you get my point. From top to bottom, from the front office to the field, the Lions have been, and will remain, an epic failure.

Put simply, Willaim Clay Ford = epic fail. That’s just my opinion, by the way. An opinion shared by the entire Lions fanbase.

You’d think their biggest concern would be having a winning team in Ford Field. Yet they seem more concerned with columnists bad mouthing the team owner, and telling their fans to essentially fuck off and die…until next year. When the circle of fail will begin again.

And that’s a sad God damn fact.

You may have heard the those of us living in the great state of Michigan are going through tough financial times. “Tough” is an understatement. We’re in a big time recession.

The auto industry is the lifeblood of this state, and it’s bleeding cash and jobs profusely. High paying jobs are leaving this area by the thousands, never to return. Even the presidential candidates are saying as such.

Unemployment and home foreclosures are rampant. The real estate market has tanked. Discretionary income is hard to find for many people, including fans of the local pro teams. Which leads me to the Detroit Lions…

Earlier this year, after 7 consecutive losing seasons, while we’re in the midst of an economic crisis, the Lions raised ticket prices. One Hell of away for a franchise to thank their overly loyal fan base going through extremely tough financial times.

“Sorry you fans are having such a tough time financially. By the way, we increased 83% of our season-ticket prices. That $70 ticket is now $90. Will that be credit card or check?”

Assholes.

Fast forward to this week…

As you might image for a franchise that’s best known for losing, and losing a lot, season tickets aren’t exactly a hot item in Detroit. Who wants to pay top dollar to see a team run by a inept moron? Not very many, as season ticket holders are canceling in droves.

In an admission they my have made a mistake in raising prices, the Lions announced a new season ticket program. For the first time ever, they are offering split season packages. 5 games, 4 regular season and 1 useless exhibition, rather than the normal 10.

What was the Lions spin on their having to split season ticket plans in half to make them remotely affordable? Lions’ chief operating officer Tom Lewand spun like a spinning wheel…

“The biggest driver here is our local economy,” Lewand said today. “The loyalty that our fans have shown is nothing short of phenomenal.”

Lewand than had to GALL to add…

“The Fords have always been proponents of affordable options.”

What a load of bullshit! The Lions are literally talking out of both sides of their mouth. You raise ticket prices, then claim to be proponents of affordable options? Please. We fans may be NFL sheep, but we aren’t stupid.

And don’t even being the richer than God Ford family into this. To them, saving money means buying domestic caviar instead of imported. Don’t insult me by claiming they want to make an inferior product like the Lions “affordable.”

Call a spade a spade. You are having trouble selling 10 game season ticket plans, much in thanks to your ill-thought out raise in prices. A fanbase that that is both broke and unhappy with your product isn’t conducive to selling tickets. So in order to undo some of the damage, you have to offer mini-plans.

If you are going to bend the fans over, at least be truthful about it.

In today’s Freep, columnist designated hit man declares there’s one way Rod Marinelli can be sure to save his job. No, it’s not making the playoffs, or even just winning more games than he loses. Sharp thinks Marinelli’s one jab saving card to play is…Starting Drew Stanton at QB.

And that’s a commitment to Stanton as the Lions’ new starting quarterback at some point next season.

They’re rebuilding this season.

The tone of their recent draft reflected that sentiment, regardless of Jon Kitna’s insistence that anything short of 10 wins this season — yet again — would be an extreme disappointment. It presents a conundrum that’s so vintage Lions — Kitna’s experience provides the best chance of avoiding 10 losses for the second straight season, but Marinelli must offer some semblance of legitimate advancement to quell growing suspicions that he’s overmatched as a head coach.

Insanity or genius? A little of both, actually.

I hate to say this, as I’ve railed against Sharp in the past, but he’s correct in this case. The Lions ARE rebuilding.

I’m one of those who believe Marinelli has been overmathced as a head coach. He’s proven over and over again to not be a very good game manager. Just think back to how often the clock has been mismanaged, time outs incorrectly used and unfathomable challenging of calls that had no chance of being overturned.

Meaning Marinelli is still growing into the position, and he needs more time. Time he can assuredly get himself if Stanton plays, and plays a lot. The Lions future isn’t Jon Kitna, it’s going to with another QB under center. I have no idea if that QB is Drew Stantoin, but the only way to find out is to play the kid.

As it stands now, the Lions have badly mismanaged Stanton. Putting him on the IR, essentially redshirting him for an entire season, was utter stupidity. His development has been delayed a year, and if Kitna takes most every snap in ‘08, they’ll be delaying it another year.

I have no idea is Stanton is capable of becoming a NFL QB, and I honestly think the Lions don’t either. It’s time to see what Stanton can do, and it may save Marinelli’s hide in the process.

As for Stanton, he was quoted this week saying Mike Martz left him more confused, than anything else.

“He changed everything, and I didn’t really understand why and I never really got explanations on how to work on it,” Stanton said. “It was one of those things, ‘Well, you’re just doing this wrong.’ ”

Stanton said he “felt robotic” and struggled to think about the offense while thinking about his mechanics.

Again, the utter folly of how the Lions and Martz handled Stanton’s development leaves me shaking my head. The kid sounds so confused, I hope his NFL career hasn’t been ruined before it’s even started. It’s new QB coach Scott Loeffler’s job to undo the mess Martz made of Stanton. He obviously has his work cut out for him.

Then again, we’re talking about Detroit, who haven’t had a Pro Bowl QB since Greg Landry was running and passing the Lions to mediocrity back in the early 70’s. Hoping Stanton can develop is probably moot. I think it’s safe to safe their streak of QB’s not making the Pro Bowl will continue unabated for quite some time to come.

Want to talk more about Stanton, or anything else regarding the Lions? Stop by he SideLion Report forums!

As I took a week long hiatus from SLR, I wanted to catch up on a few things. Namely, the draft and the Lions QB situation. what better way to do so than with another round of burning questions?

Big Al, you said you were going to write about the remaining second day draft choices. What’s up?

A couple of things. First off, the enthusiasm wasn’t there for me, as I’m not a draftnik. I have better things to do than research wide receivers from Wake Forest.

To be honest, I find writing about draft picks I’ve never heard of, and if you go by the Lions past track record, picks likely to not make much of an impact, let alone make the team, boring. On the lower round picks, I’d just be parroting information I found elsewhere on the web. I think I’m a pretty damn good blogger, and in my mind, that’s not blogging, that’s plagiarizing.

I don’t know if this makes me any less of a NFL fan, but the draft is a snoozer in my book. As much hype as the NFL draft gets, it’s one of the most boring exercises in all of sports. (though the NFL finally reducing the time between picks did help matters) Once you get out of the 3rd round or so, it’s a crap shoot. A crap shoot where the Lions normally roll snake eyes. Call me jaded, but I don’t have much hope in the Lions getting much out of those second day picks, good story (Such as in the case of West Point’s Caleb Campbell), or not.

I’ll feel much more comfortable writing about the Lions’ picks once training camp starts, and we see them in exhibition game action. Until that time, I’d only be guessing if these guys actually make the Lions any better.

On to other Lions issues…

At Mlive yesterday, Killer Kowalski wrote he now knows why Jon Kitna was adamant he would be the Lions QB in 2008. During drills. Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton have shown they aren’t close to being NFL ready. What does this mean for the Lions?

It means their putting Stanton on the IR last August for what was a minor knee injury, making his rookie year an utter and total waste, was a massive fuck up by the Lions organization. It also means their allowing Mike Martz to make J.T. O’Sullivan Kitna’s backup, taking snaps away from Orlovsky while knowing Martz was a lame duck, was an extremely short sighted decision.

It also means the Lions are up the proverbial creek without a proverbial paddle if Kitna goes down with an injury. Until the offensive line proves they are better than in 2007, Kitna missing time is not just a possibility, but a given.

As Orlovsky has been on the 3rd string most of his career, and Stanton was not allowed to practice after mid-August 2007, the Lions are left with 2 QB’s backing up Kitna whom they still don’t know are capable running the team. Unless clipboard holding is considered more important than taking snaps in practice and in games (And that’s ALL Orlovsky and Stanton did once the season started), the Lions are screwed if Kitna gets hurt.

So what should the Lions do, Mr. Know-it-all blogger?

During camp, I’d give Orlovsky and Stanton snaps till their hands bleed. In practice, in games, while playing Madden, I don’t care. You give the kids the ball, and see what they can do.

Kitna’s a veteran, the Lions already know what he can do. (How well Kitna will perform is a subject for another post) They only need to give the starting QB enough action during the exhibition season to keep him sharp. Kitna knows exactly what he needs to do to get ready for the regular season, so limit his snaps, and play the 2 backups AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

It’s amazing to think the Lions have had Orlovsky on the roster going on 4 seasons, and they still don’t know if he’s a capable NFL QB. Stanton remains a mystery as well, thanks to sitting their 2nd round draft pick in favor of Martz’s pet project, who’s nothing more than a career journeyman (and that’s being generous), O’Sullivan. Yet, thanks to Martz’s handling of the QB situation, that’s where the Lions stand.

For all the good Martz did, and he did do some nice things with the offense, he butchered the QB situation. From the sheer folly of using Josh McCown more as a receiver than a QB, the drafting of Stanton when there were other needs the Lions could have filled, allowing Kitna to take EVERY snap in 2006, rather than try and develop another QB, to putting all his faith in Kitna, who’s thrown more picks than touchdowns, Martz left the Lions QB position in shambles.

The army is going to let Caleb Campbell try out with the Lions. If he makes the team, Campbell will play in the NFL rather than actively serve, and become a recruiter. Some have taken offense to this, thinking it’s unpatriotic, and unfair to his West Point classmates, who may have to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan. Is Campbell in the wrong?

If the United States Army thinks Caleb Campbell, a legitimate NFL prospect, is best suited to serve his country as a public relations tool, instead of fighting overseas, who are we to argue? They make the rules, and Campbell is following them to the letter.

If he doesn’t make the Lions, Campbell goes back on active duty. He does, and Campbell will have an opportunity to buy out his commitment, and then serve in the Army Reserve. Either way, he’s serving his country.

The Army created this (I hate to use the term, but I can’t think of a better one) loophole for a reason. Be it to allow them to attract a better quality of high school athlete to the academy, or help overall recruiting during wartime, the Army wants their cadets to become pro athletes. So to think Caleb Campbell is shirking his duty is ludicrous.

As for those railing against Campbell…Well, let’s just say I don’t agree with their overly hawkish, conservative thinking. If they have an problem with the policy, take it up with the Army brass, not with a fine young man who has done absolutely nothing wrong.

Straight from the horse’s ass QB’s mouth…

“Our expectation is we will be disappointed if we don’t win 10 games,” he said today, when the Lions held their first Organized Team Activities session in Allen Park. “Because that will mean we’re not in the playoffs … I can’t make it any simpler than that. Anybody who says that’s not their expectations level is unfortunately not that much of a competitor.”

Yeah, yeah, whatever. did he learn his lesson after the debacle of last season? You know, where EVERY single solitary media member, writer, blogger and fan brings up your clueless braggadocio after every loss? In 2007, as the Lions were on their death spiral, every week Kitna’s 10 win prediction was brought up by someone in the media. It became a running joke, much like the Lions.

I know you want your starting QB to be confident. But there’s a difference between being confident and showing false bravado. Between bring cocky and being delusional. Between talking a good game and actually playing one.

In sports, all we have to go on is a player’s track record, their past history. To be blunt, Kitna’s track record blows. His past history shows he can lead a team nowhere further than .500. He’s an utterly mediocre QB playing for a bad team. The only thing I’m confident Kitna can do is turn the ball over. The LAST thing the Lions’ bible thumping QB needs to be doing is throwing the “10 wins” scenario out here for all to ridicule.

I like the fact Kitna is confident in his abilities. He has to be, because no one else is. But does he have to talk about 10 wins every God damn off season? why not say, “I hope to make the playoffs,” and leave it at that? Hell, I’d be happier if he was proselytizing, rather than bullshitting. Not that I’m thrilled with the Lions having a QB who feels he has to force his religion on people, but at least he wouldn’t constantly be putting his foot in his mouth by making predictions he, nor his team, can back up.

In fact, Kitna wasn’t talking big about the Lions season, he was also talking big about his keeping the starting job under center.

“When (starting center) Dominic Raiola’s in the game, I’ll be in the game,” Kitna said. “That’s how I know I’m up. When I see 51 go in, I go.”

When fans see 51 go in, we know to expect the worst, as 6 is soon to follow…as in “6 going the other way.”

I was feeling a tad burned out after the draft, so I needed a few days away to recharge my football batteries. You can expect some new content starting tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!

The 3rd round is where the Lions really need to make serious hay during the draft. Millen and Marinelli had 3 picks in a round where most teams expect to find contributors, if not starters. Sad to say, the Lions aren’t most teams.

That’s not to say the 3 picks will be busts, as all have NFL credentials. Hopefully the talent is there, but it’s not as if the Lions have mined gold in the draft’s 2nd day during the Millen era. They don’t get the benefit of the doubt from me, so I’ll have to actually see their picks produce before I can truly call this draft even remotely successful. As it is, there are some concerns…

3rd round (64th overall) Central Florida RB Kevin Smith

The Lions traded a 6th round pick in order to jump to the 1st pick of 3rd round. They used that pick on the prolific film director back, Kevin Smith. A talented runner who left college after his junior season, Smith put up Barry Sanders-esque type numbers during his final season at UCF.

Rushing yards: 2567
TD’s: 29
YPC: 5.7
Fumbles: 0
Carries: 450

There’s a reason 450 is in BOLD. That’s an insane amount of carries at ANY level for ANY back. We’re talking 450+ times being hit, 450+ times taking punishment. Even if that punishment was in Conference USA, not exactly known as a football power conference, is it any wonder Smith decided to turn pro? He’d have nothing left for the NFL if he returned to UCF for his senior season.

In regard to Smith’s workload, there’s an NFL corollary known as the “Curse of 370.” As taken from the excellent Football Outsiders…

The 370-carry theory is generally summarized as follows: “A running back with 370 or more carries during the regular season will usually suffer either a major injury or loss of effectiveness the following year, unless he is named Eric Dickerson.”

The most recent NFL back to suffer from the “Curse of 370″ was Seattle’s Shaun AIexander, who declined so badly in 2007, he was released by the Seahawks. I’m aware Smith’s high workload was at a lower level, and he didn’t suffer the punishment of your typical NFL back, but that’s a lot of wear on the legs for a kid coming out of college.

Despite that workload caveat, Smith should be a good fit for the Lions. He’s big and durable (Obviously), and can move the pile, with the main downside being he lacks big time speed. In other words, he’s a Marinelli type football player. It’s obvious the Lions wanted Smith, and wanted him badly.

Why? Because Smith’s depth chart competition is Tatum Bell, Brian Calhoun and Avieon Cason.

Let’s hope the durability carries over to the NFL, as the Lions need Smith to become their feature back.

3rd round (87th overall) Florida State DT Andre Fluellen

Fluellen is a bit undersized for a tackle at 6′-2″, 296 lbs. When compared to ex-Lion Shaun Rogers, he’s actually svelte. His draft stocked dropped due to suffering through an injury filled senior season, starting only 5 games. With his FSU pedigree, I’d expect Fluellen to play quite a as a rookie, as part of the defensive line rotation. Depth is always welcome on the line, and Fluellen should fit right in.

With the drafting of Fluellen to join the defensive line rotation, I think it’s worth noting the Lions had to find 2 players to take the place of one Big Baby. (When you factor in their signing of free agent Chuck Darby) I’m not saying it was a mistake to unload the rotund one, as he needed to go for the sake of locker room chemistry, but it left a massive roster void on the line.

The Fluellen pick also tells us the Lions don’t expect much production from Shaun Cody. The Lions now have Fluellen to take Cody’s place next to the veterans Darby and Cory Redding, the starters manning the middle of the defensive line. For a player who at one time was expected to be a starter (When you consider his status as a 2005 2nd round draft pick), I think it’s safe to say Cody can be considered another Millen drafted bust.

3ird round (92nd overall) Purdue DE Cliff Avril

Another tweener (Marinelli has a thing for them, it seems, if you go by the drafting of the undersized Jordon Dizon and Fluellen), Avril has linebacker size (6′-3″, 252), and was scouted by some NFL teams as such. But he was drafted by the Lions to be a pure pass rushing defensive end. With Dewayne White on right side, the hope is Avril will pressure the QB from the left side on 3rd downs (Unlike the long gone Kalimba Edwards), as at 252 lbs, he’s not going to be playing on running downs.

This is another pick with Marinelli’s fingerprints all over it, as Avril is a lineman he can hope to mold in the model of his players in Tampa. Unfortunately, the Sarge hasn’t shown he actually can mold Lions, if you go by the high dollar/high profile flameouts of Big Baby and Edwards. But Avril does fill a definite need, and that’s more than we can say about many past Lions draftees.

Overall Grade: B-

I know, it’s the same grade I gave the day one picks, but it feels right. All 3 players drafted in this round fill a need, as RB, DT and DE were positions everyone thought the Lions needed to target as early in the draft as possible. So Millen and Marinelli get a passing grade for that alone.

But the players targeted by the M & M boys all have caveats. There’s Smith with his massive rushing workload and lack of burner speed, along with the size issues in regard to Fluellen and Avril. The linemen could also be considered slight reaches. Again, mostly due to their being undersized for their respective positions.

The Lions needed to strike, if not gold, at least a valuable metal on the draft’s 2nd day. Going by their 3rd round, I’ll say they struck silver. Not bad, all in all…

Next: The final 4 picks

On day one of the 2008 NFL draft, the Lions filled needs. Glaring needs. Huge needs. Needs that could no longer be ignored. But they players they selected, Gosder Cherilus and Jordon Dizon, were both thought to be reaches by NFL draftniks.

The Lions believe they ended up with a pair of players who will be number one on the depth chart at their respective positions when the ‘08 season starts. I’m just not sure if it means the players the Lions drafted are that good, or the Lions are that bad.

1st round (17th overall) Boston College OT Gosder Cherilus:

Cherilus fills a huge need, as right tackle was nothing but a revolving door in 2007. A revolving door that couldn’t pass block, run block, or remember the snap count. Obviously, Churilus was the fall back plan with Derrick Harvey and Jerod Mayo went off the board early in the 1st round. With the defensive help they desired no longer available, the Lions traded back 2 spots in the 1st round, determining Cherilus was the better fit than the higher rated tackle going into the draft, Jeff Otah. From most accounts, Cherilus was considered a low 1st to early 2nd round talent, so he was a bit of reach by Millen and Marinelli.

Cherilus is a solid player, and should start immediately as a rookie at right tackle. So did left tackle Jeff Backus, who has been a solid pro, entrenching himself as the starter since his 1st NFL game. But he’s not a Pro bowl talent, yet the Lions are paying him like one. With Cherilus getting 1st round money, it gives the Lions bookend tackles who are decent, but not elite, yet are being paid as such.

As long as Cherilus remembers the snap count (George Foster, anyone?) and doesn’t eat his way out of game shape after getting a big money contract (Damien Woody, FTW!), the right side of the Lions offensive line will be in better shape in 2008 than in 2007. How much better is yet to be determined…

2nd round (45th overall) Colorado LB Jordon Dizon:

You cannot deny Dizon was a great college player, a Big 12 tackling machine. The question is, will his effectiveness carry over into the NFL? As he’ll be the Lions starting middle linebacker sometime before the end of the ‘08 season, let’s hope so. At 6′-0″, 229 lbs, many NFL running backs and wide receivers are bigger and faster than the undersized Dizon. (For example, Lions 3rd round pick, RB Kevin Smith, is 6′-1″ 217 lbs) You also have to wonder if he can fend off offensive linemen who are 100-125 lbs heavier.

Dizon was another reach for the M & M boys, as he was believed to be a 3rd round talent. But his “football intangibles,” the sort of thing Marinelli laps up like a cat does milk, are off the charts. Dizon is the anti-Boss Bailey, who was a great athlete, with size and speed to burn, but a lousy linebacker who couldn’t tackle. Dizon may not have near the same measurables, but his play on the field speaks volumes.

Still, he can’t help but be an upgrade over incumbent MLB Paris Lenon, who should not be starting in the NFL. In describing Dizon, I’ve heard comparisons to former Lions mainstay Chris Speilman, another over achieving linebacker. We can only hope Dizon, and his “intangibles,” allow him to have a Spielman-like career. Intangibles or not, you can’t teach size. And size is something Dizon lacks, and will have to overcome.

Overall grade: B-

It’s a big leap forward for the Lions, hoping to get more substance than sizzle in the draft.Thanks to the 1st two rounds alone, the Lions are better team today than they were last Friday. How much better depends on Rod Marinelli, as this draft has his fingerprints all over it.

The fact they drafted to fill obvious needs, needs continually patched or outright ignored during the Millen era, bumps their grade up a tad. It was refreshing to see after years of drafting skill player after skill player. But the fact both Churilus and Dizon could be considered marginal reaches at best, and huge mistakes in personnel judgment at worse, keeps me from getting too excited over the 1st two picks.

Next: The 3rd round picks