Will Detroit Lions Roar Or Whimper In The Free Agent Market?

With the opening of the free agency free-for-all tonight at 12:01 a.m., we look at some moves the Lions could make to rise to mediocrity.

It is sad that after eight years of Millen futility, the Lions must resort to aggressively pursuing free agents to have any hope of plugging some of the many holes that exist in their roster.

The ideal model of NFL success comes in building your team by successfully finding impact players in the first few rounds of the draft, with diamonds in the rough being found in the later rounds. Former GM Matt Millen had a knack for picking haplessly, and now the Lions are saddled with an 0-16 tattoo that will never be removed or forgotten. 

It will make getting quality free agents a little harder and will make said acquisitions that much more expensive. Still, with a projected $35 million in cap room and plenty of opportunities to upgrade their talent, they must aggressively move into free agency.   

As a quick aside, the Lions have too many needs to be going after restricted free agents. They can’t give up picks or the little talent they have to acquire players. They should only consider unrestricted free agents.  

One of the first assumptions that must be made before they wade into the free agency pool is who will they target with the first pick in the upcoming draft. If it is Matt Stafford, as so many draft pundits have said, then the  Lions can move past the QB position and focus on other items. What the Lions do in free agency will clearly define what they will do in the draft. 

I am not going to try and divine what Mr. Mayhew will do in his first official draft at the helm. He has to play it safe and get a true contributor from day one, though. That makes going after a highly suspicious junior quarterback a risky move. 

If Mayhew is as smart as everyone says he is, he will go back to Matt Millen’s Year One draft philosophy (one of the few things he did correctly), address the lines, and work out from that point.

Honestly, if he wants to show a true changing of the guard, he will find some team even more desperate than the Lions (is that possible?) that wants to be saddled with a $30 million rookie guaranteed contract and is willing to give the Lions value for what has become a stone around the neck of the franchise. 

If he pulls that off, he will be my hero. If not, I hope he picks offensive linemen Eugene Monroe or Jason Smith first. He also could go after Aaron Curry, the outstanding linebacker from Wake Forest. Either way, he has an immediate starter for the next seven to 10 years.

Working from the lines out, free agency would look a little like this if I had anything to say about it.

Defensive Line

With the pending departure of undersized free agents Chuck Darby and Langston Moore, as well as someone they should consider re-signing in Corey Smith, the Lions have much work to do here. 

When looking at the major changes to the defense from the ’07 season to the ’08 season, we see a respectable 7-9 team evolve into a laughable 0-16 abomination. This was accomplished with focused upgrades to the defense, the key truly being the trade of that Pro Bowler and troublemaker Shaun Rogers to Cleveland. 

It may be a stretch to say that adding a player of Shaun’s skill will get them back to mediocrity and a 7-9 record. Still, it should guarantee them that ever-elusive first win of a new season. The Lions need big bodies that will keep the offensive linemen engaged, which will allow their backers to flow to the ball and make stops for little to no yardage. 

Albert Haynesworth, former pupil of new coach Jim Schwartz, would have been the ideal replacement and upgrade. Unfortunately, even if they could have leveraged past relationships and provided the desired $8 million a year in salary, the Titans have slapped the franchise label on Albert, taking him out of play for the Lions. 

The Lions should pursue Kendrick Allen. At 6-foot-4-inches and 328 lbs., he is a huge man that can fill some holes. He should come at a fraction of what it would have cost them to lure Haynesworth. Additionally, it will hurt division rival Minnesota. The Ravens' Kenny King could also be targeted at tackle, as well as the Browns' Corey Williams or the Saints' Brian Young.

At defensive end, the Lions should consider investing heavily to persuade Jevon Kearse to come back and play for his old coach, Mr. Schwartz. If they can’t get The Freak, then they should pursue Akba Gbaja-Biamila (who is pretty familiar with the Detroit backfield already) the Colts' Josh Thomas, or the Vikings' Ellis Wyms. 

All of the latter would be an upgrade from what they have, but not much. The true prize would be Jevon. They need to focus heavily here to find instant pass rush and a mentor for Cliff Avril. 

Offensive Line

The Lions should lose George Foster, Corey Hulsey, and Barry Stokes to free agency.  Jon Dunn was recently cut. 

Many rumors are swirling about Jeff Backus and his position. Will he be slid over to the guard spot, leaving his position to be filled by a young stud in the draft? It is a big unknown that can only be decided by those wiser (or at least better paid) than us.  Still, they have yet to find a decent mix of veterans and rookies that can effectively run or pass block. 

Free agency may be able to help this issue, if pursued wisely. Assuming that recently-re-signed Stephen Peterman, along with Jeff Backus and Gosder Chrilus, remain as starters, this leaves two potential positions to still be filled. 

Dominic Raiola must be commended for his heart and desire. His size keeps him from being an elite center. He would be better for the team if he could be relegated to a second-string player. Add Edwin Mulitalo, Manny Ramirez, and Damion Cook to the list and you have pretty good depth with experience. 

I’m not sure how much gas Flozell Adams or Todd Steussie have left in the tank after 11 and 14 seasons respectively. If anything, they would provide immediate depth and upgrades for at least one year. If the Lions want younger players that can be around for multiple years, Steve McKinney or Alex Stepanovich would provide a bigger presence at center. 

I would also consider taking a run at ex-Lion Damian Woody. Ideally, the Lions will upgrade at center through free agency and pick a stud left tackle early in the draft. 

Defensive Backfield

At linebacker last year, the Lions put forth Anthony Cannon, Jordan Dizon, Alex Lewis, Paris Lenon, Ryan Nece, Ernie Sims and Gilbert Gardner. Cannon, Nece and Gardner are testing free agency and shouldn’t be re-signed.  Paris Lenon and his surprising knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time should be let go as well. 

Sims has shown he can be a playmaker when given the room he needs to roam while using his speed to his ability. He didn’t appear comfortable last year, as the lack of Shaun Rogers really seemed to hamper his play. His productivity dropped off significantly, and when he was close to making plays, he overran them much too often. 

Jordan Dizon showed glimpses of brilliance, but has yet to prove he can consistently fill a starting role on this team. The rest of the backers are second stringers at best. 

The Lions need to find two more impact backers in free agency or through the draft.  Aaron Cury could immediately step in and fill one of those roles. However, it is rare that a team uses the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to target a linebacker.

There are some quality players available in free agency: Tampa’s Derrick Brooks, the Chicago’s Lance Briggs, Carolina’s Donte Curry, New England’s Victor Hobson, Cincinnati’s Dhani Jones, Minnesota’s Derrick Pope and Philly’s Takeo Spikes.

I’m not sure how many years Takeo or Dhani have left in the league, but they are quality veterans that could be looked at as a one-year patch. The others could be signed to multi-year deals, immediately upgrading the position.  

The Lion cornerbacks and safeties weren’t as bad as their play showed. If the new regime really implements a system that plays to the strengths of the players on their roster and doesn’t bring in a draconian system that cannot be supported by the players, we should see more than one defensive back interception in ’09. 

Additionally, a more productive pass rush would greatly increase the effectiveness of the backfield. Gerald Alexander and Daniel Bullocks should maintain their starting positions.  An additional safety that can provide depth and fresh legs should be sought. The loss of Leigh Bodden hurts, especially when you consider what they gave up to get him. 

Travis Fisher, whose play was okay at times, was too often beat out of positionand should be allowed to depart via free agency, as should Brian Kelly, Stanley Wilson, Idrees Bashir, and Lamarcus Hicks. The recently re-signed Mr. Irrelevant, Ramzee Robinson, isn’t ready to step into a starting role. 

Keith Smith, Chris Roberson, Stuart Schwigert, Dexter Wynn, Darnell Bing, and Caleb Campbell are, at best, fair special teams players. 

If the Lions could attract Chris Gamble from the Panthers, they would add a player with tremendous ability to the backfield. DeAngelo Hall saw his stats drop off a little in ’08.  He might be a bargain in ’09.

Reynaldo Hill spent ’08 on IR. Reuniting him with Coach Schwartz might be just the trick.  His flexibility in being able to move from corner to safety could come in handy. If the Lions could steal Darren Sharper away from the Vikings, they would take two steps forward and remove a thorn from their paw. Lawyer Milloy also had a productive ’08 and seems to still be going strong. 

All of these and more would be upgrades to the Lions' backfield. 

Offensive Backfield

The offensive backfield became truly offensive during the Matt Millen era. It is difficult to reflect back on all the wasted and poor picks.  Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers, Mike Willams, Roy Williams, and Kevin Jones were all huge picks that were made in the first two rounds who are no longer on the team. 

All those wasted picks mean the cupboard is pretty bare when it comes to offensive skill positions. 

Fullback is in flux if the Lions can’t get Moran Norris under contract by midnight tonight.  He came in and did a fair job in spots. He was a better run blocker than pass blocker.  He has potential to become a good contributor if he is retained.

They shouldn’t have to go any further then the bench if Moran leaves. Jerome Felton started last year strongly before injury sidelined him last year. They also have Jon Bradley, but I don’t know what he brings to the game.    

Kevin Smith came on at the end of ’08, just falling shy of the 1,000 yard mark. He probably would have made the goal had he not been sharing carries with Rudi Johnson.  The Bengals got the Rudi evaluation correct in their assessment that he had nothing meaningful left to contribute. The Lions will need to find someone to provide Kevin some relief.   

The rest of their stable of runners—Brian Calhoun, Avieon Cason, and Artose Pinner—are free agents and will hopefully hit the highway. It would be great for the Lions to bring in some dwindling star power to help teach Keith and to provide fresh legs and leadership when necessary. Shaun Alexander, Najeh Davenport, Michael Pittman, or Tony Richardson could fit the bill. 

It’s hard to believe that the Lions need a wide receiver after using a first-round pick on one in three consecutive years. Wideout has to be one the biggest disappointments after Calvin Johnson. Reggie Bell, Keary Colbert, Chris Hannon, Adam Jennings, Shaun McDonald, John Standeford, and Travis Taylor all combine for one quality slot receiver.  None fit the mold of a true outside threat to compliment Calvin. 

Standeford is probably the most sure-handed of the bunch, with McDonald having the quickness and elusiveness you look for in a slot receiver. Troy Walters and Michael Gaines are both free agents and probably won’t be re-signed.  Mike Furrey, a fan favorite because of his blue collar work effort and past productivity, has been cut, to the dismay of many. 

I’m okay with Marty’s decision to let him go as long as he upgrades the position. It might mean that Mr. Mayhew is going to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and take top-rated receiver Michael Crabtree with the first overall pick. More likely, he will look to sign a serviceable journeyman to fill the spot. 

Some suggestions I would give would be the Vikings' Bernard Berrian, the Bucs' Antonio Bryant, the troubled Chris Henry from the Bengals who might be worth the gamble, or the Titans' Justin McCareins.   

Tight end is a messy situation too, especially if they don’t get Michael Gaines resigned.  Casey Fitzsimmons and Jon Owens remain on the roster with the release of Dan Campbell after years of waiting for the potential to turn into plays. It would be ironic if Bubba Franks came over to the team after all the times the Lions secondary let him run free. 

Stephen Alexander and Kyle Brady have years of experience, but may not have anything left in the tank. It is possible that the Lions could find a serviceable tight end in the later rounds of the draft.

Special teams

Special teams were more like special ed in ’08. Still, the kicking game with Jason and John remains the strength of the team. How sad is that? Getting Jason Hanson back showed that some common sense and class still remains somewhere in the team. 

Dan Muhlbach is a great long snapper. However, the coverage teams had too many breakdowns and their kick return team was pitiful. Chuck Preifer has to be happy he retired when he did. Stan Kwan needs to call his mentor and get him to come back and tell him what he is doing wrong and how to fix it. A speedy return man would be a great start and something easily addressed if they are willing to devote a roster spot to it. 

Quarterback

And last but not least, we come to the signal caller extraordinaire, the captain of the team, the motivator, the leader and the lifeblood, something that the Lions have been missing via draft or free agency for my entire lifetime.

Some pundits recommend going after the Pats' Matt Cassel despite the picks they would be required to surrender for this year’s hot ticket. I say don’t do it unless you are contemplating Sanchez or Stafford. 

If you are, then make the trade and get Cassel at a much lower price. The first overall pick might get it done. I am intrigued by Kurt Warner, but he wants elite quarterback pay and is going to have a drop off in productivity pretty soon, if not immediately.  Byron Leftwich might be a serviceable backup, but reminds me too much of a younger, thinner Daunte Culpepper. 

Derek Anderson and a trade with the Browns might be doable, but do the Lions want to get taken by the Browns two seasons in a row? They have too many other holes to fill this year before they look for a signal caller. They need to shore up the lines, get a great surrounding cast and then find the right guy. 

Dan Orlovsky did an admirable job at times last year and clearly outperformed Culpepper. He deserved an opportunity to come back as the incumbent starter. It will be interesting to see what other teams think of him vs. the Lions' assessment. As we have seen too many times, the Lions are normally wrong. 

So, midnight is quickly approaching. Do the Lions get aggressive and make a killing, or do they show their true colors and turn into pumpkins?  Only time will tell.