Building the Pride: Detroit Lions Taking Steps Toward Prominence in 2010

So you say, all your white flags are up and that you've had enough and that you were tired of collecting dust.—Less Than Jake, "Motown Never Sounded So Good"

Detroit needs to rebuild.

Think about that statement for a minute. Am I talking about the city? The team? The collective people?

Detroit needs to rebuild its image. From a city besieged by a corrupt mayor to a team corrupted by an 0-16 record, Detroit is a mess. Yes, Detroit needs a good clean up.

In a city that loves its Red Wings, Pistons, and Tigers, the Lions are still the lifeblood. The passion of Lions fans amid the shame of 0-16 is a beautiful thing.

Lions fans are some of the most forgiving, patient fans in sports. They are also among the most knowledgeable.

Lions fans deserve a good team.

Detroit deserves more.

Recently, with the firing of Matt Millen—and the subsequent promotions of his top advisors—steps have been taken to give Detroit a better football team. At 0-16, it's hard to fathom worse, but the Lions are great at exceeding the lowest of expectations.

Which of these steps is permanent? Which new Lions should we expect to see on a playoff team? Which roster moves were long-term fixes instead of short-term patchwork?

Which steps still need to be taken?

1) Quarterbacks

My feelings about Matthew Stafford are well documented. Here, I will say this: I wish him the best and hope he succeeds as a long-term solution at QB for the Detroit Lions.

Whether or not I wanted him to be a Lion, I think drafting him places a glimmer of hope in the most important position in football. Just don't expect much in 2009.

As for the rest of the corps, Drew Stanton is still a developmental prospect with his third QB coach in his short career.

The likely starter, Daunte Culpepper, is a giant question mark. Reports out of Allen Park have him as improved, but as with most things from the media relations department, take them with a grain of salt.

2) Running Backs

Kevin Smith had a tremendous rookie season. However, I like to remind people of Kevin Jones, who had a similar career to this point.

The blocking scheme will be different this year, and it will take a better sophomore year to prove he is the long-term No. 1 back in Motown. Better backs have been replaced.

Mo Morris was a great pickup. He's a proven weapon and has always overproduced expectations.

I would not at all be surprised to be talking about a high draft pick at RB in a few seasons, but it is too early to tell.

3) Wide Receivers

Calvin Johnson is the most physically gifted young wide receiver in the league. Detroit fans like to get a little ahead of themselves proclaiming he is already the best—but he certainly has the ability to get there.

As a No. 1 WR, he is a much better building block than Roy Williams.

The veteran cast around him, Bryant Johnson and Ronald Curry, leave something to be desired. Neither has consistently performed up to expectations.

Derrick Williams comes out of Penn State with a lot of early special teams upside and not much more. He can develop into a great slot threat, but probably not in his first season.

I think the WR position is set for a few years simply because there will always be bigger needs on the team. Right now it is a position of strength on a weak team.

4) Tight Ends

It is far too early to judge this position. Brandon Pettigrew is the story but has a few questions surrounding his hype.

Will he be able to block as effectively at the pro level? Will his lack of top-end speed keep him out of the end zone? I have a lot of faith in his ability but will reserve judgment until I see what he can do with pads on.

Will Heller was a great addition. He is very underrated (as are most blocking tight ends) and can catch a few here and there as well.

Scott Linehan loves his two tight end sets. On paper, this looks like the best combination he's had in 10 years. On the field? We'll wait and see.

5) Offensive Line

The only real addition of note has been Daniel Loper, who is currently slated to start at left guard along with possible spot duty at tackle.

Loper is trusted by Jim Schwartz, and right now, that's good enough for me. As a swing tackle for the Titans, he should be more than capable at guard for the lowly Leos.

In the long term, a solution has to be found at RG, and questions have to be answered about the other linemen.

Gosder Cherilus—Is he truly worthy of his first round status, or was he a reach for a zone blocking team? Jeff Backus—Is he worth the contract after years of mediocre play? Dominic Raiola—Is he talented enough to overcome his size issues? 

Personally, I think the Lions' offensive line will be a story for a few years to come. Backus and Raiola, if anything, will need to be viewed as average players with assumed declines as they hit 30 and beyond.

Whether it's a first rounder or not, talent still needs to be infused into a line that has seen a lot of turnover and scheme changes.

6) Defensive Line

Ironically, the position of greatest need was the position affected the least this offseason.

When Shaun Rogers and Cory Redding manned the trenches, it was a mixture of high talent and low effort, equaling a maddening amount of inconsistency. With Redding and Chartric Darby, there seemed to be less talent and more effort.

Now, Redding is gone, and Darby is paired with a combination of players including Grady Jackson, expected to play 10 or 12 plays a game; Andre Fluellen, a smallish and unproven player; and possibly whoever is playing defensive end on passing downs.

At end, Cliff Avril has a lot of talent but may end up playing only passing downs in favor of more experienced (and bigger) players. Dewayne White is one of Rod Marinelli's guys but hasn't done anything to warrant being replaced. 

The defensive line is still a big hole in terms of both talent and depth. Expect more moves in the rest of this offseason and beyond. Three to four new starters by 2011 would not be surprising.

7) Linebackers

Fans—including me—were upset as the Lions passed on Aaron Curry, who will be a truly special player in this league. Middle linebacker has been a huge problem for Detroit the past few seasons, and the fans know it.

However, no unit has improved quite as much this offseason as the Lions' LB corps. Ernie Sims is coming off a bad season but should improve in a new scheme. Larry Foote and Julian Peterson were good additions, but both come with caveats.

Foote has never been a MLB in a 4-3. Peterson is 30 and has always depended upon speed.

Behind the starters are a couple of developmental players in Deandre Levy and Jordon Dizon.

After WR, the LB unit is the strongest on the team, and many fans may suggest it's the best. I don't foresee any huge moves being made here in the near future.

8) Defensive Backs

Last year, Leigh Bodden was a square peg in a round hole. This year, he may have been a great fit, but the damage had been done in both his mind and in the minds of the fans.

A decent but underwhelming crew of Anthony Henry, Phillip Buchanon, and Eric King was added—certainly better than what fans have been used to. King has the most upside and should push for a starting spot but is relegated to nickel back duty.

At safety, Louis Delmas was drafted, and the team and media are already singing his praises. He'll pair with Daniel Bullocks in a young but unproven tandem.

Henry will need to be replaced in the near future, but Keith Smith or King may be the answer.

If this unit performs well, nothing will need to change.

9) Special Teams

The Lions have been set at kicker—Jason Hanson—for the last four decades. Punting has been solid with Nick Harris.

The coverage units are another story. It's unfair to grade them at this point because the new wedge rules will change everything.

The return game will improve with Buchanon and Williams, but the biggest improvement will be the change of philosophy under Schwartz. Marinelli wanted to minimize mistakes. Schwartz will want to maximize big plays.

A kicker will be needed in the next three or four years, and punting could improve. The biggest special teams improvement will be in the upgrade of the defensive backs and linebacking corps.

The Verdict

All in all, it's been a successful offseason for the Lions. In the near future, fans should expect to see a decent amount of work done to the offensive and defensive lines. Five new starters could reasonably be expected by next year, 10 by 2011.

Names like Grady Jackson, Anthony Henry, Daunte Culpepper, and Chuck Darby are short-term fixes. Draft picks like Dizon, Fluellen, Levy, and Avril will need to prove themselves to a coaching staff that will have little use for mediocrity.

In the 2009 draft, the Lions took best player available regardless of position. Expect a more focused approach in the future. For now, though, talent is still the position of biggest need on the Detroit Lions.

Fans deserve more; the city deserves more. Right now there are steps being taken toward a better team in the future.

The blueprint is clear, but with the Detroit Lions, nothing should be taken for granted.