Mike Furrey Disrespected by Being Placed on IR, Keary Colbert Signed

On a team of losers, there aren't many guys willing to give 100 percent for the team, and you can't really blame them.

The Lions have been very bad, but they haven't always been a shady organization. That's only cropped up recently.

Earlier this season, the Lions placed Jon Kitna on IR after he missed a game due to back spasms. Doctors said he would only miss two weeks, but the Lions placed him on IR anyway. The news wasn't brought to Kitna's attention until Jim Coletto and Rod Marinelli brought it up at a press conference.

Say what you want about Kitna. He wasn't a very good quarterback, but he worked hard and at least deserved the respect of knowing before the fans did that his season was over. I will say this, had Kitna been allowed to return, the Lions would have at least one, maybe two wins under their belt right now.

Today, the news broke that Mike Furrey has been placed on IR as well. Furrey suffered a minor injury and was set to return next Sunday. In his own words, he was 100 percent and ready to play.

Furrey walked into the locker room expecting to suit up for practice this morning. On his way there, he saw Keary Colbert, who had just been signed by Detroit. Furrey had to confront Lions GM Martin Mayhew and ask him what was going on, only to be told that his season was over.

Furrey was one of the very few players on the Lions that gave his all every time he set out to play. He worked his butt off for this organization, despite its poor on-field product. He deserved better than to have to see Colbert in a Lions uniform before being told the news.

It was bad enough that the Lions were a terrible football team. Now they will additionally carry the tag of being a classless organization that treats their hardest working players like garbage. Why would anyone want to come to Detroit to play for a GM and coach that don't respect their players?

That said, in Colbert the Lions are basically getting a Furrey that doesn't work quite as hard. His production is similar but his heart isn't in it as much, at least from what I've seen, and he takes plays off occasionally.

I don't see any reason why Furrey would want to come back next year and play for Detroit, and I wouldn't blame him one bit if he held out and demanded a trade.

I don't think that's his style, though. Hopefully the new GM and coach will keep Furrey in their plans because he's a keeper. He's never going to put up huge numbers and he'll never be anything more than a No. 3 receiver, but those are the role players you need to have.