So What Have We Learned?

About the Lions? Not too much, other than that they do not match up well with the Packers at all.

Yesterday's game was eerily similar to the 26-0 loss of a few weeks ago. The Lions scored a few more points due to some Packer miscues and some solid defense but the offense was equally ineffective.

In the October 18 game Culpepper was forced to play without Calvin Johnson and with injured Brandon Pettigrew and Gosder Cherilus. Green Bay had Aaron Kampman and Al Harris. Before leaving with a "hamstring" (mercy killing by the staff?) Culpepper was simply swarmed under. I don't recall a single pass he was able to step into. Stanton was able to run around a bit and create passing lanes but ultimately he was equally ineffective.

Yesterday Stafford has a bit more time, but he was gimpy, Calvin Johnson still appears to be gimpy and Pettigrew (again) got knocked out of the game early. Green Bay didn't have Kampman or Harris but ultimately they didn't need either.

So we really have no idea whether Culpepper would have done better.

The Lions' run defense was better than the pass defense but that wasn't anything new. Rodgers passed at will against the weak Lion pass defense. It's hard to see how that part of the game gets fixed quickly. Detroit really needs a solid #1 corner, some pass-rushing ends and linebackers and a rangy free safety. Even if they are able to draft all of those players in one off-season (unlikely) it will be a year or two before they reach their potential.

What we maybe did learn is how much better the Packers are than the Lions, and perhaps what makes them a solid sleeper come playoff time. Green Bay's defense is simply ferocious. Better with Kampan and Harris than without, to be sure, but still among the best in the league.

Ted Thompson is probably the best talent evaluator in the division. Since taking over GM duties in 2005 he has drafted Rodgers, Greg Jennings, Nick Collins, AJ Hawk and Jeremy Thompson. He signed Charles Woodson and traded for Ryan Grant. He drafted Johnny Jolly in the 6th round and a 7th rounder from this year - Brad Jones - got his first career start yesterday in place on Kampman. From the 2009 draft Raji appears to be the force that Green Bay expected and Clay Matthews has 5 sacks so far, TJ Lang is the starting right tackle.

and expect Green Bay to get better. They are in their second year in a 3-4 and while they appear now to have the pieces in place to run it, there will still be some maturation and improvement. The offensive line is a shambles but the team is still pretty good. Figure the line gets addressed this winter and at the very least is better in 2010, if not much better. Rodgers probably has the best set of offensive players in the NFC around him with Grant, Jennings, Donald Driver and Jermichael Finley (among others).

So while we might not have learned much about the Lions at all, we maybe did learn how far they are from where they need to be.

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How long is Stafford out? IS Stafford out?

An ugly loss in Chicago had the potential to become even more nightmarish, with franchise pillars QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson both leaving the game with leg injuries.

Calvin says he'll be fine; Stafford's prognosis is still unclear. He'll undergo an MRI and other tests on an apparently momentarily dislocated knee.

It looks like we'll just have to wait and see, as speculation is all over the place as to how much time, if any, Stafford may have to miss. It ranges from he could be back in next Sunday to he's going to miss a week or two, and it could be "much worse."

Stafford's demeanor on the sidelines late in the Bears loss didn't seem to indicate any long-term injury -- you can often see on a player's face if they're seriously hurt.

They're talking about it in The Den.

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The milk-carton WR corps -- time to worry?

No Calvin Johnson. No Bryant Johnson. No Dennis Northcutt. No Brandon Pettigrew.

This is becoming an issue.

Though I've criticized rookie QB Matthew Stafford's performance against the Browns, to be fair, it's difficult to impossible to judge the passing game when your top FOUR targets are out, and have been out for weeks now.

This will absolutely affect the offense early in the season, and probably lead to losses in the early part of the year, if it continues.

Sure, Calvin will be Calvin. But there will be no cohesion to the passing attack because they've had so little time together on the field.

None of the injuries is said to be so serious that any of the four is expected to miss a large amount of time. And yet it's been week after week without the group working together on the practice or playing field.

If this extends on into the third preseason game against the Colts game, it's time to get real worried.

They're talking about it in The Den!

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WR an unsettled -- and unsettling -- lot for Lions

And you thought you could just chew your nails over the lines and defensive backs.

As Grand Rapids Press Lions writer Brian VanOchten notes, despite Matt Millen's attention there year after year, other than All-World Calvin Johnson, wide receiver remains the position most lacking depth for the Lions.

There's Calvin and newcomers Dennis Northcutt and Bryant Johnson, who still hasn't played after he fought the golf cart and the golf cart won. There's last year's free-agent pick-up Keary Colbert too. After Calvin that's a "less-than-enthralling group, to be sure," VanOchten writes.

The others vying for a job are even less impressive -- Demir Boldin, Adam Jennings, Bobby Sippio, John Standeford, Derrick Williams, Eric Fowler and Kenneth Harris. Williams, a third-round pick, hasn't exactly set the world on fire.

Maybe someone will emerge in the preseason games -- but don't count on it. It wasn't just the jumble of mediocre QBs throwing to Calvin that made his numbers amazing last year. Megatron had no complement at WR pulling attention away from him. The second-leading receiver on the team last year, the departed Shaun McDonald, had 1,000 fewer yards than Calvin.

The best hope for making things better, it seems, is if Brandon Pettigrew emerges as a reliable receiving threat down the middle of the field.

Discuss in The Den!

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Rave reviews for Stafford continue to pour in

A no-look pass?

Rookie QB Matthew Stafford apparently threw one in practice recently, faking out both LB Julian Peterson and the pass's intended recipient, Calvin Johnson, Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver reports.

Lions officials and players are having increasing difficulty remaining cautious and measured when talking about Stafford and his immediate prospects:
* Peterson - "As rookies go, he’s way ahead of the curve."
* Calvin - "He doesn’t even look like a rookie. He picked up the playbook very quick; he’s a smart kid. He looks very, very comfortable out there."
* Head Coach Jim Schwartz - "There is no debating that everything about him has been very, very impressive."

There is nothing to be gained by anointing Stafford the starter -- Schwartz wants everybody competing -- HARD -- for their spot in the lineup, and there are four preseason games to come on which to additionally measure the players.

But the thing is, Stafford is competing hard. He's playing and acting like he wants to start Game 1. He's showing things that indicate he's not just the Lions' best option at QB, but may be something special even looking from a league-wide view.

Better hone those clipboard-holding skills, C-Pep.

UPDATE: Finding these similar old quotes about Joey Harrington from around the time he was drafted gave me a much-needed dose of perspective.

The bottom line is, Stafford's looking good; he needs to keep it up in preseason game situations and the starting spot could be his through simply earning it.

They're talking about it in The Den!

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Dropsies Continue To Plague Lions

Because practice is open to several fans (today being open to a swarming general public) many have been able to report their own observations from Detroit's training camp in Allen Park.

And although they aren't necessarily of a professional degree, there are certainly some consistencies among the quasi-reports. Among them? Detroit's receivers have a tough time holding onto passes.

According to The Den user Sandman7773, the Lions receivers -- Calvin Johnson included -- dropped passes on Wednesday. And a lot of them.

"Calvin dropped a lot of passes today," he wrote, correctly noting that Johnson had experienced a hand injury earlier in the day. "A lot of dropped passes today."

Minus Bryant Johnson, who continues to miss time with a non-football injury, and two tight ends (Brandon Pettigrew, Casey FitzSimmons) the Lions have played musical chairs with the receiving game during the camp. Despite his troubles on Wednesday, Calvin Johnson, trade acquisition Dennis Northcutt, and Keary Colbert have been the most consistent pass catchers in camp.

Share your thoughts and Lions camp perspectives in The Den Message Board

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Delmas, Others, Miss Wednesday's Practice

The Detroit Lions held out several players from Wednesday morning's practice session, including rookie safety Louis Delmas, according to mlive's Tom Kowalski.

Delmas had swelling in his knee following Tuesday's afternoon practice. The injury isn't considered serious, and he will be listed as day-to-day. The same applies to receiver Calvin Johnson (right hand), who told Kowalski "I'm fine, it's not bothering me. Fellow safety and possible starter Daniel Bullocks (knee), tight ends Brandon Pettigrew (thigh) and Casey FitzSimmons (ankle), DT Grady Jackson, and RB Maurice Morris (leg) also missed practice, according to Kowalski. The Lions don't anticipate any of the players missing much practice time. Most of the moves were for precautionary reasons.

Discuss Lions training camp, and your thoughts on the 2009 season, in The Den message board.

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The Football Outsiders On The Lions

I received my Football Outsiders 2009 Almanac today, and even as I type I have it clutched in my greazy fingers. This is my annual 'little kid' experience - well semi-annual, along with draft weekend. The Outsiders really appeal to my interests in trend analysis and 'Moneyball' concepts. So I guess their work isn't for everyone, but it certainly is for me. Normally when I get books and magazines I employ a certain level of discipline, starting at page 1 and reading every article before getting to my favorite teams and players. Occasionally I will skip those pages entirely, saving them for last. In this case though, my first thought was to blog it up, so in a sense of true altruism I forewent my typical custom and dove right into the Lion pages. Bill Barnwell, another Lion slappy penned the Lion section and the quotes are from him. Without revealing everything, Barnwell discusses four topics in the main narrative; 0-16, Jim Schwartz, player turnover, and Matt Stafford.

While they had the worst record in NFL history, they weren't the worst team. They had the second-worst DVOA of any team in the 15 seasons for which we've calculated DVOA, but they don't come close to the 2005 49ers ... since the merger in 1970 there have been 32 teams whose Pythagorean winning percentage ... was below that of last year's Lions - including last year's Rams.

This sort of touches on something we all knew anyway, it is really hard to go 0-16. Even with a dysfunctional talentless team it very difficult not to luck into at least one win. Pythagorean projections (based on points scored/allowed) put them as a roughly average 'worst team in the league' over the last 40 years. It was just bad luck that kept them from the win column. On Schwartz:

Schwartz knows that a team's performance on third down has a disproportionate impact on their success relative to how they do on first and second down [so practices will concentrate on third down conversions, and stopping the same] ... Schwartz's decision-making will be equally affected, though, by his experiences as a pro coach. As he initially struggled with rebuilding the Tennessee defense, Schwartz realized that all the scheming and analysis in the world was useless if it didn't fit the personnel he had in front of him [go figure!]. As a result, he began to construct his defenses with the primary goal of fitting the personnel he had in place.

Golly, play to your strengths, disguise your weaknesses. Don't make square Lenons fit round holes. Hardly revolutionary but something that was desperately lacking on offense throughout the West Coast days and then on defense in the Marinelli era. Barnwell also notes that last year Tennessee primarily ran Cover-2, which played to the coverage strengths of their linebackers. As for the Stafford comments I'll leave them to anyone who wants to purchase the Almanac. As expected, he doesn't project very well as a pro quarterback but perhaps he can defy projections. So far he appears to be off to a good start. Looking at some of the Lion stats from last year I'll try to extract the wheat from the chaff. The Outsiders acknowledge the limitations of their methods, and really of any statistical discussion of team sport, but perhaps football most of all.

Football is a game in which nearly every action requires the work of two or more teammates - in fact, usually 11 teammates all working in unison. Unfortunately, when it comes to individual player ratings. we are still far from the point at which we can determine the value of a player independent from the performance of his teammates.

For example Calvin Johnson had a DYAR of 256 which is respectable, but also in the range of Steve Breaston and Derrick Mason, whereas the best receivers in the league were close to double that. The rating is understandable, Calvin was targeted 150 times with 79 catches, by contrast Larry Fitzgerald was also targeted ~ 150 times but with 96 receptions for nearly as many Y/C. Context is everything though, Arizona had Kurt Warner throwing to Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston. Detroit had 300 pound quarterbacks fresh from Safeway throwing to Calvin and Keary Colbert.

But anyhoo, a few of the more interesting numbers that should have some significance in '09. The '08 offensive line was surprisingly effective at run blocking. Some of this is due to opponents playing prevent for huge chunks of their contests, but not all. The overall running numbers were very poor, however Detroit finished 9th in the NFL in Power situations (3rd, 4th, goal-line). Looking at the Y/C #s, blocking was increasingly effective going left to right, with Detroit rushers averaging just over 2 Y/C going outside LT while averaging 4.2 going over RT and 4.7 going off the RE. Adding Pettigrew to the blocking mix on the right side makes for a very promising weapon, assuming Cherilus and Peterman can maintain last year's production.



The defensive line also had some surprising production. Both Jared DeVries and Chuck Darby finished in the top 20 in Stop % at their respective positions. DeVries was surprisingly effective as a pass rusher as well, with 3 hits and 10 hurries to go with his 2 sacks. By comparison Dewayne White had 3 hits and 4 hurries.

Finally, while the defensive secondary was a mess, as we all know, there was one rather bright spot, Kalvin Pearson. Pearson finished 10th in the NFL versus the run and 24th versus the pass. The rest of the secondary finished in the 60s and beyond in just about every category. No other db finished in the top 30 in either spot.

Okay, so it's just numbers, and maybe they only really appeal to geeks like me, but in some sense they pass the sniff test. Pearson did appear to be effective in spots last year, even while the rest of the defense flailed. DeVries was steady. Once the offensive line got aligned it was fairly effective at run blocking. The team has a way to go, clearly. The cornerbacks are still awful, the offensive line won't get fixed in a single year, the linebacking may have been fixed a little but it is patchwork, we can't expect either Peterson or Foote to remain effective for long, if they even stay past '09. But even so, maybe the light at the end of this tunnel isn't a train.

Discuss it Here, in The Den

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Salary Cap Forum Updated - PREMIUM

Aaron Brown Player Cost, Calvin Johnson Player Cost Updated and various free agent signing adjusted, Franchise Tag Designation updated and 2009 Lions Cap Status Follow Detroit's salary cap with expert George Ketchman here. (Requires premium membership to RoarReport.com)

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Calvin Johnson Getting Love

There's only a few things the Detroit Lions should carry over from last year's 0-16 team.

But consider Calvin Johnson and his 1,331 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns among them.

Johnson's fantasy value was discussed in a recent article in the Detroit Free Press, and not so surprising, the third-year receiver is considered one of the top fantasy players for 2009 -- regardless of who is tossing him the pigskin.

"If his hands become a little more consistent, which they should, there's a good chance Johnson will be the top-ranked WR when it's all said and done this year," writes Matthew Lutovsky of the Sporting News, who rates Johnson as the team's only five-star player. "Don't be scared away by either Daunte Culpepper or Matthew Stafford throwing the ball to him."

The article, which more or less relied on the Sporting News for all of its fantasy prognostications, also listed running backs Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris, receiver Bryant Johnson, tight end Brandon Pettigrew and kicker Jason Hanson as fantasy draft worthy talent.

DISCUSS FANTASY FOOTBALL, AND MORE DETROIT LIONS TOPICS, IN THE DEN MESSAGE BOARD

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New Era Scouting: Lions need 3rd RB; physical DBs

An interesting read from David Syvertsen at New Era Scouting, giving a team-by-team analysis of offensive and defensive needs of every team in the NFC North.

For the Lions, Syvertsen singles out a need for a compliment to Kevin Smith:

The future is in Matthew Stafford’s hands and the future may very well begin right away on September 13th. Keeping that in mind, the Lions are need to have a few components set in place for Stafford to succeed. Just look at what the Ravens and Falcons did in 2008 with their respective rookie quarterbacks. They pounded the football and took advantage of durable, powerful running backs. Kevin Smith and the Lions offensive line really turned it on late in the 2008 season and if they can pick up where the left off, Stafford’s transition to the NFL game will be much easier. However Smith and his record setting amount of carries in college need break here and there. Maurice Morris was signed to take some carries away but beyond him, the Lions have nobody worth giving the ball to. If they can bring in a back with some youth, their offense appears to be set for the early portion of the Stafford era.

Hey Maurice Morris ain't chopped liver. And a lot of teams' RB depth falls off after the second guy. I would say of far more concern is whether the Lions have capably filled out their WR corps to take any kind of pressure off Calvin Johnson. (And I will again say, and say forever, that it is absolutely amazing what Calvin did last year with virtually no help from his fellow WRs and with four different, not-very-good QBs throwing to him.)

As for the Lions' defensive needs, I think Syvertsen is right on the money -- Physical DBs:

When looking over the Lions depth chart and comparing it to what Jim Schwartz built in Tennessee, one has to believe he is lacking the kind of defensive backs he needs for this unit to succeed. The cornerbacks will have a tough time playing physical at the line and running downfield with their cover assignment as most of them lack the complete package. Phillip Buchanon has done a nice job reviving his career but can he play within the physical scheme Schwartz has brought in? Eric King and Anthony Henry have proven to be quality, reliable cover men but how will they do when matched up with the division’s more physical receivers? With a defense that had nowhere to go but up from a dismal 2008, the defensive backs are going to be relied upon to come up and make tackles at the edge. Outside of the oft-injured Henry, none of these starting caliber defensive backs can give you that kind of confidence outside of rookie Louis Delmas.

Our DB corps would seem to be much better. But how could they not be over last year? Whether "better" will equal "good enough," we'll soon know.

Agree or disagree with Syvertsen's assessment? Discuss in The Den!

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Culpepper says he's 100-percent healthy in camp for first time since before monster '04 season

Wouldn't it just be the Lions' luck that they take a QB first overall, pay him the largest rookie contract in NFL history by far, and then Daunte Culpepper returns to his elite play from his days with Randy Moss in Minnesota?

Associated Press football writer Larry Lage, reporting from the Lions' mini-camp, talked with C-Pep:

"This is the first time I've been 100 percent going into camp since 2004," he said, referring to the season in which he threw 39 TDs for the Vikings. "I feel great."

Matthew Stafford's feeling great, too, though. He told Lage he's still preparing with the idea that he'll be ready to start in Week 1.

MLive.com's Tom Kowalski reported on the Lions' two-minute drills from camp yesterday. Both Culpepper and Stafford had their highlights -- C-Pep hitting Calvin Johnson on a 40-yard bomb (though Killer says it wasn't a great ball and Calvin adjusted on it); Stafford zipping completions to a few different receivers. But neither quarterback got the ball into the end zone, and Stafford had a ball batted at the line and an interception, Killer reports.

Then there's Drew Stanton. Killer says ... uh ... not that good. And Coach Jim Schwartz seemed to concur.

"He flashes. He hasn't been quite as consistent as I'd like at times,'' Schwartz said of Stanton. "The one thing that's going to happen with Drew is that Drew isn't the classic drop-back passer. He's going to make plays off-schedule a little bit and sometimes you don't see that at practice. You don't see the quarterback scrambling around in practice and extend the play and tuck the ball and run and those things. Those are the plays he made in college, that sort of defined him as a quarterback, that he could make those plays. We'll see that a little bit more when we get to preseason games. It's a little bit hard to read that style of quarterbacks in the stuff we're doing out here because you're throwing everything from the pocket in practice."

Anybody who thinks that sounds good for Stanton's chances to stick with the team ... well, you must be a very strong Stanton fan and a very positive thinker.

Discuss in The Den!

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Schwartz isn't patient; Sims has "switched his swagger"

Good article from Associated Press football writer Larry Lage on the Lions:

Linebacker Ernie Sims said the 2008 season is out of sight and mind.

“It’s out of my head,” Sims said. “Last year is over with and we’re focusing on the new year with a totally new team. We’re switching our swagger around.”

First-year coach Jim Schwartz relayed a message he shared during a team meeting, kicking off the three-day minicamp.

“Patience is no longer a virtue. Indoctrination is over,” Schwartz recalled telling the team. “There are new schemes. There’s new philosophies. There’s new coaches. There’s whole new dynamics. A significant number of players on the team are new.

“We need to get past it now and we need to start seeing results on the field.”

Schwartz also reiterated that he won't be naming starters at ANY positions for months, no doubt in an effort to sharpen competitiveness.

Lage also gets comments from Calvin Johnson, Kevin Smith and Jon Jansen as the minicamp got under way:

“It’s definitely a different mindset because we have a bunch of new players, who have brought a new energy,” Johnson said. “I’m looking forward to playing with these guys.”

Running back Kevin Smith, one of the holdovers, said the players are approaching the upcoming season as a new start.

“This is the 2009 Lions, not the ’08 Lions or the Lions that won it in ’57,” Smith said.

The Lions have put together a hungry bunch of players. Jansen, for example, joined the franchise soon after the Washington Redskins cut him.

“There are a lot of guys who want to prove a point,” he said. “I want to prove that I’m not done. A lot of guys want to prove that last year wasn’t them.”

Discuss in The Den!

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First Look at the New Lions

The Lions’ new coaching staff has had some chance to evaluate their holdover stock, and their new acquisitions, through OTAs, film sessions, quarterback school, independent weight-room work, etc.  Moreover, up until this point, the rookies and veterans have been segregated—rookies against rookies, vets against vets.  This means that the key rookies are competing against dozens of “camp fodder” guys that almost certainly won’t make the team—and the veterans aren’t playing with or against several players who are sure to see plenty of playing time.

Now, however, the Lions’ new staff—charged with the Sisyphean task of making the worst team in the history of the NFL competitive—will get their first look at the complete, overhauled, roster today.  Since there won’t be any live TV, live radio, scoreboard, box score, or any other traditional metric of football success, Lions observers looking for concrete improvement will have to focus on a few key areas:

• Calvin Johnson vs. Cornerbacks: One of the only absolutes on the Lions roster is Calvin “Megatron” Johnson.  The 6’-5” wideout managed to haul in 78 balls for 1,331 yards and twelve scores last year--despite subpar quarterback play, and a lack of complementary threats to keep defenses honest.  It is probable that he'll be successful against both free agent CB signee Patrick Buchanon, and CB Anthony Henry, who came to the Lions via trade.  However, whether he is merely “successful”—as opposed to “unstoppable”—could reveal whether the Lions’ secondary can slow down the likes of Bernard Berrien and Greg Jennings . . . or not.
• Interior OL vs. Interior DL: The Lions have struggled for the better part of a decade to find stalwart guards to bracket smart, gritty veteran C Dominic Raiola. This offseason, the Lions re-signed Stephen Peterman, brought in Titans T/G Daniel Loper, claimed ongoing reclamation project Toniu Fonoti, and signed a pair of tackles--Ephraim Salaam and Jon Jansen--all of whom could compete for the two starting spots.  Peterman is the returning starter on the right; the Lions think his game is more suited to this run-first offense than the outgoing Martzian zone scheme.  Loper, who came to Detroit with Schwartz, has the inside track on the left guard spot—though his 6’-6”, 320-pound frame makes him a more natural tackle.  All will compete against an extremely young and raw defensive line.  With FA acquisition Grady Jackson taking most of the summer off to keep his legs fresh, fourth-round rookie Sammie Hill and second-year vet Andre Fluellen will get a lot of reps in this minicamp.  Both are athletic, yet extremely raw prospects.  Fluellen looked good in what very little time he played last season, but has been asked to bulk up in this new defense.  Hill needs little bulking up at a lean-looking 330 pounds--but having played for tiny Stillman College, he has nearly zero coaching in fundamentals or technique.  How these two fare against the rotating cast of outsized veterans will show how much the Lions have improved a run defense that allowed over 2,700 yards rushing in 2008.
• The linebacking corps: What was the Lions’ greatest weakness in 2008—the linebackers—just might now be their greatest strength.  A trade brought former MSU Spartan Julian Peterson in from Seattle, and Steelers run-stuffer--and Detroit native--Larry Foote, came home after becoming a cap casualty in Pittsburgh. Adding third-round rookie DeAndre Levy to returning starter Ernie Sims and second-year vet Jordon Dizon, the Lions’ new-look LB corps features a lot of speed and athleticism.  In coordinator Gunther Cunningham’s new blitz-heavy scheme, the Lions will be asking these players to create a lot of pressure—and in turn, relieve a lot of pressure from the defensive line and secondary.  Given the Lions’ well-documented troubles in pass protection, word from camp should be that these linebackers gave the offensive line fits—if not, the Lions’ defense could again lack fangs come autumn.

There will be many other interesting positional battles waged, and the performance of many other players will be closely watched--of course, all eyes will be on Matt Stafford and Duante Culpepper.  However, determining when in the next 12 months Matt Stafford will take over won’t answer the real questions surrounding this team: Can they run?  Can they stop the run?  Can they rush the passer, and can they cover opposing wideouts?  The answer to at least some of these questions being "yes" will be the keys to the Lions winning . . . well, any games in 2009.

Discuss it here, in The Den!

It's on now

A mandatory 3-day minicamp for the Lions begins today in Allen Park. And as Nicholas Cotsonika at Freep.com reports, the competitions for jobs begin in earnest now.

Previous weeks have been preoccupied with veterans learning the new coaching staff and its wants; rookies getting caught up; and the Lions' front office turning over to a great extent the largely atrocious roster from last year's 0-16 season.

Coach Jim Schwartz has pointed to this minicamp -- the end of the off-season program -- as the time to start making it count, Cotsonika says.

The battles won't begin in full force until camp opens in late July with the players in pads. The players will be in helmets and shorts this week. No hitting.

Things I'm looking to see:

1. How much do OLs Ephraim Salaam and Jon Jansen have left in them? Enough to push Gosder or even Backus? Or at least to be very strong backups? The problems last year weren't just Backus' and Gosder's inconsistency. It was a lack of quality depth, the inability to rotate in effective players as the starters got tired. If Salaam and Jansen show something -- even if they don't unseat the starters -- the Lions might have a much better rotation available to them in the second halves of games this season.

2. How much better will the Lions' secondary be this year? (It can't be much worse.) With two new CBs -- Phillip Buchanon and Anthony Henry -- and highly touted rookie S Louis Delmas.

3. Will one of the veteran WRs -- Bryant Johnson or Ronald Curry -- emerge as a legitimate threat on the other side of Calvin? It's incredible what Megatron accomplished last season with no other Lion receiver seriously taking any pressure or attention off of him.

Discuss in The Den!

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Stafford/Pettigrew = Romo/Witten?

Well, the bromance may not be at a Tony Romo-Mark Witten extreme -- yet, anyway. But Carlos Monarrez at Freep.com notes that rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew was a frequent target of rookie QB Matthew Stafford during a recent Lions practice, and the two appear to work well with each other.

"It just happened like that," Pettigrew said. "I'm glad we're kind of getting a feel for each other and a good connection going into this thing and having a good relationship. That'll be good." Pettigrew has been particularly impressed with Stafford's on-field maturity. "He's a rookie as well, but he sits in there with composure and attitude and leadership, like he's been here," Pettigrew said. "He's just an all-around good player and good guy."

Pettigrew was obviously brought in for two reasons -- help the running game with his blocking prowess and take some pressure off WR Calvin Johnson with his receiving ability. The extent to which he does both will go a long way toward putting 0-16 in the rear-view mirror. Talk about it in The Den!

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ESPN blogger: Calvin, Delmas among "Ultimate Building Blocks"

The Lions continue to get more offseason love than you'd expect for a team coming off 0-16. Kevin Seifert, the NFC North blogger at ESPN.com, lists the top 10 "Ultimate Building Blocks" in the division. At No. 3 Seifert places Calvin Johnson:

He put up huge numbers last season on a team without a quarterback. Imagine what he could do with a permanent fixture at that position. He'll be a living mismatch for the next decade.

(Loved that "living mismatch for the next decade" line!) At No. 8 is Louis Delmas:

We're doing some projecting here, of course. But Delmas has the hitting ability and Bob Sanders-like toughness to be a star in this division.

Seifert explains in his criteria that as building blocks, he was looking for players with three or more highly productive seasons left in them -- and specifically lists Jason Hanson as one of three people that left off his list. (Hey, don't sell Hanson short of giving us more than three more years!) Discuss it in The Den!

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The Lions: 1989 And 2009

It is interesting (to me) that the Lions go into 2009 in a sitation similar to the one they were in precisely 20 years earlier. A multiyear run near the bottom of the league. A new defensive-minded head coach replacing an old defensive-minded head coach who was clearly out of his league. A fanbase that had finally capitulated, staying away from the the team in droves. A young offensive player taken at the top of the draft who would be relied upon to lead the team from the wilderness.

I thought it would be fun to look at the differences and similarities between these two teams.

Similarities

Much like the '08 Lion defense, the '88 offense was the worst in the league, and not by a little. They finished last in scoring, yards, passing yards, rushing TD, rushing y/a, passing net y/a, and 1st downs. They also finished bottom 3 in rush yards and rush atts. Much like the '08 defense's inability to get off the field, the '88 Lions offense was unable to stay on the field.

Signature play of ineptitude. The '08 Lions had Orlovsky running out of the back of the endzone for a mistaken safety. The '88 Lions had the Mayday play against the Saints, which a few of you may recall. Deep in their own end and protecting a slim lead, Jim Arnold lined up to punt on 4th down. Noting that the gunner was uncovered, Arnold called a pre-arranged audible "Mayday! Mayday", before taking the snap and passing to the uncovered gunner. The gunner apparently didn't hear or didn't understand the audible and never turned. The perfect pass by Arnold struck the gunner in the back of the head. The Saints took over on downs within the Detroit 10 yard line and quickly scored to take the lead.

Superlative kicking. The '08 Lions had veteran Jason Hanson leading the league with a 95% FG rate while setting records for long field goals, supported by very solid punting from Nick Harris. The '88 Lions had veteran Eddie Murray connecting on 95% of his field goals in his last great seasons with Pro Bowler Arnold handling the punting.

Missing quarterback. The '08 Lions played 5 quarterbacks, starting 3 of them and never settling on one. The '88 Lions played 4 quarterbacks, starting 2 of them. Both teams had the quarterback who started the year for them end the year on the IR. Both teams signed a veteran free agent mid-season who instantly became the starter. Daunte Culpepper in '08, Rusty Hilger in '88. Not surprisingly, both of them sucked.

Bad misses on skill position players. In the '80s Detroit invested first round picks on Mark "He'll Do For The Passing Game What Billy Sims Did For The Rushing Game" Nichols, Dave Lewis and Chuck Long, all significant busts. The mid '00s Lions wasted high first rounders on Harrington, Chuck Rogers and Mike Williams.

Differences

Aside from the obvious, the '89 Lions promoted their interim HC while enduring another season under Russ Thomas while the '09 Lions promoted their interim GM and went outside the organization for the HC, there were a few other distinctive differences between these two teams.

The '88 defense. As bad as the offense was on that team, Wayne Fontes had really built a quality defense. His Bend But Don't Break 3-4 finished 10th in scoring while landing in the middle of the pack in the yardage categories. Mike Cofer qualified for the Pro Bowl at OLB.

Core of quality young players. Forgive me for jumping to conclusions, but outside of Calvin Johnson there is little reason to be particularly optimistic about any players returning to the '09 team. Smith, Cherilus and Avril each have the potential to be plus players but at this point it is potential unrealized. By contrast the '89 team had a solid core of young veterans. Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover were entering their 5th seasons, Jerry Ball, Dennis Gibson and Dan Saleaumua entering their 3rd. Bennie Blades and Chris Spielman were coming off of standout rookie years and would become cornerstones of the defense. Eric Andolsek and William White were also coming off of their rookie seasons and would enter the lineup as quality pros in '89.

Barry Sanders versus Matt Stafford. I guess Calvin Johnson is the cornerstone offensive player for the Lions right now, but it is very difficult for wide receivers to have the type of impact that running backs and quarterbacks have. The very best receivers may get ten touches per game while even average running backs get twenty or more. Regardless of what Stafford becomes, the flavor of these teams will be entirely different. When a team has a player who is the best in the league and among the best of all-time the very identity of the team becomes wrapped up in that player. It is impossible to think of the Lions from that era without thinking of Barry Sanders. If Stafford is destined for greatness then the Lions of the teens will be forever entwined with Stafford, but even then it will be impossible to compare those teams with the Lions of Barry Sanders. The identities will be entirely different.

Coordinator philosophy. Two areas where these teams are going in opposite directions. The Lions are coming off of a period of offensive innovation (2008 notwithstanding) and moving to a much more traditional offensive philosophy. Likewise they are moving away from a tired fad of a defense toward a traditional set with traditional philosophies and goals. The '89 Lions installed an innovative offense that had not been seen in the NFL while running a defense that was also a bit out of the prevailing practice of the day. While teams were emulating the attacking and stifling defenses of the Bears, Eagles and Giants, the Lions opted for a gap filling defense built around Jerry Ball and funneling everything into Speilman and Gibson.

In the end, these teams are vastly different, both in the type and quality of personnel. But even so it is entertaining to consider the two teams against the single generational difference that separates them.

Ongoing discussion Here in The Den.

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NFL's Pat Kirwan on the bandwagon?

Thanks to DrewsLions, a contributor to the Pride of Detroit blog, for pointing out this outstanding NFL.com Pat Kirwan article (plus NFLN video segment!) discussing in-depth the Lions' offseason, transitions, and prospects for the upcoming year.  Unlike many, he's not simply tossing the Lions a 3-13 bone and having done with it; he's looking at all of the many, many improvements the Lions have made to the roster, the coaching staff, and the front office.

Oh, and he calls Calvin Johnson "Megatron", which should settle that debate.

Discuss it here, in The Den!

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Watch out, NFL: Calvin's planning on a better season than last year

Chrissy Wywrot at DetroitLions.com had a good long talk with Lions WR and all-around stud Calvin Johnson, who says he's looking to improve this year. That means improving on more than 1,300 yards and leading the league in TD catches, despite having multiple mediocre QBs throwing to him and no real help to take pressure off him from his fellow receivers.

“Every year I just want to go into the season thinking, ‘Just do better than you did last year and you’ll be okay.’ I don’t ever put any specific numbers up for myself, but as long as I feel I’ve done better than I did the year before, it was a successful season.”

Calvin also praised the addition of veteran WRs Ronald Curry and Bryant Johnson.

“It’s been great. There are some skill areas that everybody needs to work on and those guys would definitely be the first ones to tell you, ‘Hey, if you do this on this route, you’ll win.’ “They’re always giving little hints and tips and stuff like that so it’s been a great addition. I feel like they know what they’re doing, so it’s been good for the whole group.”

Bryant Johnson gave the love back, saying Calvin is mature and a hard worker, always striving to improve, and that rubs off on other players. A better supporting cast almost has to help Calvin Johnson. And if he does improve on last year ... ooh, man. Discuss it in The Den!

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