Archive for April 26th, 2009

But I’m hoping for an early Spring

(NFL.com) Stafford: Lions’ #1 pick

Mitch Albom wrote a masterful piece in Sports Illustrated several months ago that captured the essence of what Detroit has gone through after the 0-16 season, as well as the tough economic hardships the city has suffered over the years. Most fans would have long lost hope, but the Detroit faithful are loyal to a fault. After half a century of mediocrity, all this town asks for is a team that embodies the spirit of its people: a tough, blue-collar football team that is dedicated to running the ball and puts out a ferocious defense. In essence, we just want something similar to the situation in Baltimore and in Pittsburgh. The reason a person can’t walk a mile without hearing buzz about their team is because the Steelers and Ravens understand how to build a team the way their fans would build one.

We aren’t asking for flash or glitz, or even annual playoff berths, all we want is a team with whom we can identify.

Now, William Clay Ford, the man who apparently doesn’t understand that we are in a recession, ended up running Ford Motors into the ground, and has not ever been able to relate to the fans because of his upbringing, has put together a front office that absolutely doesn’t understand us.  If they did, I have little doubt that they would have ever flirted with picking Matt Stafford, the boy who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He grew up in Highland Park, Texas for heaven’s sake. That is the creme de la creme of Dallas’ high society. It’s not his fault for having that life. But it most certainly is the Lions’ fault for choosing him as the face of this franchise.

Is it any accident that Lions fans were head over heels in favor of selecting Aaron Curry as the number 1 overall pick of the 2009 Draft? Absolutely not!

(NFL.com) Aaron Curry-the People’s choice for #1

Was it a good business decision? Well, maybe not the best, but Curry was the kind of man that perfectly symbolized Detroit in every manner. The Lions could have rallied the fans around this young man, and they had the opportunity to demonstrate what should be most valued by this organization. Picking Curry would have stuck it to all the pundits and said “we value our fans, and we will build this team starting with a foundation of defense.” The number one pick symbolizes the direction that this team is headed in, and what the organization values most.

In an era where a sound understanding of the salary cap is king, the Lions threw more guaranteed money than the Falcons gave Matt Ryan last year. In a state where there is 12% unemployment, the Lions are spending money like there is no tomorrow. To put things in perspective, Tom Brady’s contract entitles him to somewhere around $25 million guaranteed. Stafford will be receiving $41 million over 6 years.

The Lions could have scored extra brownie points with fans by selecting Curry for somewhere around $15 million less than Stafford.

Instead, the Lions took the shortcut again and made strides to alienate the fans even more than 0-16.

It cannot be stressed enough, the fans of Detroit need signs that this time will be different than the Millen era (and all the eras before that). And the draft picks over the weekend gave little indication that we should expect much better out of Martin Mayhew than we did from Matt Millen.

The new regime said they ‘would build this team from the inside out,’ that they wanted to build through the trenches. How can you do that when you select only 2 linemen (4th round and 7th round). And what about that defense? Just one defender has been chosen in the first round since 2000, and this year did nothing to change that statistic. The selections were not bad by any means: Brandon Pettigrew, Matt Stafford, and Louis Delmas were the best at their positions in the draft. But the picks were not what was promised. The front office isn’t creating a team that represents us. And they haven’t reached the point where they are beyond reproach. Guys like Belichick and Parcells, you just don’t question because they have the rings to back up their decisions. The Lions have yet to earn such confidence. Until then, we will be skeptical, for better or for worse….

A friend created a site around the idea that the Lions are in a state of winter since they cannot escape the dire situation that has faced them for so long.

It might be a long winter…but I’m hoping for an early spring.

Pete Prisco of NFLDraftscout.com raved about the Lions’ draft, ultimately giving them an “A,” the second best grade of all the teams (then again, last year we got a grade of A, too). Sure it’s early to give out grades because we all know that it takes about 3 years to know what you have. But, besides me, there are those who are very positive about the Lions’ future. I sure hope that optimism can rub off on me sooner rather than later. Someone please give me a ray of sunshine because I want to believe that better days are on the horizon.

What Were They Thinking?

(NFL.com) Biggest tragedy of the Draft was letting Mr. Curry fall to number 4

Every year, a franchise makes one of those boneheaded decisions that makes you question their sanity,and you start to think maybe you would be a more competent drafter than these professionals. Well, needless to say, I had a few of those moments today.

The first surprise for me was the Chiefs selecting Tyson Jackson at #3. I was thinking: are you kidding me?  He is good, but you can’t tell me he is better than Aaron Curry, and up until last week, he was nowhere on the top 10 radar. Defensive linemen who cannot rush the passer do not deserve top 15 consideration. Jackson didn’t show the pass rush ability that Richard Seymour of the Patriots demonstrated on his way to becoming a number 6 pick.

Second, but not surprising to my readers was the befuddling decision of the Al Davis to select Darrius Heyward-Bey at #7. The guy is very raw, and should not have been chosen in the first round, let alone being chosen over Michael Crabtree as the top receiver of the draft. Apparently, speed demon receivers haven’t made much of a splash in the NFL because outright speed is not a replacement for crisp route running as a means to separate from defenders. By the way, did you see the look on Bey’s face when he was picked? I’ve never seen a more sour face than that kid, and for good reason. Nobody wants to willingly play for Al Davis!

Third gaff might be the Bengals choosing Andre Smith over Eugene Monroe. In my opinion, Monroe is on his way to being one of the best tackles in the NFL, and Andre Smith is a RT at best. The guy has about 50 pounds of excess fat, and if you trim off some of that, he gets down to about 300 lbs and is 6’4. Suddenly, that isn’t the imposing run-mauler that teams bargained for. Sure, he does have great talent, but he is a question mark in my book. Monroe would have been the better fit to cover Carson Palmer’s backside. What is it with the Bengals? They can’t seemt to keep their hands off of questionable players.

More analysis to come tomorrow (I’m getting sleepy now).