The Detroit Lions' All-Bust Team 1999-2008

The Detroit Lions have certainly had their share of failures over the decades since 1957, especially in recent years. With that, comes a whole slew of busts.

What is a bust?

Usually, a bust is a player that is drafted high and performs far below expectations. However, for the sake of this slideshow, I am also including big free-agent acquisitions that performed below expectations as busts.

The kicker and punter positions are vacant because as we know, if the Lions have done anything right, its special teams.

Here are the biggest Detroit Lions' busts of the last 10 seasons—there are enough to make an entire team!

Ah, memories. Enjoy.

General Manager: Matt Millen

Who else but Millen?

The majority of this all-bust team were Millen draft picks, making him the official architect of failure.

He was brought in, despite having no prior NFL executive experience, after the 2000 season with the goal of transforming the Lions from a mediocre 9-7 squad that barely missed the playoffs to a Super Bowl-winning team.

However, Millen's teams never won more than seven games—failing to even reach the same mark of the 9-7 team he inherited.

He was often ridiculed by fans who had disdain for Millen's habit of drafting wide receivers in the first round. And in his final years, the chants of "Fire Millen" could be heard in venues, not just in Detroit, but nationwide.

Millen hit rock bottom when he was fired three games into the 2008 season, having successfully put together the NFL's first 0-16 team.

Coach: Rod Marinelli

In some respects, you have to feel sorry for the man.

Marinelli can be summed up as a coach who was set in his ways. A defensive line coach, Marinelli knew the game of football well, but he just wasn't cut out for the head coaching gig.

His tenure was often defined by disputes with bigger ego coordinators like Mike Martz and losing control of his players. He repeatedly spatted out his mantra of "pounding the rock" at press conferences, almost as a fallback when coming under heated questions.

Marinelli is responsible for the Lions' best season since 2001 when he coached the team to a 7-9 record in 2007. However, he followed that up with the NFL's first ever 0-16 season in 2008 which ultimately led to his firing.

Honorable Mention: Marty Mornhinweg

Quarterback: Joey Harrington

Drafted: 2002 (first round, third overall)

Average Stats
Quarterback Rating: 68.3
Touchdowns: 15
Interceptions: 15.5
Yards: 2560
Completion Percentage: 54.7

Joey Harrington, who was the Lions' highest-ever quarterback draft pick, was the face of failure for the Detroit Lions from 2002-06.

A Heisman candidate from the University of Oregon, Harrington was crushed physically by a lack of an offensive line and mentally from fan insults during his time in Detroit.

His sunny disposition even in the face of sub-par play earned him the sarcastic fan nickname: Joey Blue Skies.

The Lions never won more than six games in a season in the four years with Harrington as their starter.

Honorable Mention: Ty Detmer

Running Back: Kevin Jones

Drafted: 2004 (first round, 30th overall)

Average Stats:
Yards: 766
Yards Per Carry: 3.9
Touchdowns: 6.7
Fumbles: 2.8
Receptions: 35
Receiving Yards: 252

Kevin Jones was perceived as a steal and brilliant move by Millen when he was taken 30th overall in 2004. And these claims were initially verified when Jones rushed for 1,133 yards in his rookie season.

But his production plummeted in the following three seasons, as he never surpassed 700 yards after 2004 and was released after the 2008 season.

Honorable Mentions: Tatum Bell, T.J. Duckett

Wide Receiver: Charles Rogers

Drafted: 2003 (first round, second overall)

Average Stats:
Receptions: 14
Yards: 220
Touchdowns: two

Charles Rogers is perhaps the biggest bust of them all.

He was drafted in 2003 out of Michigan State, where he broke every school receiving record and won the Bilentnikoff Award in 2002 as the nation's top college receiver.

In his first game with the Lions, he caught three touchdown passes and was hailed as a savior.

But before the sixth game of his rookie season, Rogers broke his collarbone in a drill with Dre Bly and missed the rest of the season.

In 2004, he broke his collarbone again in the first game of the season, which again left him out for the year.

In 2005, Rogers was healthy but only played in nine games because of a drug suspension. He started just three of those games, and his production and ability was a far cry from where he was at in 2003.

The Lions released Rogers before the 2006 season due to massive decline in playing ability and amid problems with drug use

He has not signed with another team since.

Wide Receiver: Mike Williams

Drafted: 2005 (first round, 10th overall)

Average Stats:
Receptions: 18.5
Yards: 224
Touchdowns: one

Mike Williams was drafted in 2005 out of USC. But the only problem was that was at the time of the draft, Williams had been sitting out for a year due to prior draft ineligibility when he tried to enter as a sophomore in 2004.

The Lions took him high anyway, and paid the price.

Williams played in just 22 games for Detroit over two seasons, starting in only six of them. He caught one of his two career touchdown passes in his very first game against Green Bay.

The Lions traded Williams to Oakland during the 2007 NFL Draft for a fourth-round pick, which was used to select cornerback A.J Davis, who never played for Detroit.

Honorable Mention: Germane Crowell

Tight End: Marcus Pollard

Acquired via free agency: 2005

Average Stats:
Receptions: 29
Yards: 308
Touchdowns: 1.5

Finding a Tight End bust for the Lions wasn't easy, as there have been plenty of bad tight ends on this team.

However Marcus Pollard was the highest-profile tight end the Lions have had recently.

Pollard had a solid reputation when the Lions signed him as a free agent. He was often good for 500 yards and roughly five touchdowns a season, so the Lions saw him as the perfect big end-zone target for Harrington.

Pollard didn't put up horrible stats during his two years as a Lion, racking up a decent 616 receiving yards. But he only came down with three total touchdowns, which isn't what Detroit brought him in for.

Tackle: Aaron Gibson

Drafted: 1999 (first round, 27th overall)

Aaron Gibson was a First-Team All American when the Lions drafted him out of Wisconsin in 1999. The Lions liked him because he was huge (340 pounds) and ran a fast 40 (5.35) for a guy of his size.

However, Gibson did not play a single game during his rookie season because of injury.

He played the 2000 season and six games of the 2001 season before being cut. Gibson was known for being easily exhausted, not to mention clumsy. He frequently missed blocks and was slow to recover.

He is currently not in the NFL.

Tackle: Stockar McDougle

Drafted: 2000 (first round, 20th overall)

One year after drafting the 340-pound Gibson in the first round, Detroit drafted 340-pound Stockar McDougle out of Oklahoma.

At the time, it was believed that Detroit possessed the largest offensive line in the NFL.

McDougle had far more longevity than Gibson, but his time with the Lions was largely mediocre at best. He was also hampered by injuries.

He missed the first eight games of his rookie season, seven games of his sophomore season, and four games in 2002.

In 2003 and 2004, McDougle played in and started all 16 games. But he was not re-signed after 2004, as the Lions were unhappy with his slow recovery time and poor movement.

He is currently not playing in the NFL.

Offensive Line: George Foster

Acquired: 2007 via trade for cornerback Dre Bly

George Foster was a solidly productive member of the Denver Broncos when the Lions traded for him and running back Tatum Bell in 2007. The Broncos annually had one of the better rushing attacks in the league, and the Lions thought they were adding one of the contributors to that rush attack.

Nope.

Foster instead can be blamed for many of the Lions' miscues over the past two seasons. In fact, Foster made so many mistakes in key game situations that he quickly earned the dubious nickname "False Start Foster."

He was perhaps the most apathetic player on the Lions during his tenure in Detroit, and he was recently released.

He is currently a member of the Cleveland Browns.

Defensive End: Kalimba Edwards

Drafted: 2002 (second round, 35th overall)

Average Stats:
Solo Tackles: 20.8
Sacks: 4.3
Forced Fumbles: 1.5

Kalimba Edwards isn't a huge bust, but considering he never reached his potential, he remains a fringe bust.

The Lions drafted him 35th overall in 2002 out of South Carolina, where he was a finalist for the Butkus and Lombardi awards.

In his rookie season, he played in all 16 games, starting four of them, and led the team in sacks with 6.5.

However, Edwards never developed into the full-time defensive end that the Lions envisioned him to be. Over the next two years, Edwards did not start a single game, although he played in every game but one.

Edwards led the team in sacks again in 2005 with seven, and Rod Marinelli then gave him a chance to be the starting right defensive end. He performed inadequately with his chance, though, racking up only six sacks over the next two seasons.

He was not re-signed by the Lions and is currently without an NFL team.

Defensive Tackle: Shaun Cody

Drafted: 2005 (second round, 37th overall)

Average Stats:
Solo Tackles: 22
Sacks: .33
Forced Fumbles: .25

Shaun Cody is, by all accounts, a bust. He was drafted in 2005 out of USC, where he was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. He was the first Trojan to earn that honor since former Lions' linebacker Chris Claiborne.

However, things did not translate well to the NFL.

In four seasons with the Lions, Cody had just 1.5 sacks, with both coming during his rookie season. When Rod Marinelli became coach, Cody was allowed to start 10 games over three seasons. However, the more games Cody started, the worse he seemed to play.

Cody's best moments—and there were very few of them—came when he entered the game as a reserve tackle. Having never developed into a starting NFL defensive tackle, the Lions did not re-sign him when his contract expired.

He is currently a member of the Houston Texans.

Linebacker: Barrett Green

Drafted: 2000 (second round, 50th overall)

Average Stats:
Solo Tackles: 41
Sacks: 1.25
Forced Fumbles: .75
Interceptions: 0

Barrett Green was drafted in 2000 out of West Virginia, where left the school as its sixth all-time leading tackler.

With the Lions, he played on special teams for nine games his rookie season and didn't register any stats. He was a regular starter for the next three seasons in Detroit, but he was mostly sub-par.

His best season was 2003, when he had 66 tackles and three sacks, but he never lived up to his potential or developed into a solid starting linebacker.

He was not re-signed by Detroit for the 2004 season, and he spent an entire season on injured reserve in 2005.

He is currently without an NFL team.

Linebacker: Boss Bailey

Drafted: 2003 (second round, 34th overall)

Average Stats:
Solo Tackles: 48
Sacks: 1.75
Forced Fumbles: .25
Interceptions: .50

Boss Bailey was drafted in 2003 out of Georgia, where he was a finalist for the Butkus and Lombardi awards.

And at first, Bailey looked like the real deal.

In his rookie season, Bailey racked up a career-high 68 solo tackles (88 total) and made ESPN's All-Rookie Team.

However a knee injury put him on injured reserve for the entire 2004 season. He came back to play 11 games in 2005, but he wasn't nearly as dominating as his rookie season.

In 2007, he had a career-high 3.5 sacks, but it wasn't enough, and the Lions decided not to re-sign him.

He is currently without an NFL team.

Linebacker: Teddy Lehman

Drafted: 2004 (second round, 37th overall)

Average Stats:
Solo Tackles: 26
Sacks: .25
Forced Fumbles: .50
Interceptions: .50

Teddy Lehman was drafted in 2004 out of Oklahoma and played four seasons with the Lions. At Oklahoma he won the Butkus award as the nation's top linebacker, as well as the Chuck Bednarik award as the top defensive player in the country.

Lehman is unfortuantly another case of a promising rookie being hampered by injuries. His first season in Detroit, Lehman racked up a career-high 103 tackles (76 solo). He was the only rookie linebacker that year to start all 16 games.

But over the next two seasons, Lehman would only play in a total of nine games due to injuries. In those nine games, he had just 17 tackles.

In 2007, a healthy Lehman played in all 16 games, but he started none. He had just 27 tackles and was not re-signed by the team following the season.

In 2008, Lehman was signed by Buffalo in March and then released in July. The Lions then picked him up, but in August of that year, he was placed on injured reserve and then released again.

He is currently without an NFL team.

Cornerback: Fernando Bryant

Acquired: via free agency 2004

Average Stats:
Tackles: 43
Passes Defensed: 7.25
Interceptions: .50

Fernando Bryant was never a superstar cornerback. But he was solid during his years in Jacksonville, so the Lions saw him as a good complement to Dre Bly in the secondary.

Bryant racked up tackles in Jacksonville, eclipsing 100 his rookie season and only falling under 50 once. He was a hard hitter and was able to force fumbles and recover quite a few as well.

In Detroit, Bryant's production fell significantly. He had just one fumble return in four seasons, and although Bryant was never a big interception grabber, he had just two as a Lion. Lions fans will remember him getting burned frequently, and he missed plenty of tackles.

The Lions finally released him following the 2007 season, and he is now in retirement.

Cornerback: Leigh Bodden

Acquired: 2008 via trade with Cleveland for defensive tackle Shaun Rogers and a 2009 third-round draft pick.

2008 Stats:
Tackles: 73
Passes Defensed: 11
Interceptions: one

Leigh Bodden is listed as a bust acquisition, most importantly because the Lions gave up Shaun Rogers, who was thought to be Detroit's most valuable defensive player.

Bodden was a real talent on Cleveland's defense and known as the player who gave Cincinnati receiver Chad Johnson the most trouble. In 2007, Bodden had six interceptions, 15 defensed passes, and three fumble recoveries.

The Lions thought they were getting one of the NFL's top cornerbacks when they acquired Bodden.

Instead, they got a flop of a deal.

While Rogers went on to make the Pro Bowl in Cleveland, Bodden directly contributed to the NFL's second-worst secondary in league history.

With Bodden starting all 16 games for Detroit, the Lions' secondary allowed the second-most yards ever by an NFL team. And more often than not, it was Bodden's assigned man who burned him for a long touchdown. Often times, Bodden wasn't even in the same zip code as the receiver he was supposed to be covering.

He was such a flop that the Lions released him after just one season. He is currently a member of the New England Patriots.

Safety: Gerald Alexander

Drafted: 2007 (second round, 29th overall)

2007-08 Stats:
Tackles: 81
Passes Defensed: six
Interceptions: two

Drafted out of Boise State, Alexander is yet another Detroit Lion who had a promising rookie season followed up with injury problems his sophomore year.

As a rookie, Alexander posted the solid stats above, as he started all 16 games for the Lions.

But in 2008, Alexander suffered an injury and only started one game for Detroit, where he had just seven tackles in five games.

He was traded recently to Jacksonville for wide receiver Dennis Northcutt, as he became expendable after Detroit drafted safety Louis Delmas to take his place.

Safety: Kenoy Kennedy

Acquired: 2005 via free agency

Average Stats:
Tackles: 84
Passes Defensed: 4.3
Interceptions: two

Kenoy Kennedy had earned himself a reputation as being one of the hardest hitters in the league. So when he became a free agent in 2005, the Lions were quick to sign the bruising safety.

What they would be getting, however, was a shadow of the player Kennedy was for Denver.

Although Kennedy maintained his tackle production, earning a career-high 99 during his first year in Detroit, they were frequently tackles made after the catch. In the past, Kennedy's mere presence could cause opposing receivers to drop balls.

He blocked fewer passes and caused fewer turnovers, and his ability gradually decreased until the Lions released him preceding the 2008 season.

He is currently without an NFL team.