Now What? Detroit Lions Gameplan Moving Forward

Even though this season is unmercifully still not finished, it seems with each passing week that 0-16 might be inevitable.

Although the Detroit Lions played hard, they were unable to stain the Indianapolis Colts and their remarkable run of seven straight victories, falling 31-21 on Sunday. 

This leaves Detroit with two unlikely games left to attempt to avoid infamy: home against New Orleans and at Lambeau Field versus Green Bay.

While stranger things have happened, it does not appear as though Detroit has a strong chance against either team.  New Orleans is not technically eliminated from the playoffs, and Detroit has not won at Lambeau Field since 1991. 

While it is tempting to write a story about the conflicted feelings that Detroit fans such as myself have regarding a winless season (and there are quite a few fans that don't know whether to root for or against infamy...and before you question their fan-hood, take a look at the past 50 plus years of ownership and the fact that they still consider themselves fans), this story instead will focus on how to move forward. 

Here is a fundamental look at the state of the Detroit Lions.

Coaching

The Rod Marinelli experiment in Detroit is likely over.  He is a good defensive line coordinator, and by all accounts a good man.  But he seems to be truly in over his head as a football coach.  This will be his, as well as acting general manager Martin Mayhew's, last year in Detroit. 

What's Next: The Lions will be looking for a new head coach and a new general manager.  They will make a strong push for Bill Cowher, but he likely will be heading to Cleveland.  Marty Schottenheimer may also get a hard look, but he might not want to step into this mess.

Ideally, Detroit will address the GM position first.  They should look for the best candidate, likely Scott Pioli from New England, and give him a blank check.  The Lions need to get this decision right, and they know it. 

If Pioli indeed gets the job, he will likely groom his own head coach.

Offense

Quarterback

The Lions entered this season with a lot of questions regarding the long-term plan at this position, and now there are even more questions.  As of right now, Jon Kitna, Daunte Culpepper, Dan Orlovsky, Drew Stanton, and Drew Henson are on the roster.

Kitna seems to no longer be in the team's plans, thus ending his tenure with Detroit. 

Culpepper, while he still has one year left on his contract, seems to have concluded the "starting quarterback" phase of his career, and can only be considered a below-average stop-gap for the future.

Henson is a future third-stringer at best, leaving Stanton and Orlovsky.

Stanton has been put in a very tough situation.  Although an assortment of injuries have been an issue, Stanton appears to be a quarterback that former offensive coordinator Mike Martz wanted, and did not figure into new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto's plans.

Colletto even stated earlier in the season that he did not want to "embarrass" Stanton by playing him, although he later backed off of that statement.

Assuming a new coaching staff is in Detroit's plans, Stanton may still have a future with the Lions.

Orlovsky has been an interesting factor for the Lions.  His numbers have been solid (58% completion percentage, 80.3 passer rating), and he has shown an ability to avoid turnovers (six touchdowns versus four interceptions). He is in a contract year, so he might be enticing to another team.

What's Next: Detroit might be tempted to spend the number one overall pick, assuming they lose their remaining two games, on an upper-tier college quarterback like Sam Bradford of Oklahoma or Georgia's Matthew Stafford. 

However, the failure of former first round pick Joey Harrington may give upper management pause regarding this type of move. 

Most likely, a new regime will bring a solid veteran and hand-pick a mid-round quarterback.  Could this be Scott Pioli and Matt Cassel?

Running back

Whether you like him or not, Kevin Smith seems to be in Detroit's plans moving forward.  He has shown the ability to break tackles, and a surprising amount of burst. 

What's Next: Given that most winning teams like the Giants, Patriots, Panthers and Colts lean heavily on a dual or triple running back system, the Lions will most likely go after another back in the draft or free agency.

Wide receiver

Calvin Johnson has proven to be the one true bright spot of this season.  His ability to succeed even during this tough season has been quite remarkable. 

The other receivers are mainly system receivers left over from the Martz days, and could be replaced with the only exception potentially being Shaun McDonald.

What's Next: The Lions will likely draft another wideout, although not early.  They could pick up a strong No. 2 wideout in free agency, but they likely will have to overpay.  Given the past woes tied to this position, upper management will be apprehensive to go this route.

Tight end

The Lions do not have a real viable tight end, save for perhaps Michael Gaines. 

What's Next: Depending on the philosophy of the new regime, this position could be given added importance.  If a new coach wants to build through the running game, the Lions might stay with what they have. 

There are not a lot of marquee free agents, but the Lions could go after a mid-level player like Alge Crumpler.

Line

This seems to be the big question mark going into the off-season. 

Rookie Gosder Cherilus has been inconsistent, but has only recently been given substantial playing time.  He will definitely return.  As will Jeff Backus and Dominic Raiola, who are both under contract.

The real question will be with the guards, who appear to be ineffective and old.

What's Next: The Lions may try to restructure Backus' contract, although I would not hold my breath on Backus being receptive to this tactic.  Look for Detroit to draft at least two offensive linemen fairly high in the draft (potentially Andre Smith or Michael Oher), and then shifting Backus or Cherilus to the inside.

Defense

Line

Dwayne White, although fairly effective, has a large contract and may be cut.

Cory Redding has been better than last year, but he also has a large contract and may be a cap casualty as well.

The rest of the line is composed of aging veterans and under performing projects. 

The defensive line has been a microcosm of Marinelli's failure as a coach.  His resume was built by his success as a defensive line coach with Tampa Bay, yet his line in Detroit is an absolute mess.

What's Next: Depending on whether or not Detroit shifts to a 3-4 defense with the new regime, this could be a major part of the rebuilding project.  Detroit could draft a defensive end high such as Everette Brown or Brian Orakpo and keep Redding to man the middle.

Linebacker

Ernie Sims is the face of the Lions' defense.  He plays with intensity and has the speed to chase down ball carriers. 

The rest of the bunch is composed of castoffs with a lot of heart but not a lot of talent.

What's Next: If the Lions do indeed shift to a 3-4 defense, they will need to pick up a few new linebackers.  Jordan Dizon and Paris Lenon could be retained to add depth, but the Lions will need to address this position in order to begin to stop the run.

Secondary

Leigh Bodden proved to be a nice addition to the Detroit secondary.  His speed and size can frustrate receivers.

The rest of the corner backs are aging or inconsistent, and the safeties are not much better.  Gerald Alexander and Daniel Bullocks have potential, but most likely are competing for one safety position.

What's Next: Of all the defensive positions, this seems to be the least in need of addressing.  However, the Lions could use a run-stuffing strong safety to help their woefully-thin linebacker corps.

Final Assessment

Make no mistake about it, the Lions are a mess.  They have only one true superstar (Johnson) and at most three other players (Sims, Bodden and Alexander) with the potential to make the Pro Bowl.

Whoever inherits this team will have a ton of holes to fill.  However, the Lions have two first-round, third-round and fifth-round draft picks to use and they should have some decent cap room. 

In my opinion, the Lions need to address both the offensive and defensive lines first and foremost in the draft.  All the great teams have the ability to dictate their will on their opponents, and that starts up front.  Start with the foundation, and the rest will follow. 

Then, and only then, will Detroit finally be able to build a winner.