Detroit Lions: Schwartz Was Prepared for Lockout—Roster Holds Key Players

With everything in the NFL up in the air, including the draft this year, Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz had to prepare for every scenario, including a possible lockout.

The front office recently left little doubt that they had given a great deal of forethought to having every one of the key players return to Ford Field this season.

As much as we all like to point to gaps in the Lions roster, the president of the Detroit Lions, Tom Leward, doesn't necessarily agree that any of these gaps are a major concern.

In a recent interview, during the annual league meetings earlier this week, Lewand offered his take on the Lions current roster.  He was addressing the lockout and the position the team would be in if every key player returned and the Lions did not lose anyone through free agency.

"There's not a lot of gaps," he said. "We've got a lot of guys under contract, but that's what we have to look at. It gives us fewer things that we have to prepare for and fewer contingencies that we have to be ready for.

"It still means we have to be ready for those, but the more we can reduce those moving pieces, the more certainty that we've got and the better competitive position we're going to be in as a result of that certainty."

I had to read this over a few times to figure out what exactly Lewand was saying.  What I finally deciphered was that Schwartz and company have been working on all the angles of how this CBA could turn out for a very long time.

In fact, the Lions began to prepare for a potential lockout last season.

The signing of left guard Rob Sims, tight end Tony Scheffler and backup QB Shaun Hill to long-term contracts in 2010 was all part of settling the positions they fill on the roster. They were brought in because they were needed and signed to long-term contracts because the Lions wanted insurance for the future.

According to Dave Birkett, the front office views the most critical needs during the offseason to be a number three receiver and a backup running back.  They didn't appear to say anything about defensive needs.

While many analysts and fans have expressed concerns about both the defensive and offensive lines, the coaching staff appear to have faith in their current players abilities as they are.

Try not to get too caught up in this, however, as upgrading positions is a different topic altogether. 

The scenario they are prepared for would be playing this next season under bare-bones, five draft picks and no free agency conditions.

"The solution isn't get to 22 (starters) as fast as you can, or 25 or 28 or there's not a magic number within that," Lewand said.

He further suggested that it didn't make sense to pick players up or keep certain players on the team just to make sure you have all of the pieces you need.  They have to make the right decisions about who they keep given the context they are currently in.

That's why the focus is on keeping key players.

Schwartz and Mayhew will follow this same plan when it comes to scouting the draft.

Jim Schwartz said he wants to get "good players" in the draft and cited what many fans and analysts already know to be true about him, that he will not "overdraft" to fill any position.

"Philosophically, that's what you have to do," Schwartz said.

"There's so much uncertainty with everything, with free agency and the future and things like that, that you need to keep your eye on what's important, and that's keep acquiring good players that fit your system, that you have a plan for. And if you do that then you're going to be on the right track. If you're changing your plans for reasons due to circumstances, you're probably on the wrong path."

The bottom line is that the Lions' front office is planning on staying the course.  They will get the best players they can during the draft and if there is a free-agency this year, they will pursue players with a plan they already have in place.

It may be unsettling to some fans, but I find some solace in hearing that Schwartz believes he already has a solid team.  The team can and will get better and certainly some areas on the roster have to be addressed, but the overall confidence in this team, as expressed by Lewand and Schwartz, is what impresses me the most.

We all know that Schwartz is here to build a winning program.  He has a plan on how to do that and we just need to trust that he is ready to make this happen regardless of the circumstances.