2011 NFL Season Preview: Detroit Lions
By Editorial Staff
Detroit Lions
Front Office:
Owner: William Clay Ford
GM: Martin Mayhew
A-: I hate to give Ford a great grade but he hired Martin Mayhew. Mayhew is a straight up Jedi Master. He drafts well, he hired a great coaching staff, Mayhew does very well in trades, and is wise in FA spending. The Lions will be a perennial power house as long as Mayhew is steering the ship.
Coaching Staff
HC: Jim Schwartz
OC: Scott Linehan
DC: Gunther Cunningham
A: Jim Schwartz has done one thing that tells me he will be a great HC…learned from his mistakes. He has improved a ton on clock management and game calls. Since Schwartz has taken over, the Lions are always prepared and have become an aggressive football team. Schwartz has changed the locker room culture of the Lions. Being a first time HC Schwartz, was wise to bring in competent coordinators. Scott Linehan and Gunther Cunningham run the offense and defense well and are well respected throughout the NFL.
QB: B
If Matthew Stafford stays healthy this grade could go up into the A range. He is a stud. I think he is the next great QB in the league. His command over a locker room is very impressive, he has moxy that very few can match, he has a rifle of an arm, and his accuracy is improving by the day. Shaun Hill is a very capable backup. The Lions feel comfortable if he is called upon. Third stringer Drew Stanton really improved last year and can be a solid backup in this league.
RB: C
This unit needs to get healthy. In the short offseason Mikel Leshoure injured his Achilles and is out for the year, Maurice Morris still is limited by a hand injury, and Jahvid Best cannot shake feeling “woozy” ,which troubles many due to his past with concussions. When healthy, Jahvid Best is an excellent Running Back for this team. He has great vision, is one of the league’s best receivers at his position, and makes the defense account for him every play. Problem is he wears down and is not a good short yardage back. Lions signed MikeBell and Jerome Harrison…neither has done much so far.
WR/TE A
Calvin Johnson does things no one else in the league can do. He is a 6’4 235-240 pound wide receiver who has excellent hops . He is quiet, hard working, and humble. He is amazing-to put it simply. The other teams in the past simply had to take him out of the game and the Lions couldn’t move the ball…not anymore. Enter in Brandon Pettigrew who is near a Pro Bowl TE, Nate Burleson who is a chain moving WR, and Titus Young who is a big play possibility every down. Depth is no longer a problem with Maurice Stovall and Tony Scheftler who can be effective when called upon. Also Will Heller who is a solid run blocking TE and Swiss army knife Stefan Logan who does it all.
OL: C
This unit is an okay unit that has years of chemistry with one another. No one in this group is an elite talent and in many cases age is catching up with them. Jeff Backus is solid, but this is the last year in his contract. Rob Simms is a rock solid LG who is a very good pass protector but just an average run blocker. Center Dominic Raiola is great at line calls and has tremendous leadership ability, but he is also wearing down and can manhandled by bigger defensive tackles. RG Stephen Peterman is the Lions best run blocker, but he is injury and penalty prone. RT will be a battle between Gosder Cherlius, who is coming off micro fracture surgery, and Corey Hillard. Hillard will only win if Cherlius cannot stay healthy. Only real OL prospect the Lions have is last year’s 4th round selection Jason Fox. I like Fox a lot and see him as a potential Jeff Backus replacement. Problem is he cannot stay healthy. Say what you want about Backus, he has never missed a game in 10 years.
DL: A
Ndumakong Suh is the most impressive DL men to come out since Reggie White. He is able to play all the DL positions, is relentless, powerful, smart, and never runs out of energy. Scary thing is he will only get better. Cliff Avril is a speed rusher who keeps the QB in the pocket close to where Suh resides. Not a good thing. Kyle Vanden Bosch is wearing down, but brings leadership and energy to the team. Corey Williams is a very good DT next to Suh if he would stop going off sides. Williams might be the most under rated DL in the NFL. Sammie Lee Hill is showing signs of being a very good run stuffing DT. Not to mention newly acquired Nick Fairley who could be a dominate force at DT or young and up and coming Lawrence Jackson who looked very good replacing Bosch when he was injured. Willie Young has had a good camp as well and will replace Turk McBride as the 4th DE.
LB: C+
This unit is solid and deep but lacks that one terrorizing force that collects sacks, TFL, or interceptions. DeAndre Levy is solid and versatile enough to play all 3 LB positions. Levy needs to stay healthy to make that next step. Stephen Tulloch is a tackling machine at MLB. He is solid in pass coverage and hits like a ton of bricks. He signed a one year contract that the Lions should extend. Bobby Carpenter looked good when the Lions brought him in and will compete with athletic the Justin Durant on the strong side. Ashley Palmer and Doug Hogue will provide depth. Hogue, 5th round selection, is very raw but I see him as a future force.
DB: C
Rumors of Jonathon Joseph and Nnandi Asomugha were incorrect. Lions did sign Eric Wright who has ability, but hehas not played up to it on a consistent basis. Resigning Chris Houston was a good move. While not a shut down CB,Houston is a very sound and still has time to improve. Alphonso Smith and Aaron Berry showed promise and are young. Team even resigned Nathan Vasher who really helped us shore up the secondary late in the season. At safety Louis Delmas is one of the top up and coming safeties in the league. He is a missile in run defense and makes big plays in the passing game. Other safety will be a battle between recently signed Harry Coleman and young Amari Spievy. At this point I give the slight edge to Spievy.
2011 NFL Draft:
Did the Lions need Nick Fairley? No. Was Fairly the best player on the board when the Lions drafted? Yes. He is a force and teamed with Suh should form the backbone of this defense for years to come. In round two the Lions acquired Titus Young and Mikel Leshoure to round out the weapons for Matthew Stafford. Round 5 I believe the Lions got a steal in extremely gifted, yet raw LB Doug Hogue. I was disappointed the Lions did not take any OL talent. B+
Offensive/ Defensive Sleepers
Jahvid Best was on his way to a dominate season before he got two turf toes. In response to that, the Lions drafted Mikel Leshoure to make sure the Lions have a one-two combo. That was scrapped once Leshoure got hurt. Best is a playmaker…flat out. I fully expect him to impact the run and passing game. I expect 850-900 yards rushing and 6 touchdowns. I also expect 60 receptions for around 550-600 yards and 2-3 touchdowns…if he stays healthy. That is a BIG IF.
Cliff Avril is on the cusp of huge numbers. He recorded 9 sacks last year with injuries. I think his speed, the lack of attention he will demand, and his own work ethic will catapult him into the 10-12 sack range with the possibility of more if he stays healthy.
2012 Season Prediction: 10-6
It is all up to Stafford. If he stays healthy a WC is within the our grasp. I am a Lions fan so I say our, got a problem with it? Stafford has the weapons and the defense to compete with anyone. The OL is the only hiccup. Please, Backus, get healthy and learn to hold when Peppers comes around the bend. GO LIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Follow us on twitter @NFLmocks