Detroit Lions 2009: A Realistic Plan or Blowing Smoke?

From now until the end of the draft, there are going to be thousands of mock drafts, thousands of fans speculating and thousands of predictions.

There will be folks who will state the way to win championships is through defense.  Others will say to start a winning tradition, you must start with a stud quarterback.  Still others will say you aren’t going to win a thing until the offensive line is addressed.

I say the Lions, in order to succeed, need to address all three areas:  defense, quarterback and offensive line.  And I do believe that with this draft and perhaps a trade or two, success can be had, provided that it’s done a certain way.

Which leads back to where the real pressure lies right now:  Squarely on the shoulders of Martin Mayhew, the appointed General Manager of the Detroit Lions.

Before I get to deep into what I wish to say, I want to thank Dave Harvey, a member of www.firemillen.com, for his research and for which inspired this column.  You can catch his post at Dave Harvey's Plan for the Lions. 

I don’t totally agree since as a fan, I have my own opinion on things but the plan Dave lays out is aggressive and well thought out, the type of thinking that the Lions need in order to become a successful team in 2009 and beyond.

I’m going to use some of Dave’s examples but with my own take”

Players to be shown the door:

QBs Jon Kitna and Drew Henson

Guard Edwin Mulitalo

Safeties Dwight Smith, Stuart Schweigert, and LaMarcus Hicks

CBs Dexter Wynn and Chris Roberson

RB Brian Calhoun

Center Dominic Raiola

This would free up some much needed salary cap that will be needed to rebuild.

Players to resign:

RB Aveion Cason – a decent return man and provides depth at running back.

Kicker Jason Hanson – I got nothing against kickers and I agree with Dave that Hanson is one of the best players on the team.  He still has a lot of leg, evident of his eight field goals of 50 yards or more in 2008.

FB Moran Norris – Relying here on Dave’s insight regarding backing up Felton

QB Dan Orlovsky – Only to use him as trade bait otherwise, we let him go.

Free Agents

(I don’t list as many as Dave does only because free agents and Detroit Lions are like oil and water, they just don’t mix.)

Guard Mike Goff – He takes the place of Mulitalo on the right side.

Linebacker Karlos Dansby – With Simms on one side and Dansby on the other, a MLB can be taken in the draft and all of a sudden, we got a great linebacker group.

Draft:

This is where Dave and I disagree a bit.  I like his choice of OT Andre Smith of Alabama at No. 1.  But with both Stafford and Bradford declaring, one of them is going to be a Detroit Lion.  I know, I know, I’ve stated over and over the Lions got to have an elite left tackle to succeed.  But I also know the Lions don’t have a QB to take them to the next level. 

If no trades of picks are done and I was the GM, this is how I would lay out my draft plan:

1. QB Matt Stafford, Georgia

20.    OT Ciron Black, LSU

33.    LB Daniel Holtzclaw, Eastern Michigan

65.    DE Phillip Hunt, Houston

85.    C Eric Wood, Louisville

129.    CB Londen Fryar, Western Michigan

161.    DT Darryl Richard, Georgia Tech

182.    FS David Bruton, Notre Dame

193.    TE Darius Hill, Ball State

Plans:

At QB, there will be no job guaranteed so there is going to be a battle for the starting job between Stafford, Stanton and Culpepper.  We still have Orlovsky and he can be used to either trade for more picks or another quarterback and Culpepper gets shown the door.

The offensive line gets solid quick, Mike Goff replaces Mulitalo at right guard, Backus shifts to left guard, Ciron Black becomes the starting left tackle, and rookie Eric Wood takes over at center.

As for the defense, Sims and Dansby start at the outside and Holtzclaw gets the MLB spot.  Leigh Bodden keeps his job a CB and is joined by Londen Fryar, Ken Hamlin, and David Bruton at the safety positions.

Once again, thanks Dave Harvey for inspiring this column.