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Detroit Lions Column
By:
Daniel Linehan
3/23/09
The view from the bottom
0-16. Oh and Sixteen. Zero and
16. No matter how you look at it or say it, it's all the same.
It's a first, that's for sure. A first that no one wants.
Nowhere to go but up, right?
Who's gone (a lot are
gone, here are the major ones):
Head Coach: Rod Marinelli -
overmatched as a head coach. Far too old to become a first time
head coach, especially considering he had never even been a
defensive coordinator (good luck with that Bears' fans).
Offensive Coordinator: Jim
Colletto - not overmatched, just underqualified. The offense
had nothing special about it. Off tackle runs on 1st and 2nd
down and then run Calvin Johnson in motion and dump it off to
him and hope he runs for first down doesn't work.
Defense Coordinator: Joe Barry -
overmatched, way overmatched. The defense was absolutely
horrible. Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber could've come in and
played and his Tampa 2 scheme still wouldn't have worked.
Quarterback: Jon Kitna, Dan
Orlovsky. Good riddance to Jon Kitna who, like most QBs when
healthy, thrived under Mike Martz. As a fan of Dan Orlovsky, I
am sad to see him go but not sad to see the money he was paid in
Houston.
Running Back: Rudi Johnson. We
all shared a laugh when Tatum Bell stole your luggage.
Unfortunately we all shared another laugh when we realized that
Cincinnati might not be that bad of a judge of talent.
Defensive Tackle: Corey Redding.
I'm surprised anyone wanted you with your contract. You played
well when Shaun Rogers went down with injury in his final year
in Detroit, well enough to earn a large contract. Ever since,
you haven't earned anything and now you're gone.
Secondary: The old Tampa Bay
retreads. Good riddance Dwight Smith and Brian Kelly. Not that
we ever expected much from you, but we had hope.
Who's here:
Secondary: Philip Buchanon and
Anthony Henry. Henry came over in a trade with the Cowboys for
Jon Kitna. I don't know how many more years Henry has in him at
corner, but he can line up at safety and be serviceable.
Buchanon was a bit of a surprise considering he could've stayed
in Tampa, but then again with Kiffin gone, Tampa is likely done
for a few years. Buchanon immediately becomes the best
cornerback that Detroit has acquired since Dre Bly. The
positive? They didn't really overpay to get him either.
Defensive Tackle: Grady Jackson.
Run stuffer, hole clogger, etc... whatever you want to call him,
he fills an immediate need.
Strong Side Linebacker: Julian
Peterson. Hometown guy, acquired in a trade for Corey Redding.
Who really knows how happy a guy is when he's traded to a team
as bad as Detroit, so we'll see immediately if his heart is in
it or not. I feel Peterson fills the Keith Bulluck spot on
Coach Schwartz' defense.
Wide Receiver: Bryant Johnson.
Johnson underachieved in a 49er offense that had a hodgepodge of
receivers. Johnson did well in the slot with Arizona his first
5 seasons in the league. Big target, 6'3, not a burner but a
solid possession guy.
Head Coach: Jim Schwartz. So
far, he's saying the right things. He wants to turn this team
around, he's committed to making Detroit a winner. One has to
wonder how these coaching interviews go when you come to Ford
Field and sit in the conference room with Martin Mayhew.
Looking ahead to my next post,
I'll spend time talking about the 1st and 2nd round picks and
what I think Detroit needs to do to make an impact. Detroit is
in a position to make a splash at #20 (trade for Cutler?) and at
#33. It's exciting in Motown, no matter what you heard. With a
new Head Coach, possibility of 2 franchise changers coming in
the draft AND the possibility of new uniforms, the 2009-2010
season looks as if it'll be the best Lions' season in years.
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