2008 Detroit Lions: A Closer Look

I believe many were confused with the Lions fist-round selection of Gosder Cherilus, an offensive lineman from Boston College that has legal problems. However, many believe they made up for it when they traded up in the third-round to snag running back Kevin Smith out of Central Florida.

Still, many questions arise about this year's Lions squad. Will Kitna perform enough to continue to start? Who will be the first-string running back? Is the defense solid enough to contend?

The lack of offense in the 2007 season led to the firing of the offensive coordinator, Mike Martz. The new coordinator has promised to even the offense out between run and throw.

Don't expect too much out the 2008 Detroit Lions. I personally would be surprised to see the Lions get seven wins this season.

The 2008 Depth Chart goes as follows:

QB: 1. Jon Kitna, 2. Drew Stanton, 3. Dan Orlovsky

RB: 1. Kevin Smith (R), 2. Tatum Bell, 3. Brian Calhoun, 4. Avien Cason

FB: 1. Jon Bradley, 2. Casey Fitzsimmons, 3. Jerome Fulton

WR: 1. Roy Williams, 2. Calvin Johnson, 3. Shaun McDonald, 4. Mike Furrey

TE: 1. Dan Campbell, 2. Casey Fitzsimmons, 3. Michael Gaines

OT: 1. Jeff Backus, 2. Gosder Cherilus (R), 3. George Foster

OG: 1. Edwin Mulitalo, 2. Stephen Petermann, 3. Manny Ramirez

C: 1. Dominic Raiola, 2. Corey Hulsey, 3. Matt Butler (R)

DE: 1. DeWayne White, 2. Jared DeVries, 3. Cliff Avril (R)

DT: 1. Cory Redding, 2. Chuck Darby, 3. Dan Cody

LB: 1. Ernie Sims, 2. Paris Lenon, 3. Jordan Dizon (R), 4. Alex Lewis

DB: 1. Leigh Bodden, 2. Travis Fisher, 3. Brian Kelly, 4. Keith Smith

S: 1. Daniel Bullocks, 2. Dwight Smith, 3. Gerald Alexander

K: 1. Jason Hanson, 2. Paul Ernster

P: 1. Nick Harris, 2. Paul Ernster

OFFSEASON MOVES

Key Additions: CB Leigh Bodden, S Dwight Smith, TE Michael Gaines, DT Chuck Darby, and CB Brian Kelly

Key Losses: DT Shaun Rogers, RB Kevin Jones, LB Boss Bailey, S Kenoy Kennedy, CB Fernando Bryant, and DE Kalimba Edwards

FANTASY OUTLOOK: The player I would take a chance on in the early rounds of a fantasy football draft would be either Roy Williams or Calvin Johnson. Some players you also might want to consider taking are: Kevin Smith, Jon Kitna, and Shaun McDonald. The players you should stay away from are: Tatum Bell, Mike Furrey, and Jason Hanson.