Calvin Johnson!!!

[Can't Touch This]

Now, it sounds like they will swap with TB, but, probably the smartest pick to go with here. Even if they keep him, good pick. Why?? Calvin is a basically as sure as it gets, never has there been a WR with his ability. You don't pass on a Rice type if you get the chance.

[Munsterlndr]

Thank goodness Millen did not take Quinn! Whether we keep or deal Johnson does not really matter, either way should be Ok.

[toto]

If Detroit can get a 4th pick and a couple of second round picks to go with it, they should trade him. The one spot they may not need much help is at receiver. There certainly would be a decent QB in the 2nd round, maybe Stanton, or, I think his name is Edwards or something from Stanford. In that way they could get either Gaines Adams, or Thomas with the 4th pick.

[snakebit67]

was it just me or did johnson look less than enthused to be drafted by the lions.

[MEL]

Did CJ see his career flash before his eyes?????
Was watching his reaction at the exact moment when it was announced and he had a blank stare on his face for 2-3 seconds!!! Did he see the end of his promising career in that brief moment???? I think so!!!
Im sure the names and faces of Charles Rodgers, Joey Harrington and Mike Williams, amoung others danced in his head at that moment.

The NFL's announcer should have stated it this way: With the second pick of the draft, im sorry to say, the Detroit loins take Calvin Johnson.:sad:

(Some team please take Drew Stanton before the loins have a chance. He's a Homey and dosent deserve that)

[MEL]

was it just me or did johnson look less than enthused to be drafted by the lions.

:D :help: :sad: :yikes: :dizzy: :banghead3 :hide: :banghead3 :coco:

[sweatyspartan]

Well....its definitely the "sexy" pick of the draft. If they hold on to him or trade him, the "pros" are making it seem like a can't miss. Hopefully they are right. I woulda been happy with him, adams or thomas.

[Jimmer]

The trades aren't over,but it looks doubtful now. Tell you what,if I am an NFL DB playing in the cover 2 and I see Furrey,Williams and Johnson lined up on my side,I am praying for a holding call.
:lol:

[MEL]

If your a DB playing against the loins all you have to do is use the standard quick Pick6 defence. Pick off Kitnas pass and its a quick 6 points!!!!

[Munsterlndr]

It's looking like Johnson is staying. I can live with that even though I think a DE would have been a better choice but I guess the right trade down opportunity was not there. I have to say that I agree that Roy, Johnson & Furrey will be a formidable receiver corps. It's going to be pretty much impossible to cover three stand out guys, so somebody will get open a lot more often than last year. As far as Kitna's interceptions, an awful lot of them were in fourth quarters where the game was still possible to win and he was trying to force passes when Roy was double covered and nobody was getting open. Adding Johnson may help decrease the number of picks since they will have a hard time double teaming both CJ & Roy on the same play. We still have to address the offensive line, though. Backus is just not as great a tackle as Millen thinks he is. If we can beef up the defense a little bit and if guys can stay healthy next year, there should be a substantial amount of improvement next year.

[snakebit67]

with kolb and beck gone, anyone want to bet they pick stanton?

[PrtyMolusk]

Howdy-

with kolb and beck gone, anyone want to bet they pick stanton?

Usin' the ol' 'Magic 8-Ball' again??? :lol:

Good call, man. ;)

[Munsterlndr]

Millen has proved he's still a moron. A WR & a QB in the 1st two rounds. He should have taken David Harris. So much for improving the defense. :rolleyes:

[snakebit67]

Howdy-



Usin' the ol' 'Magic 8-Ball' again??? :lol:

Good call, man. ;)

wish i could take credit, just been listening to all the pro's:lol:


Mel............Oh Mel.............where are you mel:lol: :whistle: :hide:

[MEL]

wish i could take credit, just been listening to all the pro's:lol:


Mel............Oh Mel.............where are you mel:lol: :whistle: :hide:

NO!!!! NO!!!! NO!!!! THEY DIDNT TAKE DREW!!! SAY IT AINT SO!!!! ITS A NIGHTMARE DREW...ITS ONLY A DREAM....
SO YOUNG, SO MUCH PROMISE, AND A HOMEBOY AS WELL!!!

[snakebit67]

Millen has proved he's still a moron. A WR & a QB in the 1st two rounds. He should have taken David Harris. So much for improving the defense. :rolleyes:


Kind of agree with you, stanton may be the feel good pick, but we already have three quarterbacks. Although i think mcowen will be traded. Hopefully they will get some decent defensive guy for him.

[DZtaxidermy]

Anybody sick and tired of Keyshawn talking about himself? Just like me! Just like me! Just like me!

[double trouble]

drewy...drewy...drewy...

great . so you have a pocket passer and a scrambler again.
millen is an a##

[Blueump]

I'm not so sure, Stanton might end up being a good pick...nobody expects him to do well, no pressure, it might be just what he needs!

[Ranger Ray]

I like the idea of having Johnson. Unbelievable that we didn't take Harris.

[Munsterlndr]

Whether Stanton eventually becomes a decent player is immaterial to this years draft. Kitna is the QB for the next year or two. What have we been grooming Orlovsky for anyway, to be a lifetime benchwarmer? This team desperately needed some help on defense. We did not need another WR but I can understand picking CJ as he is clearly the type of player that does not come along very often. Picking Stanton was just plain stupid. The pick should have been used for defense or if you have to pick an offensive player take the best O lineman left on the board. Stanton does nothing for this team for at least 3 years, we need players who will make an impact next year. If you are drafting a QB for several years from now, they should have waited till next year and taken Henne. Stanton is a luxury that the Lions just can't afford at this point. It's like someone on welfare using food stamps to buy caviar.

[snakebit67]

looks like they just traded mccown and williams to the raiders, just caught the end of it, all i heard was a fourth round pick.

Gonna be doing some searching, because if all they got was a fourth rounder:mad: :confused: :rant:

[snakebit67]

here is what i found about williams


http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section_id=33&screen=news&news_id=55909

[Munsterlndr]

looks like they just traded mccown and williams to the raiders, just caught the end of it, all i heard was a fourth round pick.

Gonna be doing some searching, because if all they got was a fourth rounder:mad: :confused: :rant:

Reported on ESPN, terrible trade, in my opinion. Either of these guys alone should have been worth a 4th round pick but we should have been trading for players not another low round draft pick. Millen is truly a moron. :rolleyes:

[snakebit67]

sorry for the other link, look's like this one might be the real deal


http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/04/28/lions-trade-mike-williams-josh-mccown-to-raiders/



two friggin players for the 105th pick in the draft......................unbelievable

[snakebit67]

this is from the freep



http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070428/SPORTS01/70428026/0/NEWS05

[WalleyeHunter811]

FIRE MILLEN!!!!

[Munsterlndr]

How the heck did Detroit just get another 2nd round pick? ESPN is showing Detroit just picked up a Defensive End from Hawaii, Ikaika Alama-Francis? Who the heck is he? What did we give New Orleans for the 2nd round pick?

[snakebit67]

How the heck did Detroit just get another 2nd round pick? ESPN is showing Detroit just picked up a Defensive End from Hawaii, Ikaika Alama-Francis? Who the heck is he? What did we give New Orleans for the 2nd round pick?


heres what i found about the guy

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2007/alama-francis_ikaika

[Munsterlndr]

I read another report that he's closer to 280 than the 250 listed there. Looks like a gifted natural athlete but does not have much playing experience. Hopefully Marinelli can turn him into a stand out player. I like that they went with a DE but there were some others left on the board who may have been a better pick. Still not sure how we got this pick in the 2nd.

[Munsterlndr]

Now ESPN is reporting that we picked up a safety, Gerald Alexander from Boise State.

[snakebit67]

looks like we got the pic from baltimore, sure would like to know what we are giving up for these pics



http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2007/alexander_gerald


dosent seem like anyone to trade up for

[Munsterlndr]

Looks like the trade with New Orleans was swapping our third round pick (#2) and maybe a 4th or 5th rounder for their late second round pick. Not sure how much sense that made since it's probable that Alama-Francis would still have been on the Board at the beginning of the third round.

[D.C.U.P.]

You can click here to cast your vote. Looks like most Detroit fans are fairly happy with M&M for now. Then again, only time will tell, as is always the case when guys make the leap from college to pro.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?id=2843935

[y2ba]

Am i the only one who thinks the Lions had a good first 2 rounds? I woulda liked to see them trade the 2nd pick...but im still excited to watch Johnson play. As for the Mccown williams trade..who cares about these two guys. Williams cant catch,run, or get in shape. Kitna Sucks...im glad we got Stanton..i think he has a ton of upside..and he is an awesome athlete.

[Munsterlndr]

Stanton was a terrible pick for this draft. There were some great defensive players still on the board who could have had an impact this year, Stanton probably would have still been available in the third round or they could have looked at the QB from Stanford, who is probably a better player anyway. The safety from Boise & Alama-Francis were taken way to high for their potential. Most mock drafts had those two going in the late third, early fourth round and Millen trades up to take them in the late second? This is probably going to end up being Millens worst draft ever, and that is a pretty amazing accomplishment, given his track record.

[D.C.U.P.]

Munsterlandr,
Give these kids some time. They haven't even seen a single down of NFL play yet.

The draft really cannot be accurately evaluated now, and especially by people like us. Only after the players have played a year or two can we determine if they were a good pick or not. Being in the right system helps too.

Lots of no-name, late round picks go on to fine careers. Also, lots of "can't miss," high picks bomb out quickly. Of course, the Lions manage to get more of the latter than the former it seems. :(

[Munsterlndr]

Sure, some of these kids may turn out to be a diamond in the rough, someday but the odds are overwhelmingly against it. Millen thinks he is a genius at sniffing out some talent that has been overlooked by everybody else. Unfortunately, his track record shows that he is mistaken the vast majority of the time. When the vast majority of pundits are predicting that a player will go somewhere in the 100-115 pick range and Millen takes him at 58 & 61, it begs the question, what does Millen know that everybody else doesn't? Except for Johnson, all of Millens picks in this draft went much, much higher then they were predicted to. To me, that says that Millen over-values his selections and does not get good value for his picks.

1st and 2nd rounds you draft for impact players, players that can take the field this year and make a substantive difference. You use the later rounds to accumulate project players, who have a low likelihood of ever turning into starters, with the hope that you get lucky with one or two. Most of them will only ever amount to back-ups and will never be great. In this draft, other than CJ, Millen failed to draft any impact players. He wasted three 2nd round picks on project players. Lamarr Woodley or David Harris, who were both on the board when Stanton was picked, would have been much, much better choices and either could have made a positive contribution to our lagging defense this year.

Once again, Millen has removed any doubt that he's an idiot who has no business being the GM of a pro-football team.

[Can't Touch This]

I dunno, i think it was a good draft. Johnson is going to be a super star for sure. Him and ROY will make the best WR duo in the NFL. Kitna will put up some monster stats, whether or not that correlates into wins is another story.

Staton has the potential to be a great QB, i do wish they would've took Harris, but, whatever.

If Calvin lives up to the hype, and Staton ends up being at least a decent starting QB, then it was a good draft. However, how about the Browns??? Ended up getting Thomas and Quinn, that is a great draft....

[D.C.U.P.]

Sure, some of these kids may turn out to be a diamond in the rough, someday but the odds are overwhelmingly against it.

I have no numbers and don't pretend to, but it sure seems like a lot (obviously not all) of NFL guys that are now stars are guys I don't remember from the NCAA, and I watch college football religiously.

Millen thinks he is a genius at sniffing out some talent that has been overlooked by everybody else. Unfortunately, his track record shows that he is mistaken the vast majority of the time.

I don't know him myself and don't talk to him, so I can't say what he thinks. Nobody will ever say he's the Joe Dumars of NFL GM's, but three of his most notable flop picks were guys that were highly rated coming out (J. Harrington, C. Rogers & M. Williams).

In this draft, other than CJ, Millen failed to draft any impact players.

Again, only time will tell. Nobody on earth is omniscient enough to predict everything that'll happen in the NFL or other pro sports. Ever try betting on the NFL? I did...once! :dizzy:

Once again, Millen has removed any doubt that he's an idiot who has no business being the GM of a pro-football team.

Again, I agree, nobody will ever accuse Millen of being a great GM. No doubt, you've got to get good players, but there has been coaching instability too. In football, you've got to be competent from top to bottom. The Lions come up short consistently.

It seems the whole draft is one big game of chance and guesswork.

[Steve]

He's ruined for life.

[NEMichsportsman]

Both he and Drew Stanton might have had promising NFL careers:(:rolleyes:

[Coldwater Charters]

One thing about being a Lions fan, the future looks brighter then the past. Great draft all the way around I think. Alexander is a safety with a middle linebacker mentallity, smash mouth kinda guy. There was a video on you tube with him taking out a RB the broke into the defensive backfield, he laid him out.

Stanton IMO probably will end up being the best pick of this Draft. The kid has tons of heart and you just can't teach that. 64% career completion percentage with no running game,no blocking and no receivers that made the NFL during his tenure there so far. He is the real deal and Michigan native. Great pick especially knowing Josh was leaving. If he played for Michigan he would be a heisman winner the the wolverines would have been national champs at least once while he was the QB.

CJ was a no brainer

[MEL]

To all the Millen supporters: You must be on crack!!!
How did the loins get the #2 pick to get CJ??? They went 3-13 last year!!! Dosent take a real smart GM to get a team to 3-13!!! People act like he did something smart or pulled a great move to get the #2 pick.
History has shown that his ability to judge talent is awfull, just awfull!!!
Joey, Chuckie,Mikey are all gone. All drafted by Millen. All gone!!! And also Millen also brought you such greats as Marty Morningweg and Steve Mariuchi (jurys still out on Marenelli)
The only person in the NFL dumber than Millen is Wn Clay Ford. He's the moron who hired the idiot!!! Than gave him a contract extension to award his bone headed ways.
Want to see a good GM? Look at New England. He just got Moss for NOTHING!! Sure Moss is a head case but in New England he will calm down and play great. Brady to Moss.... Looks like a Superbowl winner. Millen traded a #2 QB and a "project", former #1 pick for what a 4th round draft pick?
Also, how can the Pats stay at the top of the NFL's elite when they never get those top 5 draft picks like the loins always get? Someone there is doing a great job!!!

So your loins now have a more potent, or so you think, team??? Me thinks all you did was find another way to score, so now you can lose by 28-21
and 35-28 and 42-31 cause you will have one of the worst Defenses in the NFL.
As ive heard so so many times on ESPN, Sporting new radio and local radio
the loins have the dumbest bunch of idiots in the NFL in the front office!!!

[Cpt.Chaos]

I just got a e-mail forwarded to me by a friend, it seems that the Lions have already been eliminated from playoff contention for the '08 Superbowl....:lol:

[Coldwater Charters]

Every team has 1st or high round busts, just seems the lions has had more then their share lately.

[William H Bonney]

To all the Millen supporters: You must be on crack!!!
How did the loins get the #2 pick to get CJ??? They went 3-13 last year!!! Dosent take a real smart GM to get a team to 3-13!!! People act like he did something smart or pulled a great move to get the #2 pick.
History has shown that his ability to judge talent is awfull, just awfull!!!
Joey, Chuckie,Mikey are all gone. All drafted by Millen. All gone!!! And also Millen also brought you such greats as Marty Morningweg and Steve Mariuchi (jurys still out on Marenelli)
The only person in the NFL dumber than Millen is Wn Clay Ford. He's the moron who hired the idiot!!! Than gave him a contract extension to award his bone headed ways.
Want to see a good GM? Look at New England. He just got Moss for NOTHING!! Sure Moss is a head case but in New England he will calm down and play great. Brady to Moss.... Looks like a Superbowl winner. Millen traded a #2 QB and a "project", former #1 pick for what a 4th round draft pick?
Also, how can the Pats stay at the top of the NFL's elite when they never get those top 5 draft picks like the loins always get? Someone there is doing a great job!!!

So your loins now have a more potent, or so you think, team??? Me thinks all you did was find another way to score, so now you can lose by 28-21
and 35-28 and 42-31 cause you will have one of the worst Defenses in the NFL.
As ive heard so so many times on ESPN, Sporting new radio and local radio
the loins have the dumbest bunch of idiots in the NFL in the front office!!!

That is strange,,, how do teams like the Pats and Colts do it:confused: :lol: :rolleyes: On top of that,,, they LOSE one of their TOP PLAYERS,,, EVERY YEAR!!!! Either injury or free agency,, they lose someone.
On one hand I feel bad for Mariucci,,, he was a good coach. On the otherhand,, he shoulda known better than to come here. Marinelli,,,, is "NOT" an NFL coach and Millen knows it(now). This draft was set up for Martz to take over mid-season.

[pescadero]

He wasted three 2nd round picks on project players. Lamarr Woodley or David Harris, who were both on the board when Stanton was picked, would have been much, much better choices and either could have made a positive contribution to our lagging defense this year.

Lamarr Woodley will be a phenomenal NFL bust. That someone blew a second round pick on him is ludicrous. That he was picked before David Harris is even more retarded.

--
lp

[Joe Archer]

I think it was a decent draft. I have been saying all along that the Lions had to take whoever fell to #2, either Johnson, or Russell and keep them if they couldn't get trade value. Kitna passed for 4000+ yards last year without a running back or offensive line. Now he has an upgraded o-line, 2 running backs, and possibly a rookie of the year receiver. Add to that the fact that they lost 8 games or more by less than a touchdown and sucked in the red zone and I think it is easy to see why Martz is excited. Martz is pure genius, who can debate that?
Stanton? Yeah I have been back and forth on these boards saying the Lions should draft him in round 2 or 3. Again, they didn;t think he would be there in the third so they traded down, picked up an extra 3rd round pick, and took him in the second. As soon as they traded down I said 'they are taking Stanton".
The defensive picks were shockers. However, I believe these picks were Marinelli's kind of players. I like Marinelli, and do believe he is great at evaluating film for talent.
Time will tell.
<----<<<

[Just_One_More]

The only thing I can say is that the lions just about locked a top 5 draft pick for next season also. It's Millen straegy get a WR first round every year and hope to find a QB later in the round to throw to your WR and if that doesn't work repeat next year.:lol: Most teams draft players to fill postions that need help or try to improve on players. The lions draft WR's then trade them next year for 4th round picks. I thought when they were predicting Gain Adams going to the lions that would be all right they could use a good DE. But Millen has a mission to prove the predictors like Mel Kipper wrong. The lions will always suck until Millen is Fired!!!!!!!!!:help:

[wally-eye]

Lions sign Johnson and then immediately placed him on waivers for a new slurpie machine for the locker room..............:help:

[William H Bonney]

,,, I like Marinelli, and do believe he is great at evaluating film for talent.
Time will tell.
<----<<<

What are you basing his ability to evaluate film for talent on??:confused:

[Joe Archer]

What are you basing his ability to evaluate film for talent on??:confused:
Last year he really liked Ernie Sims, and Daniel Bullocks. I think Sims lead the team in tackles and Bullocks is projected as a starter this year. Marinelli studies film for his assessments, and says that a primary evaluation consideration is passion for football. Other than that he seems to be knowledgeable and well respected around the league.
<----<<<

[BoonDog]

What are you basing his ability to evaluate film for talent on??:confused:

Rod Marinelli is known throughout the league for his evaluation of talent on film and subsequent defensive strategies/formations based on those evaluations. He's built his reputation in the league on his film work throughout his career. I think that's all you can base it on - peer recognition - there aren't any awards or accolades for film work, people just recognize your success and then learn how you achieve it.....

BD

[thousandcasts]

I don't think it was a bad draft, I think the Lions realize that they're closer to being an elite team Offensively, than they are defensively. In this day and age, it's rare that you're team is dominant on both sides of the ball, so you basically pick your poison. In this case, I think the Lions have accepted the fact that they're in a better position on offensive, so they've made moves that will put them in a position to be reckoned with on that side of the ball. The signing of Duckett, trading for Bell and FOster, other O line signings, the draft--they've significantly upgraded and addressed the issue of being able to move between the 20's, but failing in the red zone and short yardage situations. They've upgraded both defensive end positions and I believe, the defense merely has to be adequete in order for this team to make some big strides this year. The pieces are now in place for the offense to be set for awhile, and I believe that you'll start seeing the Lions sign some more defensive help after the June 1st cuts and address that side of the ball more aggressively in the next draft.

The Lions could have mish-mashed through the draft and addressed both sides of the ball, but in my opinion, they did exactly what they should have done. I mean, they should have an offense that keeps defenses on their toes because those players aren't going to be able to tell where Martz is going to go with the ball. I think that even if the Lions stand pat right now on the defense, they'll still be adequete enough to let the offense carry this team. The fact is, they were only a couple additions on offense from that thing being scary good--and through this draft and free agency, they've added those players.

I don't see where all the gloom and doom is coming from. If that offense does what most believe it will with the additions they've made and the defense is even just slightly improved over last year, good things can happen this season!

[thousandcasts]

You may tell me to put down the crack pipe or get myself admitted for therapy, but here's how I see things playing out:

Sunday, September 9 at Oakland Raiders McAfee Coliseum 4:15 p.m.

This is a Lion victory. I don't care if they're playing in Guam, there's no way the Raiders should win this game with a rookie QB starting his first game. The Raiders simply should not be able to match up with the Lions in this game.
Record: 1-0

Sunday, September 16 MINNESOTA VIKINGS Ford Field 4:05 p.m.

Victory # 2. Brad Johnson is gone and it's a Lions home game against a almost rookie QB that has serious question marks. If the Lions control the run, they win this game.

Record: 2-0

Sunday, September 23 at Philadelphia Eagles Lincoln Financial Field 1:00 p.m.

Not yet, not this year. Record, 2-1


Sunday, September 30 CHICAGO BEARS Ford Field 1:00 p.m.

You heard it hear first, the Lions win this game. The Bears will not be the same team they were last year--not even close. Record: 3-1

Sunday, October 7 at Washington Redskins FedEx Field 1:00 p.m.

Gibbs should've stayed retired, because they have not done anything of importance to improve last years dismal team. Record: 4-1

Sunday, October 14 *** BYE WEEK ***

Sunday, October 21 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Ford Field 1:00 p.m.

This is going to come down to a good defense versus a Martz offense that's keeping people on their heels. Tampa with Chris Simms at QB, does not have the firepower to stop the Lions. Record: 5-1.

Sunday, October 28 at Chicago Bears Soldier Field 1:00 p.m.

Not good. Defense wins this game...for the Bears. Record: 5-2

Sunday, November 4 DENVER BRONCOS Ford Field 1:00 p.m.

Tough one. I hate the Broncos with a passion, enough said. Lions win. Record: 6-2.

Sunday, November 11 at Arizona Cardinals University of Phoenix Stadium 4:15 p.m.*

I don't care if Vince Lombardi comes back to coach the Cardinals, it's the cardinals. However, the Lions defense is over-matched in this game.

Record: 6-3.

Sunday, November 18 NEW YORK GIANTS Ford Field 4:15 p.m.*

Tom Coughlin under fire, Eli who??? Record: 7-3

Thursday, November 22 GREEN BAY PACKERS Ford Field 12:30 p.m.

After the Packers draft and free agency period, Brett Favre is going, "what the *&^% was I thinking by coming back???"

Record: 8-3

Sunday, December 2 at Minnesota Vikings The Metrodome 1:00 p.m.*

The Lions held their own in Minnesota last year, but they fall short again this year.

Record: 8-4

Sunday, December 9 DALLAS COWBOYS Ford Field 1:00 p.m.*

Man, this is a toss up. I'll go with the Cowboys here.

Record: 8-5

Sunday, December 16 at San Diego Chargers Qualcomm Stadium 4:15 p.m.*

The Sleestak (Norv "Pox Face" Turner) can't coach, period. The Lions win this one in a shocker...well, a shocker to everyone except me.

Record: 9-5

Sunday, December 23 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Ford Field 1:00 p.m.*

The Chiefs have an offense with an aging, battered QB and they've lost several key players on that side of the ball. Their defense is suspect and the Lions roll in this one.

Record: 10-5


Sunday, December 30 at Green Bay Packers Lambeau FIeld 1:00 p.m.*

Vaya Condeyo's Brett Favre! Green Bay playing out the last four quarters of a disasterous season are no match for a Lions team that's full of confidence going into the playoffs. Lions win in a rout.

Final Record: 11-5

[D.C.U.P.]

Perhaps this thread should be made a sticky to see just how accurate all these predictions are after the season ends. :idea:

It'd be interesting to see how well we know our football.

[thousandcasts]

I know on paper, the Lions have one of the toughest schedules, but honestly, the only team I see on that schedule that could run them off the field is Philly.

The Giants are a mess, San Diego is coached by Norv Turner now and they lost their defensive coordinator. The Lions beat Dallas at Dallas, KC didn't do much to improve their situation. The Raiders are still a disaster in the making, the bears are going down, not up. Even if I'm wrong on a couple games, there's absolutely no reason the Lions shouldn't go 9-7 at the worst.

The Lions could've had a better record last year, but red zone failures and short yardage failures kept them from getting up on teams that they had the chance to get up on. It's not like they got blown out of every game. If they get those things corrected, and there's no reason to think they haven't addressed those issues, they should win a lot more games this year...even if the defense is simply middle of the pack or adequete.

[shametamer]

:lol: don't mind TC..he's a writer! he has an extreme penchant forFICTION:dizzy:

[Munsterlndr]

With the Lions, making season predictions is almost impossible because of the injury factor. On paper they look great but by about the 5th game of the season they tend to get so banged up that you never know who will be playing on a given Sunday. It's difficult to get consistency when half the guys on the team have never played together before. How many different lineman did we use last year? Our defensive backfield was like a rotating cast of who's he? Don't know whether it's the turf or what but the Lions seem to have more than their share of injuries.

The nightmare scenario for this year is that Kitna gets injured early in the year. I think the McCown trade is going to come back to haunt them. Who is going to step up, Dan-O? If so, look for us to go 3-13 again, even with CJ. Instead of Taking Stanton they should have beefed up the offensive line with a good pass blocker and kept McCown, regardless of the fact that he was pushing to be traded.

[thousandcasts]

With the Lions, making season predictions is almost impossible because of the injury factor. On paper they look great but by about the 5th game of the season they tend to get so banged up that you never know who will be playing on a given Sunday. It's difficult to get consistency when half the guys on the team have never played together before. How many different lineman did we use last year? Our defensive backfield was like a rotating cast of who's he? Don't know whether it's the turf or what but the Lions seem to have more than their share of injuries.

The nightmare scenario for this year is that Kitna gets injured early in the year. I think the McCown trade is going to come back to haunt them. Who is going to step up, Dan-O? If so, look for us to go 3-13 again, even with CJ. Instead of Taking Stanton they should have beefed up the offensive line with a good pass blocker and kept McCown, regardless of the fact that he was pushing to be traded.

I don't know, they got that Mutalio from Baltimore, he was the Raven's starting guard, you got a starting right tackle in George Foster in the Dre Bly deal and the reports on Damien Woody is that he's got his weight down and working pretty well in the off season work outs. Plus they signed a couple other players for depth, so it should--key word there--should be a much better line than last year.

[Ranger Ray]

Lions Suck! I am waiting for the year they prove me wrong.

[thousandcasts]

I'm a Lions fan through and through--I'll be one until the day I die. All I have is hope to cling too! :lol:

[y2ba]

Thousandcasts makes an excellant point about loading up on the offensive side of the ball. This should look familiar to those who have watched football
over the last 10 yrs. Do we remember the "greatest show on turf" a team that hardly ever punted played no defense and ran the score up on about every team they played..and ultimately won a few rings...and who was the coach of those teams...anyone remember? Idont think 10-6 is going to happen, i will take baby steps here and say 7-9 or 8-8 and i will be very happy to see that happen.

[Joe Archer]

Final Record: 11-5[/I]
I agree with your assessment, and think the offense has had significant upgrades in running back, receiver, and offensive line. I have heard people say that teams may have to employ a nickel defense against the Lions to stop the passing game! The running game should benefit from the pressure we put on teams with the pass.
As for predictions, mine were close to yours. I have us down as losses on 9/30 against Chicago, 12/16 at San Diego, and 12/30 at Green Bay. I have 9/30 against Chicago at home as a win!
So I am starting at 8:8 for a prediction. With a little luck they will be in the race to the end.
Key factors will be D-line and line-backers staying healthy. Tampa-2 defenses historically make their biggest leap from year one to year 2.
It should be an interesting year.
<----<<<

[MEL]

Final Record: 11-5

I gotta admit it, you almost had me:lol: But than i remembered that you are a writer with with a huge sence of humor:lol:
Some people who may not be fimiliar with your postings might believe you.

11-5??? STOP IT!!! YOUR KILLING ME!!!:lol: :dizzy: :yikes: :help:

Or perhaps you had to much to drink and ment to write 5-11? Yes, 5-11
ahhhh that sounds so much better! Now your talking loins football !


11-5 Your tearing me up dude.....to funny:coco:

On a side note: Have you ever smoked crack with Mr. Joe Archer?

[Just_One_More]

My prediction is that the lions go 5-11. But shoot that would be an increase in the win column by 66%. And then maybe just maybe Millien will go by by.

[MEL]

My prediction is that the lions go 5-11. But shoot that would be an increase in the win column by 66%. And then maybe just maybe Millien will go by by.

Thats the trouble with most of the guys in this forum... You must learn to think like a loin. If the loins go 5-11, a increase of 66% over last year, that means Millen will get a 5 year, 25 Million$$$ contract extension!!!!

While most teams would consider a 5-11 record a dismal failure, loins logic
would look at it as being a great year!!!
REMEMBER GUYS, YOU MUST THINK LIKE A LOIN. AKA BACKWARDS

[SR-Mechead]

I'm not so sure, Stanton might end up being a good pick...nobody expects him to do well, no pressure, it might be just what he needs!

I also think he will be ok. He reminds me of Brett Farve. When I lived in Wisconsin I got to see him a few times and he has no fear. I think Stanton could be the same type OB.Anyway I hope so

[D.C.U.P.]

Do we remember the "greatest show on turf" a team that hardly ever punted played no defense and ran the score up on about every team they played..and ultimately won a few rings...and who was the coach of those teams...anyone remember?

Yes, that was the Rams, but they only won one Super Bowl - not "a few." They lost to the Patroits the year after that awesome game vs. Tennessee.

When they won the one they did, Martz was Off. Coordinator under Dick Vermeil.

PS-I'm not trying to diminish those Ram teams; they were good and a lot of fun to watch! If the Lions even have a winning record this year, it'll be a big step in the right direction.

[y2ba]

my history was a bit off...but maybe Martz had a little pull in the picks they made..and said heck, our defense is so bad it cant be helped through a few picks alone..so lets try to run it up every week. I would happily watch the lions lose 49-38:lol: at least they would be fun to watch. And if calvin johnson is only 80% of the player everyone says he is..he should score 45 touchdowns this yr. hahahhaaa

[snakebit67]

anyone heard anything on sean rogers, a month or so ago he weighed in at over 400lbs:yikes:

[Can't Touch This]

Man, prediction the Lions record is soooo easy it will be somewhere between BAD and HORRIBLE.....something like....

3-13, or maybe even 5-11 this year.....Seriously, something i learned already is the freakin Lions suck every single year. At least their offense SHOULD be fun to watch.

[Jimmer]

Draft picks have always been a huge gamble. On charts the "experts" have drawn up, over half don't live up to expectations. You could have the next Barry Sanders or the next Ricky Williams. You may draft Jerry Rice, but you could also end up with Charles Rogers.
That said, I do like the key criteria that the 3M's went for in this draft and free agency. These guys LOVE football, they want to play and win. The prima donnas that Mooch begged for are gone. The "best bud" pat on the back is gone from practices and the locker room. Losing is easy if you get a group hug and good job from your peers.
It might take one more year, but this team and front office are finally finding a football "identity". Millen has played on a few teams that had it, Marinelli and Martz have coached a few of those too.
This year will be better than last year. They didn't draft for defense as I had hoped and predicted, but I do believe they filled some pieces in the jigsaw.
We'll all know in 6 months.
At least I didn't have to burn my hat.
:lol:

[JLP]

They should score some points this year, but their defense will be awful.

[thousandcasts]

I wouldn't say it'll be awful. IF some of the key players on defense can stay healthy, I think it'll be decent enough to surprise a few people. Not great by any means, but IF the offense does exactly what people are expecting, then the defense doesn't have to be great.