Jordon Dizon's Bizarre Holdout with the Detroit Lions

Jordon Dizon was many things when the Detroit Lions selected him in the second round of the 2008 Draft with the 45th-overall pick.

The 6'0" and 225-pound linebacker from Hawaii was perceived to be too small, selected too high, and was said not to have the ability to be a starter in the NFL by draft analysts everywhere.

At the time, it seemed the only person willing to stand up for Dizon was the Lions' coach Rod Marinelli, who described Dizon as having "a motor that doesn't quit."

After watching various YouTube videos of Dizon shortly after he was drafted, I started to warm up to him. After all, you don't rack up over 100 tackles in college by being a scrub.

Of course, then came the news that just six days before the NFL Draft, Dizon was arrested for drunk driving. The Lions claimed they knew nothing of the incident and that it didn't show up in the preliminary background checks.

Then, as nearly every other one of the Lions' picks signed their contracts, Dizon was left as the odd-man out.

The Detroit Free Press reported today that Dizon has missed the first two practices and seven hours of meetings so far. This is pretty odd. You don't often hear of a second-round pick holding out for more money.

Yet today, Dizon's agent Peter Schaffer was quoted as saying negotiations have "smacked right into a wall," adding, "I am heading home."

The Lions have adamantly stated that they have offered Dizon a contract that is more than fair according to what the market has determined is fair for a mid-second-round pick.

I have to wonder what the heck Dizon and his agent are thinking on this one. He's undersized for a linebacker, and was picked higher than he should have been.

And now he's holding out?

Lions' nation seems to be pretty split on this one. About half are in the "Lions screwed up again, what else is new" crowd. The other half are as baffled as I am.

In a year when Detroit has already had bad luck with Caleb Campbell and the new Army policy, the Lions sure don't need this right now.

But for once, I agree with Detroit's thinking.

I hope the Lions don't give in here. Don't overpay the over-fortunate and undersized. If Dizon wants to play football, he'll sign the market-value contract he's been offered. If he doesn't, well, the Lions screwed up again, what else is new?