And then there was Suh

The Detroit Lions have had seven Associated Press Rookie of the Year award winners in the team’s history. In 1967, the award was introduced for the first time and given to a defensive player and an offensive player (the same format we still use today). The Lions won both. Mel Farr, running back drafted out of UCLA won the offensive award and Lem Barney, the Hall of Fame cornerback out of Jackson State won the defensive award. The following year a Lion brought home the award again, this one going to Earl McCullouch, wider receiver out of USC. The other Lions’ offensive winners include two running backs that both wore the number 20. Billy Sims and Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. Our second, and last defensive ROY winner was Al Baker in 1978, until this year.

As expected, Ndamukong Suh won the ROY award on Friday, taking home another

piece of hardware. Suh also won the Sporting New, 

Pepsi, Pro Football Weekly and Pro Football Writers of America 

ROY. And don’t forget a Pro Bowl selection. Suh was also selected 

to the All-Pro team, a rarity for a rookie. 

Suh is now the face of the franchise, and for good reason.

Suh scrambles after his first career INT vs the Rams

Watching the Packers win the Super Bowl remind me of the first Lions game I went to. I watched Barry Sanders run all over the Pack at the Silverdome. We beat Favre and the Packers 31-17. This year I watched the Lions beat the Packers 7-3 at Ford Field for our first divisional win since 2007. The question I asked myself was; when is it finally going to be our time? Our time is now. The Lions organization and the players have an opportunity to really turn this franchise around.  Suh is an example of what the future holds for Detroit. It’s time to get it done. 

Free Agency: LIONS version

Although they are almost over the hump, the Detroit Lions are still rebuilding. There are a lot of players the Lions have acquired in the past through the draft. A lot of them are either not on the team, aren’t in the NFL, or were complete busts. Last year we drafted starters like Ndamukong Suh and Jahvid Best. In 2009 we drafted stars Matthew Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew. So, there is promise in recent players the Lions have drafted. But the front office is still trying to catch up after Matt Millen wrecked the organization. Last off-season, Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz signed key free agents (Nate Burleson, Kyle Vanden Bosh, Corey Williams, Shaun Hill) and made good trades (Chris Houston, Tony Scheffler, Rob Sims, Alphonso Smith) and waiver pick ups (Stefan Logan, Nathan Vasher) to improve their roster.

To build an organization that will be able to beat the elite teams in the NFL, make a playoff run (let alone make the playoffs for the first time since 1999) and possibly go to the franchise’s first Super Bowl, we have to sign, sign, and sign players that will get this team to the next level. This includes keeping the key players you already have and signing new free agents instead of relying solely on a draft. We all know that just because you draft a player doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to make a positive impact.

Here are the current Free Agents on the roster:

Unrestricted FAs

C. C. Brown SS

Jared DeVries DE

Bobby Carpenter OLB

Vinny Ciurciu ILB

Brian Clark WR

Dylan Gandy C

Tye Hill CB

Chris Houston CB

Landon Johnson OLB

Eric King CB

Turk McBride DE

Brandon McDonald CB

Dave Rayner K

Drew Stanton QB

Nathan Vasher CB

John Wendling FS

Restricted FAs

Cliff Avril DE

Jerome Felton FB

Andre Fluellen DT

Kevin Smith RB

Exclusive-Rights FAs

Korey Bosworth OLB

Caleb Campbell OLB

Zack Follett OLB

Corey Hilliard OT

Stefan Logan WR

Prince Miller CB

Jake Nordin FB

Ashlee Palmer OLB

Randy Phillips FS

Paul Pratt CB

Barry Turner DE

Cliff Avril, the most important free agent on the Lions' roster

The big names I want to return and should return are most importantly Cliff Avril and Stefan Logan. Avril has said via his twitter account that a deal is going to happen. Logan is an exclusive rights FA so he should be back (we would be stupid to let him go anywhere). Neither should cost the Lions that much money. At the corner position, Chris Houston did well as the #1 corner. If we can add some more talent at that position (which is our highest need), he would be more effective. He said he wants to test the market, but who knows. I think Bobby Carpenter, Landon Johnson and Ashlee Palmer have earned spots on this team; maybe not as starters, but are good depth guys. The only true starting LB on the roster is DeAndre Levy (Lions have said they will release Julian Peterson). Zack Follett may not play again but the Lions will probably sign him to a small deal and put him on IR. Depending on who we draft, you could see the return of Turk McBride or Andre Fluellen. Jerome Felton said that the Lions need to use him more on the field or he wants out of Detroit. That is a pretty bold statement for a fullback. He probably should have thought about playing a different position if he is going to complain about his usage. I feel that he is used a lot, but I assume he wants more carries. Good luck with that. Nathan Vasher could return as a depth corner. He impressed late in the year and was a very late waiver pick up. John Wendling was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate for his special teams play and should return, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t. Randy Phillips is a guy I liked as an Undrafted Free Agent. Will he return for a second go? Dave Rayner helped us win games, period. The game-winning field goal in Tampa Bay sealed the deal for me. Sign him. You cannot rely on Jason Hanson at his age. He is a great kicker. You can put him on the practice squad next year if you have to, but I would keep him around. I am pretty sure you have seen the end of Drew Stanton, Matt Millen and Rod Marinelli’s high draft pick. Lastly, Kevin Smith. What to do with him? The man who almost broke Barry Sanders’ NCAA regular season rushing record has battled injuries. Will they give him one last shot? I say yes, at a cheap price. But if you can get someone through free agency or the draft (Mark Ingram? Just throwing it out there that it could be an option), then no.

This is basically a brainstorm. Of course it depends on whom we draft. But the draft also depends on whom we sign. Most importantly, there won’t be any deals until the NFL and NFLPA stop bickering and sign a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Here are some of the top FA’s the Lions could and should target:

DeAngelo Williams, RB.

Ahmad Bradshaw, RB.

Ricky Williams, RB

If Felton does not return (who can be replaced easily, I believe) we need a back with power to go with Jahvid Best’s unstoppable speed along with the use of Logan on special plays. Maurice Morris filled in well and will Smith return?

Mike-Sims Walker, WR

Ben Obomanu, WR: The only reason he is on my list is because the Lions have grabbed a lot of former Seahawks through trades and Nate Burleson in 2010 through FA.

Mark Clayton, WR

LaMarr Woodley, LB: He will probably stay in Pittsburgh. Plus, if we bring back Johnson, Palmer and draft Akeem Ayers or Bruce Carter early, we won’t need to go there in free agency. I will go deeper into the draft at a different time. But I think it is a deep draft for the linebacker position.

Here is the important position. Cornerback.

Champ Bailey

Nnamdi Asomugha
Antonio Cromartie

William Gay

Darren Sharper (Safety)

Like I said before, we should try and bring back Houston and Vasher. Bailey seems like a guy that would come here and give some leadership and a big improvement to the secondary. But Asomugha would be the best possible player to get besides Patrick Peterson in the draft. A big price tag may come but rumors have it that he is a player Ndamukong Suh was trying to “recruit” Sunday at the Pro Bowl. Go after him. That ways we can go linebacker and offensive line first. Be aware of the salary cap as well. If we do sign a corner we should draft one anyway. We need all the help we can get.

This is all a “wait and see.” Free agency can decide whom we need to draft, and after the draft we can still go after the players that are out there. But first we need a new CBA. Who knows what is going to happen. Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz have a lot of options. With the right moves, we can do big things next year and in the years to come.

The Follett Tapes

The Detroit Lions are falling back into the spotlight, finally. But this time, it is not because Ndamukong Suh, Calvin Johnson, Jahvid Best, the Pro Bowl, the four game win streak to end the year—none of that. This is time the credit goes to Zack Follett. Yes, I said it. The 7^th round pick out of California in 2009 angered many fans in a radio interview on Tuesday on ESPN Radio 1430 AM out of Fresno, California.  What would a Lions interview be without discussing the injuries of the Lions’ star quarterback? That’s when Follett made a big mistake. He referred to Stafford as a “China doll.”

“He is a china doll right now. Anytime he gets hit, he goes down,” Follett said on ESPN 1430 AM.

That is when the Lions were released from their cages, so to speak. Local media outlets in Detroit were all over the story while it was already spreading across the Internet.

Later, Follett went back on his comments, saying it was a “poor choice of words.” I agree. Follett also went to his Twitter page to clarify his comments.

“That’s my bad on the china doll comment, just referring to his injury. Have no room to talk I was more broken then anyone this yr.”

“Matts a baller I see it everyday on the field, and have no doubt he's going to do work next season!”

But did the media jump the gun on Follett? They did, according to his interview.

“In the quote, after I got done just saying that, I definitely have all the faith that he can lead us and be that quarterback that we know he can be. I know the challenge that he has, and we’re just trying to keep him healthy. So basically, if I could re-say it, I would just say he’s been injured; I wouldn’t call him a china doll,” Follett said to the Detroit Free Press.

“It wasn’t a knock on him,” Follett said. “He’s just had some bad luck early in his career, but if he gets healthy I compare him to Dan Marino in terms of his arm strength and accuracy.”

Lets take a look at some of the headlines:

Yahoo.com read: “Lions’ Stafford called out by teammate.”

Fantasysp.com said: “During a Tuesday radio interview Lions WLB Zack Follett questioned Matthew Stafford's resiliency and toughness.” That is a large exaggeration.

If that wasn’t enough, Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com weighed in. Kowalski said that if Stafford wanted to make a comeback towards Follett he could say, ‘If you think I'm a china doll, I'll be playing next year and you won't be.’ Kowalski made the same mistake Follett did: Not keeping his mouth shut. I think that was an unnecessary joke by Kowalski after the tremendously dangerous injury Follett was dealt with. It was unclear if he was even going to be able to walk again after he took a defenseless hit in New York against the Giants this season. It is still unknown whether Follett will see a football field again, because the issue is that if he gets hit again, he may become paralyzed. Kowalski said it was not a cheap shot.

Follett posted a video via his Facebook page and Twitter. Follett said, “Satan wants him to strike back at Tom (Kowalski).” He mentioned that Satan is working through the media (if I am understanding him correctly). He also said that this is part of “Satan’s plot to destroy me.” This is all a little too deep for me. Follett is very religious (if you didn’t realize that already), but can he really point the blame at “Satan” when he said the comments were “my bad”?

Just when you thought Follett couldn’t say anything worse, he decided to trash the Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler on 97.1 the Ticket, where he went to also clarify his comments about Stafford.

“I’m glad we have Matt Stafford instead of the Bears’ quarterback because he goes out there and plays with separated shoulders and wins games (referencing the 2009 game vs. the Cleveland Browns),” Follett said. Again, Follett needs to keep his mouth zipped.

Stafford is a hot topic in Detroit. He has played 13 games and missed 19 in his 2 seasons with the Lions. But when he is in the game, there is no question he is tremendous (just look at the New York Jets game before he left due to injury and how the team collapsed). Suh might be the most popular player in Detroit, but Stafford is still the franchise. Winning in Detroit relies on Stafford being healthy. Follett was giving the impression that his health (therefore winning) is in jeopardy. If one of Stafford’s teammates calls him a “china doll,” what does that say to the fans? A lot of fans have already nicknamed Matt the “glass man.” Maybe Follett didn’t have bad intentions, but he did realize what he said was not the right thing at all. It makes the team look bad, Stafford look bad and him look bad. Since when is Follett the voice of reason anyway? It was blown out of proportion a little bit. Follett did not blast him during the interview. One line is all it took for the uproar. But why not just say that he has been unlucky with his injuries, then go on to talk him up?

The point is, Zack, you have to watch what you say. You might not be the face of the team, but you are part of the team. You are way closer to Stafford than any writer or fan. What you say does matter. I think he realizes that now.

[Watch the response by Follett after all the commotion of his comments:

http://vimeo.com/19189004]


Just a note: This isn't a piece bashing him. I really like the guy. He looked good in the games in played this season and wish him the best with his recovery. I had the opportunity to meet him this year and he is a really nice guy. He has played great in some of the games he was in this year, he has a lot of potential to play LB with the Lions if he is able to play. 

Who Makes the Lions Roar?

            As I sat and pondered what my first topic would be on for this blog, I decided to start off by talking about the rebuilding stage of 2010. I asked myself, “Who made the biggest impact this year for the Detroit Lions?” My list consists of Brandon Pettigrew, Nate Burleson, Jahvid Best, Ndamukong Suh, Cliff Avril, DeAndre Levy and Stefan Logan. Then I asked myself, “What was the best pick-up the Lions made this season?” I wanted to say Nate Burleson or Kyle Vanden Bosch, but I believe the Lions’ pick-up of Stefan Logan off of waivers in September was the brightest spot for the team and the fans.

Stefan Logan played his college ball at South Dakota. Logan is a running back at heart but converted to the WR/return specialist role. He went undrafted in 2007 and later signed with the Miami Dolphins.  In 2008 he was playing football in the CFL for the BC Lions. In 2009 the Pittsburgh Steelers gave him a shot, and he rewarded them by breaking the Steelers single-season record for return yards. On September 4, 2010 he was cut. Unfortunate for Logan at the time, but the next day the Detroit Lions signed him and the rest is history. When the Lions made the acquisition I was more than excited. I have seen what this guy is capable of and he gave me hope for a recently awful special teams squad.

The Lions’ last special teams score came by a Casey FitzSimmons returned onside-kick for 42 yards against Chicago back in 2007. But the last real “traditional” kick off touchdown was in 2004, a 94 yard return for the score by Eddie Drummond. The Lions hosted the Rams on October 10, 2010 where Stefan Logan broke the horrible streak by returning a kick off in the 2^nd quarter 105 yards for a score, tying a Lions record that was made by Terry Fair in 1998.

Logan had 1,448 Kick-off return yards this year, and average of 26.3 a return to go with the one TD. He had 362 yards on 30 punt returns with a long of 71 that almost went to the house. He was awarded by being selected as NFL Special Teams Players of the Week for his performance vs. the Rams and was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate for Return Specialist. Logan should be starting in Hawaii next weekend. The man starting in his place is Devin Hester. This season Hester recorded 427 return yards and no TDs.

His most production came from 564 yards on punts with 3 touchdowns. Martin Mayhew expected him to be selected to the Pro Bowl and Logan had the same expectations.

"If we go off stats alone and despite the record and being on TV all the time, I should have a chance of making it," Logan said. "But if you go off popularity as far as names and guys in the league, you got DeSean Jackson, you got Devin Hester," Logan said to the Detroit Free Press.

The Lions established a lot of hope this season. I predicted an 8-8 season, and had Calvin Johnson been awarded a touchdown, (“The Process”) which I do not even want to get started with right now, closed out a game at home either vs. the Jets or the Bears, we would be 8-8, not 6-10. But it is optimistic. If Matthew Stafford stays healthy in 2011, we can add some impactful corners, a couple linebackers, improve the offensive line to protect Stafford a bit and even add one for receiver, we are talking playoff capability. We were able to still win our first road game since 2007 when we beat Chicago, which was also our last divisional win. We broke the record for most consecutive road losses at 26. We set the previous record of 24 during the 2001 to 2003 seasons. We broke the divisional losing streak when we beat the NFC champion Green Bay Packers on December 12th. We snapped our road-losing streak when we went into Tampa Bay the following week.

Logan was able to help us break those streaks with his explosive returning ability. We have not had a bright spot on special teams since we had Eddie Drummond and Desmond Howard at the end of his career. He also used his speed on some running plays later in the season, fulfilling my wish of using him more in the offense. I have read many comments saying he is “undersized” and I laugh at that. Many have said the same things about Best, and I laugh at them, too. You can be as little as you want, but when you’re that fast and are that mobile, the only people laughing will be the ones celebrating with him in the end-zone. Special Teams is called what it is for a good reason—it’s made for special players. Stefan Logan is one of them.