Open Mic: Draft Day as the Lions' New GM

This "Open Mic" was one I couldn't stay away from.  Every offseason I watch the Lions and think, "They should have done that," or "Why don't they do this?"  I know I'm not the only one guilty of this, so I thought, why not speak up and see if you guys agree or not?

The very first thing I would do is throw a parade to celebrate the departure of former General Manager Matt Millen.  He has been a huge factor in the franchise's lack of growth since his arrival.  No doubt that the turnout for parade would be phenomenal.

On a more serious note, I would sit down with Head Coach Rod Marinelli and have a long talk about the direction of the team and what he wants in a player at each position.  The GM and Head Coach need to be on the same page, or they will continue to bump heads—and the team will pay the price.

You want an example?  Look at Detroit's NFL-record 24 road games without a victory (2001-2003).

So now let's jump to draft day.  The Lions have the 15th overall pick, and three names are at the top of my draft board—Rashard Mendenhall (RB), Branden Albert (OG), and Dominique Rogers-Cromartie (CB).

You will notice that none of those three are Gosder Cherilus (OG), who the Lions ended up picking after trading down to 17th overall with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The trade did end up helping Detroit get Kevin Smith (RB) in the third round, which is a selection I liked, but it was very possible to get Smith without this trade.

I would not have traded with the Chiefs, but would instead have selected Branden Albert and walked away with one of the best offensive linemen in the draft.

The next move I would make is one that wouldn't make too many Detroit fans happy—I would have traded Roy Williams.

My first target would have been Philadelphia.  They were knocking down the door trying to get him, and Lito Sheppard would look good in a Lions' uniform.

I don't think it would have been impossible to package a pick or two with Williams to get Sheppard and the Eagles' first-round pick (which they traded to Carolina, so they were obviously listening to offers).

With that pick, Rashard Mendenhall could have been a Lion and the third-round pick aimed for Kevin Smith could be used to help on defense.

Assuming the trade with the Eagles didn't eliminate our chance to get Jordon Dizon, I would still select him, as he fits Marinelli's defense and is a smart hard-working player.

If not, I would look for another fit at linebacker with players like Dan Conner, Tavares Gooden, or later Xavier Adibi.  This is where Marinelli's opinion would really matter as the player would need to fit his scheme.

I would continue the draft similarly to how it actually went, but with a few changes.  Kenneth Moore (WR) would not be taken.  The pick made no sense—the last thing they needed to draft was another subpar receiver when the roster already has enough of them.

Jerome Felton (FB) wouldn't be taken either.  Owen Schmitt (FB) would have been a much better fit.  He is a hard-nosed blocker that was probably the best blocking back coming out—not to mention that his face mask-breaking tendency is reminiscent of former Lion Cory Schlesinger, who helped the run game quite a bit during his tenure in Detroit.

So let's recap—better starting right guard, better starting tailback, Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback, lost number one receiver who probably would have left when his contract expired at the end of the season, possibly a worse backup linebacker, and a better starting fullback.

That doesn't seem too bad to me.  Too bad it's only a dream...