Detroit Lions Analysis: How Martin Mayhew Has Built the Lions into a Contender
Martin Mayhew has been widely praised since he took over as general manager of the Detroit Lions. I happen to agree with the masses, Mayhew has done very well in his short tenure at the helm, but what has been the key to Mayhew’s success?
Ever since he took over, Mayhew’s MO has been to fix the Lions by position group rather than looking at the team as a whole.
A look at how he has spent his most valuable assets verifies that he is building the Lions one group at a time. By valuable assets, I mean the first two rounds of the draft and big free-agent contracts. Included in this list will be a few trades where he has fleeced other teams.
Quarterbacks
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Drafted Matthew Stafford, Traded for Shaun Hill
Injuries aside, almost everyone believes Stafford will become a stud in the NFL. Shaun Hill could start for a handful of teams.
The drafting of Matthew Stafford, for the most part, was a no-brainer. Getting Shaun Hill for a seventh-round pick is the type of move Mayhew has become known for—turning nothing into gold.
Wide Receivers
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Drafted Titus Young, Signed Nate Burleson
Mayhew knew he had a rare talent in Calvin Johnson and has tried to round out the unit with quality players. If Young pans out, this unit will be explosive.
If there is a black eye during Mayhew's tenure, it is the mistakes he has made in trying to shore up this unit. The signing of Bryant Johnson and the drafting of Derrick Williams can be considered mistakes. Neither of these moves however fit into my valuable assets theory.
Running Backs
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Drafted Jahvid Best and Mikel Leshoure
Mayhew has spent a lot of resource to bring in two players he believes are elite at the position. Best showed what he can do before injuries slowed him down. This year he won’t be used as much because Leshoure is a better option than Maurice Morris and Kevin Smith.
The running back position has to be considered the strongest it has been since Barry Sanders was giving defensive coordinators nightmares.
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Tight Ends
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Drafted Brandon Pettigrew, Traded for Tony Scheffler, Signed Will Heller
The drafting of Brandon Pettigrew remains one of the more controversial moves Mayhew has made. The name Michael Oher is one Jeff Backus haters dream about at least once a week. The reality however is that Pettgirew, Scheffler and Heller make up one of the better TE units in the league.
Offensive Linemen
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No Major Investment by Mayhew
With the exception of trading for Rob Sims, the offensive line has been mostly ignored by Mayhew.
One of the most common stats thrown around lately is that the Lions were the third-best team in terms of protecting the quarterback. While statistically that is true, with the struggles the Lions have had run blocking, one has to wonder if that stat is more of a product of the quarterbacks getting rid of the ball early, or the offensive line giving them enough time to get the ball where they want to get it.
Defensive Linemen
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Drafted Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, Traded for Corey Williams and Lawrence Jackson, Signed Kyle Vanden Bosch
That list does not include Sammy Hill since he was a fourth-round selection and therefore, technically not a major investment.
Along with Cliff Avril, this unit has to be considered one of the best in the league.
Mayhew has allocated more of his assets to the defensive line than any other position, and the results have been dynamic. It is easy to say that with all the picks invested here, the unit has to be great, but remember how much Millen invested in the wide receiver position? How did that turn out?
Linebackers
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No Major Investment by Mayhew
DeAndre Levy was a find in the third round. Not much else has been done here in terms of substantial investment by the Lions.
This is one of the weakest position groups on the Lions. If they miss the playoffs in 2011 it will be because the linebacker play let them down.
Safeties
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Drafted Louis Delmas, Signed Eric Coleman
Delmas slumped in his second year, but to be fair he was slowed down by a groin injury.
Eric Coleman’s signing was one of those under-the-radar moves that I believe will substantially help the Lions. Coleman’s flexibility, having played both strong safety and free safety, fits in well with how the Lions like to play the position.
With Amari Spievey now as a backup with starting experience, this unit is better than people think.
Cornerbacks
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No Major Investment by Mayhew
Although he traded for both Chris Houston and Alphonso Smith, neither of these players cost the Lions anything substantial. He also signed a few free agents, but again no big-money contracts to speak of.
Chris Houston gets my vote for most underrated Lion. He played extremely well in 2010 and re-signing him needs to be Mayhew's top priority when the NFL lockout ends.
Special Teams
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No Major Investment by Mayhew
Mayhew inherited Jason Hanson and Nick Harris, who have remained steady as the kicker and punter respectively.
He was, however, able to acquire Stefan Logan as a kick returner to finally shore up a major weakness.
Analysis
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Where Mayhew has concentrated his resources (QB, WR, RB, TE and DL) the Lions are in really good shape.
Coach Jim Schwartz said the Lions drafted to their strengths and this approach makes sense to me.
When Mayhew took over he had Calvin Johnson, Cliff Avril, Jason Hanson and a bucket of balls. He knows he can’t fix everything overnight so he is picking and choosing where to invest his resources. I believe a rebuilding team is better served by having a few elite units than elite players sprinkled all over. It is easier for a strong DL to help out a weak back seven, than for an MLB to help out an OLB.
What Is Next?
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I think Mayhew is going to go after linebackers next, by targeting the position in free agency (if it ever gets here) and the 2012 draft. With a dominant defensive line, premium players at linebacker and strong safety play, average cornerbacks will look like the second coming of Lem Barney.
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