Wings Cap'n Nick Lidstrom takes one for the team

Let’s ask Detroit Red Wings captain Nick Lidstrom:

DETROIT — The general manager of the Detroit Red Wings says captain Nicklas Lidstrom missed the last two games of the conference finals because of surgery.

Ken Holland told The Associated Press on Sunday the operation was May 24, although he would not say what kind of surgery.

Lidstrom told the Detroit Free Press he had testicular surgery after he was speared by Chicago’s Patrick Sharp in Game 3 on May 22.

Lidstrom’s operation came on the same day the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks 6-1 in Game 4. Detroit won the Western Conference finals in Game 5.

Lidstrom returned to the ice for the Stanley Cup finals, which the Pittsburgh Penguins won in seven games.

So… Nick Lidstrom gets speared so badly that he requires “testicular surgery” and only misses 2 games.  Hockey players are tough.

DETROIT — Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom, speared in the testicles by Chicago’s Patrick Sharp during Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, said he had surgery during Game 4.

“I did skate the next day and thought it was going to get better,” Lidstrom said. “I was preparing to play (in Game 4) and have it checked out once we got back here by our doctors. Sunday morning, I was in so much pain we had to go into the hospital to see what was going on.

“I’m not angry about what happened. It was painful.”

wow. never question a hockey player’s toughness.

http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?cont_id=43704

http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=3565#

http://www.sptimes.com/News/102000/Sports/Knocked_silly.shtml

The Lions also acquired Denver’s 5th round pick in 2010.

The general strategy the Lions followed was to take the BPA (best player available) or trade down if no BPA filled a need.  This resulted in the Lions acquiring 2 immediate starters (TE Pettigrew & S Delmas), a “QB of the future” in Stafford, starting KR (and 3rd down back Brown) & PR (and slot receiver Williams), 2 LBs (Levy & Follett) to compete for MLB/special teams, a DT project (the raw but althletically talented Hill), an OL project (Murtha), & TE project (Gronkowski). They chose talent over polish with the idea that they can “coach up” & develop talent into a better player in the long run.

Draft picks

1. R1#01(001) Matt Stafford QB, Georgia
2. R1#20(020) Brandon Pettigrew TE, Oklahoma State, from Dallas via Trade #1
3. R2#01(033) Louis Delmas S, Western Michigan
4. R3#01(065) Shonn Greene RB, Iowa, to New York Jets via Trade #3
5. R3#18(076) DeAndre Levy LB, Wisconsin, from New York Jets via Trade #3
6. R3#18(082) Derrick Williams RS/WR, Penn State, from Dallas via Trade #1
7. R4#01(101) Stephen McGee QB, Texas A&M, to Dallas via Trade #1
8. R4#15(115) Sammie Lee Hill DT, Stillman, from New York Jets via Trade #3
9. R5#01(137) Jason Phillips ILB, TCU, to Baltimore (thru Seattle) via Trade #2
10. R6#01(174) Tom Brandstater QB, Fresno State, to Denver via Trade #4
11. R6#19(192) Aaron Brown RS/RB, TCU, from Dallas via Trade #1
12. R7#01(210) Vance Walker DT, Georgia Tech, to Atlanta (thru Dallas) via Trade #1
13. R7#19(228) Lydon Murtha OT, Nebraska, from New York Jets via Trade #3
14. R7#26(235) Zack Follett LB, Cal, from Denver via Trade #4
15. R7#46(255) Dan Gronkowski TE, Maryland, NFL compensatory pick

Trades

1. Detroit Lions get: R1#20(020) Brandon Pettigrew TE, R3#18(082) Derrick Williams RS/WR, R6#19(192) Aaron Brown RS/RB – Dallas Cowboys get: Roy Williams WR, R4#01(101) Stephen McGee QB, & R7#01(210) traded to Atlanta Falcons (Vance Walker DT)
   
2. Detroit Lions get: Julian Peterson OLB – Seattle Seahawks get: R5#1(137) traded to Baltimore Ravens (Jason Phillips ILB), Cory Redding DE/DT
3. Detroit Lions get: R3#12(076) DeAndre Levy LB, R4#15(155) Sammie Lee Hill DT, R7#19(228) Lydon Murtha OT – New York Jets get: R3#1(065) Shonn Greene RB
4. Detroit Lions get: R7#26(235) Zack Follett LB, Denver’s R5 in 2010 - Denver Broncos get: R6#1(174) Tom Brandstater QB
   

Links

• ESPN Draft page
• NFL.com – Draft Tracker

• first pick Bobby Layne (Georgia QB Matt Stafford graduated Bobby Layne High School)
• second pick Charlie Sanders (consensus top TE in draft Brandon Pettigrew)
• third pick Bennie Blades (SS Louis Delmas)
• fourth Chris Spielman?

Q: how was this list made?

theNetRat: “He (LionHawkeye) read hundreds of local papers, blew up pics of pro-days and then cross-referenced everything to verify it was true. An excellent list and 10 for 11 counting last year and this.”

LionHawkeye: “Sometimes I dont think (people) understand the scouting process. 300-350 players are scouted, tape viewed, ranked, evaluations written. After that Campus visits at end of season leading to bowl games, and senior bowls. Then the Combine. The players are all re-ranked, and the coaches go see, watch tape, interview, players, and do (individual) workouts. Then some picks are brought in to Allen Park. They then spend a week ranking position needs (often called Horizontal) and player rankings (often called Vertical). They then make up a master board in order of all players. They spend a week arguing about who is better. Now a horizontal ranking may bump a player different amounts based on team philosophy. But unless the team is run by a egomaniac with an inferiority complex (Millen), they stick to the board. This is how the best teams draft. They even value trades and picks and not necessarily by the old trade chart. They spend Millions (on) this function. They dont just say ‘I need a MLB’ and pick one.”

The number to right is number of verified contacts.

Round 1

1. DETROIT LIONS – Matt Stafford QB Georgia, 4 visits (Grade: 96, overall: 7, pos: 1) Stafford has very good upside. He has a very strong arm, good size and adequate height. In other words, the sky’s the limit for Stafford. Our concern is that he lacks elite intangibles. This is problematic when you look at the situation in Detroit. The best-case scenario is Stafford winds up as the Lions’ franchise quarterback for years to come. In order for that to happen, however, the Lions need to bring him along slowly and that’s going to prove difficult. If they rush him, the Lions risk losing out on their investment.
2. St. Louis – Jason Smith OT Baylor, 4 visits (Grade: 97, overall: 2, pos: 1)
   
3. KC – Tyson Jackson DE LSU, 0 visits (Grade: 94, overall: 14, pos: 3) REACH!
4. Seattle – Aaron Curry LB Wake forest, 4 visits (Grade: 97, overall: 1, pos: 1)
   
5. NYJ – Mark Sanchez QB USC, 4 visits (Grade: 95, overall: 8, pos: 2) trade! (from Cleveland)
   
6. Cinci – Andre Smith LT Alabama, 3 visits (Grade: 95, overall: 10, pos: 3)
7. Oakland – Darrius Hayward-Bey WR Maryland, 0 visits (Grade: 90, overall: 25, pos: 4) REACH!
8. Jax – Eugene Monroe OT Virginia, 4 visits (Grade: 96, overall: 5, pos: 2)
9. GB – BJ Raji DT Boston College, 4 visits (Grade: 96, overall: 4, pos: 1)
10. SF – Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech, 1 visits (Grade: 96, overall: 3, pos: 1)
11. Buffalo – Aaron Maybin DE PSU, 2 visits (Grade: 96, overall: 6, pos: 1)
12. Denver – Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia, 0 visits (Grade: 94, overall: 12, pos: 1)
13. Washington – Brian Orakpo DE Texas, 1 visits (Grade: 95, overall: 9, pos: 2)
14. N’orleans – Malcolm Jenkins CB OSU, 2 visits (Grade: 94, overall: 13, pos: 1)
15. Houston – Brian Cushing OLB USC, 2 visits (Grade: 92, overall: 19, pos: 2)
16. SD – Larry English DE N.Illinois, 0 visits (Grade: 89, overall: 28, pos: 6) REACH!
17. Tampa – Josh Freeman QB Kan.St, 3 visits (Grade: 85, overall: 46, pos: 2) trade! (from NYJ thru Cleve) REACH!
18. Denver – Robert Ayers DE Tenn, 0 visits (Grade: 93, overall: 15, pos: 4) trade! (from Chicago)
19. Philly – Jeremy Maclin WR Missouri, 3 visits (Grade: 95, overall: 11, pos: 2) trade! (from Tampa thru Cleve)
    
20. DETROIT LIONS – Brandon Pettigrew TE Oklahoma St., 3 visits (Grade: 93, overall: 17, pos: 1) trade! (from Dallas) Pettigrew is the most complete tight end prospect in this class. At 263 pounds he’s an effective drive-blocker who can hold his own working against NFL defensive ends. Although he lacks elite speed and isn’t going to stretch the field as much as some other prospects in this class, Pettigrew is a reliable possession receiver who does an excellent job throwing his weight around and using his frame to shield defenders from the ball.
21. Cleveland – Alex Mack C Cal, 3 visits (Grade: 87, overall: 39, pos: 1) trade! (from Philly)
22. Minnesota – Percy Harvin WR Florida, 0 visits (Grade: 89, overall: 27, pos: 5)
23. Baltimore – Michael Oher LT Miss, 2 visits (Grade: 92, overall: 20, pos: 4) trade! (from NE)
    
24. Atlanta – Peria Jerry DT Miss, 2 visits (Grade: 91, overall: 23, pos: 2)
25. Miami – Vontae Davis CB Illinois, 0 visits (Grade: 90, overall: 26, pos: 2)
26. GB – Clay Matthews OLB USC, 2 visits (Grade: 91, overall: 21, pos: 3) trade! (from Baltimore thru NE)
    
27. Indy – Donald Brown RB Utah, 0 visits (Grade: 89, overall: 30, pos: 3)
28. Buffalo – Eric Wood OC Louisville, 3 visits (Grade: 86, overall: 41, pos: 2) trade! (from Carolina thru Philly)
29. NYG – Hakeem Nicks WR UNC, 0 visits (Grade: 91, overall: 22, pos: 3)
30. Tennessee – Kenny Britt WR Rutgers, 0 visits (Grade: 88, overall: 34, pos: 6)
31. Arizona – Chris Wells RB OSU, 0 visits (Grade: 93, overall: 16, pos: 2)
32. Pittsburgh – Evander Hood DT Missouri, 3 visits (Grade: 86, overall: 42, pos: 3)

Round 2

1. DETROIT LIONS – Louis Delmas SS W.Michigan, 3 visits (Grade: 89, overall: 29, pos: 1) There aren’t many things Delmas can’t do. His greatest strength is his instincts. He reads keys, locates the ball quickly and gets to it quickly. He’s capable of delivering a big hit or playing the ball over the middle. The one concern with him is that he played at a relatively small school, but he showed at the Senior Bowl that he can compete with the big boys.
2. NE – Patrick Chung S Oregon, 0 visits (Grade: 79, overall: 62, pos: 4) trade! (from KC) REACH!
3. St.Louis – James Laurenitus LB OSU, 3 visits (Grade: 89, overall: 32, pos: 2)
4. Cleveland – Brian Robiskie WR OSU, 0 visits (Grade: 77, overall: 72, pos: 10) REACH!
5. Denver – Alphonso Smith CB Wake Forest, 2 visits (Grade: 89, overall: 33, pos: 3) trade! (from Seattle)
   
6. Cincy – Rey Maualuga ILB USC, 3 visits (Grade: 91, overall: 24, pos: 1) VALUE!
7. Jax – Eben Britton OT Arizona, 2 visits (Grade: 89, overall: 31, pos: 5)
8. NE – Ron Brace DT Boston College, 2 visits (Grade: 81, overall: 56, pos: 4) trade! (from Oakland) REACH!
9. NE – Darius Butler CB UConn, 0 visits (Grade: 88, overall: 35, pos: 4) trade! (from GB)
   
10. Buffalo – Jairus Byrd CB Oregon, 0 visits (Grade: 81, overall: 58, pos: 7) REACH!
11. Carolina – Everette Brown DE Florida St., 2 visits (Grade: 92, overall: 18, pos: 5) trade! (from SF) VALUE!
    
12. Miami – Pat White WR W.Virginia, 0 visits (Grade: 79, overall: 67, pos: 8 ) trade! (from Washington) REACH!
13. NYG – Clint Sintim OLB Virginia, 0 visits (Grade: 87, overall: 40, pos: 5) trade! (from N’orleans)
14. Houston – Connor Barwin DE Cincy, 3 visits (Grade: 85, overall: 47, pos: 7)
15. Oakland – Michael Mitchell CB Ohio, 0 visits (Grade: 0, overall: 0, pos: 0) trade! (from SD thru NE) REACH!
16. Denver – Darcel McBath S Texas Tech, 0 visits (Grade: 69, overall: 101, pos: 6) REACH!
17. Chicago – Max Unger C Oregon, 3 visits (Grade: 85, overall: 45, pos: 3)
18. Cleveland – Mohammed Massaquoi WR Georgia, 3 visits (Grade: 83, overall: 53, pos: 7) trade! (from Tampa)
19. Buffalo – Andrew Levitre OG Oregon St., 0 visits (Grade: 82, overall: 55, pos: 1) trade! (from Dallas)
    
20. Cleveland – David Veikune DE Hawaii, 0 visits (Grade: 78, overall: 69, pos: 10) trade! (from NYJ)
    
21. Philly – LeSean McCoy RB Pittsburgh, 0 visits (Grade: 88, overall: 37, pos: 4) VALUE!
22. Minny – Phil Loadholt OT Oklahoma, 2 visits (Grade: 80, overall: 59, pos: 7)
23. Atlanta – William Moore S Missouri, o visits (Grade: 81, overall: 57, pos: 3)
24. Indy – Fili Moala DT USC, 2 visits (Grade: 79, overall: 63, pos: 6) trade! (from Miami)
    
25. Baltimore – Paul Kruger OLB Utah, 0 visits (Grade: 88, overall: 36, pos: 4) VALUE!
26. NE – Sebastian Vollmer OT Houston, 0 visits (Grade: 74, overall: 80, pos: 9) REACH!
27. Carolina – Sherrod Martin CB Troy St., 0 visits (Grade: 79, overall: 61, pos: 8 )
28. NYG – William Beatty OT UConn, 0 visits (Grade: 85, overall: 48, pos: 6)
29. Miami – Sean Smith CB Utah, 2 visits (Grade: 82, overall: 54, pos: 6) trade! (from Indy)
    
30. Tennessee – Sen’Derrick Marks DT Auburn, 2 visits (Grade: 76, overall: 75, pos: 7)
31. Arizona – Cody Brown OLB UConn, 0 visits (Grade: 79, overall: 64, pos: 6)
32. Denver – Richard Quinn TE UNC, o visits (Grade: 67, overall: 108, pos: 9) trade! (from Pittsburgh) REACH!

Round 3

1. NYJ – Shonn Greene RB Iowa (Grade: , overall: , pos: ) trade! (from Detroit)
2. St. Louis – Bradley Fletcher CB Iowa (Grade: , overall: , pos: )
3. KC – Alex Magee DT Perdue (Grade: , overall: , pos: )
4. Chicago – Jarron Gilbert DT San Jose St., 3 visits (Grade: , overall: , pos: ) trade! (from Seattle)
5. Dallas – Jason Williams OLB W.Illinois (Grade: , overall: , pos: ) trade! (from Cleve)
6. Cincy – Michael Johnson DE Georgia Tech, 2 visits (Grade: , overall: , pos: )
7. Oakland – Matt Shaughnessy DE Wisconsin (Grade: , overall: , pos: )
8. Jax – Terrence Knighton DT Temple (Grade: , overall: , pos: )
9. Jax – Derek Cox CB William & Mary (Grade: , overall: , pos: ) trade! (from GB thru NE)
10. SF – Glen Coffee RB Alabama (Grade: , overall: , pos: )
11. Dallas – Robert Brewster DT Ball St (Grade: , overall: , pos: ) trade! (from Buffalo)
12. DETROIT LIONS – DeAndre Levy OLB Wisconsin, 1 visit (Grade: 76 , overall: 170, pos: 15) trade! (from N’orleans thru NYJ) Levy has excellent instincts and good range and gets to the ball quickly. Although he doesn’t have great bulk at 236 pounds Levy uses his hands very well and is a much better run defender than his measureables would indicate. He does lack elite man-coverage skills, but we like his ball skills and think he can develop into a playmaker.
13. Houston
14. SD
15. Pittsburgh
16. Washington
17. Tampa
18. DETROIT LIONS – Derrick Williams WR/RS PSU, 2 visits (Grade: 78, overall: 71, pos: 9) trade! (from Dallas) Williams doesn’t have outstanding size but he does possess impressive athleticism. He displays a quick burst off the line of scrimmage and reaches top-end speed in an instant. He also brings strong versatility to contribute on special teams as a return man. That said, he’ll need some refining at the top end of his routes; because he shows too much wasted movement getting in and out of his breaks.

Round 4

Marcus Freeman LB OSU, 2 visits

Jared Cook TE S.Carolina, 3 visits
Duke Robinson OG Oklahoma, 2 visits
Chase Coffman TE Missouri, 2 visits

#82

Pat White QB WVU, 2 visits
Travis Beckum TE Wisconsin, 2 visits
Tyronne Mckensie ILB USF, 2 visits
Cory Irvin DT Georgia, 3 visits
Tyronne Greene OG Auburn, 2 visits
TJ Lang OG/OT EMU, 3 visits
Jon Cooper C Oklahoma, 2 visits

#174

Donald Washington CB OSU, 3 visits
Demetrius Byrd WR LSU, 3 visits
Jason Phillips ILB TCU, 2 visits
Daniel Holtzclaw ILB EMU, 2 visits
Seth Olsen OL Iowa, 2 visits
DeAngelo Willingham CB Tennesee, 3 visits

#192

Pannel Egboh DE Stanford, 2 visits
Jerraud Powers CB Auburn, 2 visits
Ellis Lankster CB WVU, 2 visits
DJ Boldin WR Wake Forest, 3 visits

#255

Roy Miller DT Texas, 2 visits
Nick Hennessey OL Colgate, 3 visits
Carson Butler TE Michighan, 2 visits
EJ Bigger CB WMU, 3 visits
Tristan Davis RS Auburn, 2 visits
Bradley Fletcher CB Iowa, 2 visits
Johnny Knox WR Abeline Christian, 3 visits
Jacob Wyatt SS EMU, 2 visits
Brice McCain CB/RS Utah, 3 visits
Alex Fletcher C Stanford, 2 visits

The Detroit Lions … added another former player today when they re-signed tackle George Foster.

The Lions also announced the signing of free agent center Dylan Gandy, a former fourth-round pick by the Colts in 2005. Gandy, who has also spent time with the Broncos and Raiders, did not appear in a game last season. Both Foster and Gandy signed one-year contracts.

source: mlive.com/lions

Cory Redding, a DE/DT tweener in a typical 4-3 system, is finally cut loose… The Lions also give a 5th round pick in the 2009 Draft and get 30-year-old MSU Alumni, 5-time Pro Bowl OLB Julian Peterson.  Peterson will probably line up as the Sam LB unless the Lions also deal WLB Ernie Sims… stay tuned!

Moving Redding opens up the door for young DTs Andre Fluellen & Landon Cohen.

mlive story

ESPN: Peterson declines pay cut

Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz has his work cut out for him.

Okay, I admit it.

At first glance this must sound like a crazy idea.

How could the 0-16 Detroit Lions go from a undersized, quicker “Tampa-2″ style defense to a “3-4″ which requires bigger, more powerful guys?  The answer is 345# NT Grady Jackson.

Signing Jackson — to a 3-year deal — solidifies the NT position and gives the Lions their Tony Siragusa, the wide body who clogs up the middle. More to the point, it also allows DTs Cory Redding & Andre Fluellen to play DE.

Redding is considered a “tweener” — too small to play tackle, too slow to play end — exactly the type you want in a 3-4.  You might even say he’s a “natural” 3-4 DE.

Fluellen… (insert scouting report on Fluellen’s skill set)

Now what about the LBs?

A lot of times a “3-4″ is really more of a “5-2″ with the ends standing up as OLBs.  So this means the Lions may actually need less new LBs running a “3-4″ scheme than even a standard “4-3″ does. ”Tampa-2″ style LBs are 225-230# while “3-4″ LBs range from 245-280#, depending on the position.  The OLBs are more like stand-up defensive linemen than typical “4-3″ LBs.

The SOLB is more of a run stuffer, but can also have pass rush skills. The WOLB has the least responsibility, he’s primarily a pass rusher. His job is to get sacks. At 251# 2nd-year pass rusher — and “4-3″ DE – Cliff Avril would play the rush WOLB position and collect sacks.

Cliff Avril’s “10 Yard Split” time, 2008 Combine: nat’l football post

To put the 10-yard splits into perspective, I constructed a range of times using only the DE/OLB position.

Note: NFL Combine times as a whole have gone down dramatically each of the past couple of years, so the most relevant times are those from the past three years.

A “Great” 10-Yard Split Time (1.55 seconds and under)
Cliff Avril, Lions: 1.50 (2008)
Chris Long, Rams: 1.53 (2008)
A “Good” 10-Yard Split Time (1.56-159)
Gaines Adams, Buccaneers: 1.58 (2007)
Derrick Harvey, Jaguars: 1.59 (2008)
An “Average” 10-Yard Split Time (1.6-1.62)
Kamerion Wimbley, Browns: 1.6 (2006)
Bruce Davis, Steelers: 1.62 (2008)
Below Average 10-Yard Split Times (1.63-1.69)
Charles Johnson, Panthers: 1.63 (2007)
Anthony Spencer, Cowboys: 1.64 (2007)

Dewayne White plays the strong side OLB position. White is good in space, has rush skills, and is also good vs the run. Rarely seen 3rd year DT/DE project Ikaika Alama-Francis backs up White at SOLB.

Ernie Sims plays the “tackling machine” WILB position and racks up 120 tackles, a la Chris Spielman. Jordon Dizon or Alex Lewis becomes Sims’ backup.

And the punchline?

The Detroit Lions draft the best player available in 2009, Wake Forest OLB Aaron Curry for the starting SILB spot.  A natural 4-3 SLB, his all around speed, skills, and explosiveness finally allow the Lions to cover a TE on 3rd down…

Crazy enough to work?

(insert diagram of base “3-4″ lineup)

But Curry could also play the Ray Lewis “tackling machine” WILB position or even the WOLB rush end position… he’s a nice problem to have.

Lions new head coach Jim Schwartz is known as a “moneyball” coach.  In other words, he’s a stats and trends kind of guy.  If his numbers say they have a better chance of running the ball on 3rd and 4, Schwartz will pull the trigger.

So let’s look at the trend of running a 3-4 defense and how it affects the most important stat of all, wins and losses.

2008 NFL teams playing “3-4″ defense

• 12-4, AFC, Pittsburgh Steelers
• 11-5, AFC, Baltimore Ravens
• 11-5, AFC, Miami Dolphins (hybrid)
• 11-5, AFC, New England Patriots
• 9-7, AFC, New York Jets
• 9-7, NFC, Dallas Cowboys
• 8-8, AFC, San Diego Chargers
• 7-9, NFC, San Francisco 49ers
• 4-12, AFC, Cleveland Browns

Seven out of nine teams running the “3-4″ had .500 or better records.  Moneyball, indeed…

Notes

various musings & notes on Lions off season, possibility of moving to 3-4 defense, the NFL draft, and having #1 overall pick…

• Will the Lions draft LB Aaron Curry #1 overall?
• Will they switch to a 3-4 or hybrid defensive scheme?
• Should they follow the lead of Parcells in Miami with his hybrid defense?
• How do current players fit a Tennessee style 4-3?
• What team is the best model for a Lions 3-4?
• How does recent signing DT/NT Grady Jackson signal a change in scheme?
• How does FA DE/DT Vonnie Holliday fit? FA MLB Mike Peterson?
• Is there a greater talent pool for 3-4 “tweeners?”
• What positions make plays in 3-4s around the league?
• New: Lions sign FA LB Cody Spencer from NY Jets.  NY Jets run 3-4 defense. Spencer played 3rd string LOLB (rush LB) in this system. At 245# Spencer could also play MLB in a 4-3… this is an ambiguous move. it doesn’t signal either scheme with any certainty.

Things to add

• add anchors for stats or split into separate pages
• Lions 2009 draft picks
• general 3-4 size/responsibility/skill range
• variations with different star pieces: Ray Lewis, rush OLBs, Mayo, etc
• Lions personnel vs all nine 3-4 teams: Miami, Pittsburgh, New England, NY Jets, SF 49ers, Ravens, Dallas, San Diego, Cleveland
• spotlight stars in each defense
• Green Bay moving to 3-4 with Dom Capers as DC
• focus on Lions players who have no place in 3-4
• salary analysis of #1 overall.  LB vs QB, vs LT, vs DL
• 3-4 without drafting Aaron Curry?
• how much good weight can a player add in the off season?
• who gets cut?  cap implications
• 3-4 D & free agency moves — imply drafting 3 LBs

HC Jim Schwartz quotes

“3-4″ vs “4-3″: “Schwartz expects the Lions will run a 4-3 defense next season, but he’s never going to say never. He and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham both have backgrounds in that defense, and Schwartz believes that not only will the Lions have an easier transition to the new coaching staff by staying in the same scheme, but that the 4-3 fits the team’s current personnel as well.” — nfl blogs, 2009.03.08

On offseason workout program: “There’s going to be some changes in the offseason program. We’re going to feature some more power lifting, we’re going to be doing more squats and Olympic lifting and things like that with the idea toward the whole getting bigger, stronger, more physical football team. Guys have been very, very excited about it. I’ve been very pleased with their commitment to the program in the past, but (also with) their enthusiasm to the new direction of it.” – detroitlions, 2009.02.24

On rebuilding Defense: “We probably have a little farther to go on defense than we do on offense. When I talk about wanting the team to be big, strong and physical, there are more of those pieces in place on offense than there are on defense right now.” — detroit free press, 2009.02.19

On switching to “3-4″ defense: “Unless something changes soon, probably not. It’s a completely different skill set for personnel, not just the linebacker position, which everybody sort of sees, but the nose guard and the defensive tackles. It would probably take a pretty major overhaul.” — detroit free press, 2009.02.19

Bad weather = Big OL & DL: “You need to be big and physical and be able to run the ball and stop the run when the weather gets bad. If you look at Tennessee and just different places that I’ve been, when we’ve been strong on the offensive line and defensive line, you’ll be consistent from week to week. That stuff doesn’t leave you.” — detroit free press, 2009.02.19

On picking #1 overall: “Yeah, it is a different animal. This is my 16th year in the NFL and it’s my first experience with it, and hopefully my last. I’ve compared it a little bit to playing blackjack. You can go play blackjack in Vegas and play at the $5 tables and play for a couple hours and make bad decisions and lose 100 bucks and have some fun. You go play at the $5,000 and $10,000 tables, you’re making bad decisions, then you’re walking home. You’re not flying home. You’ve got to add that into the equation. Not only is it an opportunity to get a great player, you also need to make sure.” — detroit news, 2009.02.19

Drafting a QB #1 overall, Con POV: “When talk about that slot and how much money it’s going to take, it’s a different animal. I’ve said before, we want to make sure we get the right person there, not necessarily lock into a particular position. The mistakes I’ve seen made in the NFL are ‘Hey, we have to draft a running back here,’ Or ‘We have to draft an offensive line or a quarterback.’ I think a better philosophy is to let your hand play out. Try to get the right player, not necessarily the right position.” — mlive, 2009.02.17

Drafting a QB #1 overall, Pro POV: “When you go to the quarterback position, you’re going to need to be long-term, eventually, at that position. You can only be stop-gap and you can only be transitional for so long. You want to be long-term.” — mlive, 2009.02.17

“3-4″ or “4-3″ defense? “Some of that is still going to depend on free agency and the draft. My background is 4-3 and Gunther’s background is 4-3.” — mlive, 2009.02.17

On hiring flexible coaches: “I don’t think you hire ‘scheme.’ I think you hire coaching ability. I think (certain) coaches come with a scheme, and I want to steer away from that.” — mlive.com, 2009.01.16

GM Martin Mayhew quotes

“3-4″ or “4-3″ defense? “When we first started out, we were really thinking strongly of 4-3. As we talked to some people who had some ideas about the 3-4, the 3-4 became a possibility. I think prior to the combine (in mid-February), we’ll have a pretty good idea. We’ll want to know the guys we should be looking at. That’s the time frame, but it’s not a hard-and-fast deadline.” — mlive.com, 2009.01.16

player quotes

Dewayne White on offseason program: “It’s more power-clean, clean and jerk, bops, squats, bop-jumps, a lot of lunges – a lot of explosive movement. It’s a total-body workout when you’re done. You work your glutes, your hamstrings, your quads, your upper body, your chest. There is only one power motion that works so many muscles and you get so much more explosion out of those motions because of having to work as one from your thighs and since everything is being stabilized as you pull the weight out. With anything, the more you do it, the bigger you get. I gained about 20, 30 pounds in college doing those type of reps with my coaches and the more we did it, the bigger you got. Honestly, it’s going to work the whole group of muscles when you do it, but I loved it and I’m looking forward to getting back into it.” – detroitlions, 2009.02.24

Lions beat writer on White: “White is one of those players excited about getting back to work with a power lifting program. It is a program he utilized while at Louisville and it is something he has reaped rewards from [...] The way that translates to the football field is in the form of explosion. As a defensive player pursuing an opponent, to tackle that player requires the body working as one – the same way the Olympic style of lifting trains the body to react. This would benefit defensive linemen in particular when it comes to getting off the line of scrimmage. It should also translate into size.” – detroitlions, 2009.02.24

free agency

Julius Peppers wants to play in a “3-4″ defense: “He loves the state of North Carolina. His family is there. The easier situation for him would be to stay in Carolina,” Peppers’ agent, Carl Carey, said Saturday. “But the decision that he faced was, do I stay in Carolina and perhaps never reach my full potential? Or do I open myself to the possibilities to finish my career elsewhere? He chose the latter.” Carey said Peppers wants to play in a 3-4 defense. The Panthers use a 4-3 alignment. “He certainly feels that he can excel and thrive in a 3-4 defense,” Carey said. “He is also open to just another system in general that will allow him to maximize his athletic abilities.” — nfl.com, 2009.02

trades

• Jon Kitna, QB, to Dallas for Anthony Henry, CB — 2009.02.28
• Roy Williams (plus Lions 7th round pick) to Dallas for 1st, 3rd, 6th round picks — 2008.10.14

scenarios for #1 overall pick

1. Trade down.
2. Draft LT, Jason Smith.
3. Draft QB, Matthew Stafford.
4. Draft D-Line, DT B.J. Raji (3-4 NT, 4-3 DT).
5. Draft BPA, LB Aaron Curry.

draft a QB #1 overall? …reasons against

1. one decent QB in 50 years will do that to ya. no faith the Lions can develop a QB without killing him.
2. too much money.
3. too risky. too many historical “can’t miss” busts
4. too much negative culture.
5. can’t afford $12mil a season for a clipboard holder. it takes 2-3 years to judge pick
6. fans will cry for him to play right away
7. we need a guy who can start from day one with the #1 pick
8. Warren Sapp: “Missing on top 5 pick sets team back 10 years.” — nfl.com/videos, 2009.03.02

Aaron Curry stuff

defensive mentality: “No position on the defense dictates the mentality of the rest of the unit quite like a top end outside linebacker. [...] Curry is good enough to play defensive end or safety in the NFL, and is versatile enough to play any linebacker position in a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense.  If Detroit thinks they can get their hands on a Mario Williams type pass rusher, they’ll be making Aaron Curry the highest paid defensive player in the league next month.” — mvn, 2009.03.07

reasons FOR switching to “3-4″ defense

1. no FA LBs signed yet. i find this strange. perhaps because we’re targeting 3-4 LBs and don’t want to tip our hand before the draft.. possible trade down leverage for teams wanting Stafford. update: recently signed backup LB Cody Spencer.
2. no scheme announced yet. both gunther and schwartz said in interviews that they weren’t sure what scheme we were gonna run
3. drafting Aaron Curry #1 overall. to justify Curry’s contract it would behoove the Lions to give him some impressive sack numbers, hence 3-4.  a #1 pick has to be the centerpiece of the team. he was the best player in college in 2008. we have to make him the star of the D or else ppl will cry about his contract till the end of time.  in a 3-4 he could get 10-15 (or more) sacks per year.  Joey Porter had 17.5 sacks playing the same position.
4. some current Lions players fit “3-4″ better. Millen drafted a few “tweener” players such as: Cliff Avril, Cory Redding, five-oh, Andre Fluellen.. who have the size and could play DE in a 3-4. DEs in 3-4 defense don’t get many sacks. sacks come from the rush OLB.
5. Cliff Avril a LB/DE “tweener”. “Selected by the Lions in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Avril was projected as a ‘tweener’ as a player who had played his first two seasons at Purdue as a linebacker before he was moved to defensive end in his latter two seasons.” – detroitlions, 2009.03.06
6. Vonnie Holliday. he visited the Lions as a potential FA signing… played DE in Miami’s 3-4 and DT in their 4-3 last year.  he’s another hybrid player like Redding.
7. the “34″ wins. most of the teams running a 3-4 have winning records
8. GM Martin Mayhew wants bigger players. he expressed “size” as a coming change, the 3-4 uses bigger players.
9. economy with #1 pick. LBs demand far less money than QBs or LTs.  we’ll save a few mill vs drafting a QB (and save a LOT of risk).  more available cap space means we can get one more player or more.
10. more players to choose from. because less teams run the 3-4 there are more quality players to choose from potentially. supply and demand.
11. Grady Jackson. we signed 36-year-old Grady Jackson to a 3 year deal. he could easily fill the NT role in a 3-4
12. division rivals are small & play “4-3″. 2 teams in our Division play the Tampa 2 (Bears and Viqueens), the other plays in the cold at Lambeau… bigger guys have more advantage in cold weather.  Green Bay switching to “3-4″ with Dom Capers.
13. force teams to scheme for it. only 2 NFC teams run the 3-4 so we’re potentially harder to scheme against. Lions play _____ games vs AFC teams per year.
14. Lion history. fans remember Wayne Fontes, our 3-4, Chris Spielman, Jerry Ball, Mike Cofer, Bennie Blades, etc
15. Schwartz (HC) & Gunther (DC) are AFC coaches. AFC coaches are more likely to run the 3-4 than NFC coaches.
16. more QB adjustments for division rivals. the throwing lanes are completely different in a 3-4.  forces Chicago, Minny, & the Cheeseheads to do more homework scheming for our D.
17. attacking D fun to watch. rush LB adds to unpredictability.. we can move Curry around.
18. zone blitz players can adapt easier. 3-4 defense uses a lot of zone blitz concepts.  guys like Dewayne White play well in space and can drop into unexpected zone for picks. (remember the oakland game when we went 6-2)

Miami is the model team for Lions adaptation because they run a 3-4/4-3 hybrid. free agent Vonnie Holliday played DT in a 4-3 & RDE in a 3-4 and the Lions are courting him.  potential #1 overall draft pick Aaron Curry could play WOLB and rush the QB, high profile, 10-15 sacks/year

2008 Miami Dolphins “3-4″, hybrid model

Pos                     Wt   TK   SK    Job
LDE   Langford         290#   31   2.0    4-3 DT?
NT    Ferguson         305#   22   0.0    clog middle
RDE   Holliday         285#   46   3.5    4-3 DT?
LOLB  Joey Porter      255#   47  17.5    pass rush
LILB  Crowder          250#  113   0.0    run stuff, tackling machine
RILB  Akin Ayodele     245#   75   0.0    TE coverage?
ROLB  Matt Roth        275#   53   5.0    run stuffer, 2nd rush

2009 Detroit Lions “dolphin 3-4″, possible fits

LDE   Cory Redding     295#
NT    Grady Jackson    345#
 •    Chuck Darby      297#
RDE   Andre Fluellen   296#
 •    Dewayne White    273#
 •    Vonnie Holliday  285# <--- possible FA signing
LOLB  Aaron Curry      247#
 •    Cliff Avril      253#
LILB  Ernie Sims       230#
RILB  <draft>          245#
ROLB  Dewayne White    273#
 •    Alama-Francis    280#
 •    Landon Cohen     274#

2009 Detroit Lions roster

DL:

Grady Jackson   DT/NT  345#  NT   run stuffer
Jon Bradley     FB     310#  NT   project! backup NT?
Chuck Darby     DT/NT  297#  NT   backup, retire
Andre Fluellen  DT     296#  DE   rush skills?, add size
Cory Redding    DT/DE  295#  DE   rush skills
Alama-Francis   DE     280#  DE   project, add size
Jared DeVries   DE     275#
Landon Cohen    DT     274#
Dewayne White   DE     273#  LB?  rush skills, plays in space
Cliff Avril     DE     253#  LB?  rush skills

LBs:

Ernie Sims  225#  1st round pick
Dizon       229#  2nd round pick
Alex Lewis  230#
Cannon      228#

“3-4″ defense, transitional stage

• we’re going to have to go thru some kind of hybrid/transitional stage if we try this…
• the problem is that we have really no place for Ernie Sims, Dizon, or Alex Lewis in a 3-4… they’re in the 225-230# range and really need to gain about 20-30# each.. i don’t think any of them are fast enough or have enough coverage skills to play safety.
• these guys become special teamers… which can’t happen (at least with Sims).
• Maybe they add 15# this off season. see off season workout quotes.
• we’ll definitely have to run a hybrid to start because it’s a drastic change… but it’s plausible

more…

1. small LBs. I think we can get away with one undersized guy (which means Sims) so either Lewis and/or Dizon gets cut and/or traded.. Lewis is our best special teams tackler and Dizon is — OK, I don’t know what Dizon is at this point — I don’t think we can carry 3 225# LBs and still run a 3-4. it’s really too bad we don’t still have Buster Davis.  he could play inside in this D.
2. free agency. So maybe we pickup some cheap FA 3-4 LBs after the draft.. not sure… been playing with the problem on and off today.  i think i can make a reasonable case to try it.
3. make Curry the star. the main thing for me is drafting the LB Curry and making him the star.  high sack numbers being featured in a 3-4 as the rush LB would do it.
4. Mayhew is ruthless. switching defenses could buy Mayhew some extra time with Ford.. much like starting a rook QB would but without some of the growing pains.
5. Easier to be mediocre faster. I think this is a better scenario for Mayhew because switching to a 3-4 just seems easier to me than starting a rookie QB.  i don’t see any 2-14 years automatically.  I view it as less of a risk.
6. 0-16. HELL, we can’t be any WORSE defensively than we were last year.. so any improvement will look good.  this buys Mayhew more time.

2008 Tennessee Titans “4-3″, as model

Pos                   Wt#   Tk   Sk  Stf  FF  PD
WDE  Jevon Kearse     265#   34   3.5   7   3   3
WDT  Tony Brown       290#   52   4.0  10   0   4
SDT  Haynesworth      320#   51   8.5   7   3   2
SDE  Vanden Bosch     278#   24   4.5   1   3   1
WLB  Keith Bulluck    235#   98   0.5   6   1   6
MLB  Stephen Tulloch  235#   84   1.0   7   0   2
SLB  David Thornton   225#   78   0.0   6   2   6
totals                      421  22.0  44  12  24

102 “disruptions”, 6.3/game

2009 Detroit Lions “titan 4-3″ fit

Pos                   Wt#   Tk   Sk  Stf  FF  PD  Int
WDE  Cliff Avril      252#   23   5.0   4    4   0    0
 •   Corey Smith      250#   30   3.0   6    1   1    1   R.I.P.
WDT  Cory Redding     295#   38   3.0   6    0   0    0
 •   Andre Fluellen   296#    7   0.0   0    0   1    0
 •   Landon Cohen     296#    4   0.0   1    0   0    0
SDT  Grady Jackson    345#   28   2.0   4    0   1    0
 •   Chuck Darby      297#   32   1.5   6    0   0    0
SDE  Dewayne White    273#   38   6.5   0    3   2    1
 •   I.Alama-Francis  280#   23   1.0   2    0   1    0
 •   Jared DeVries    275#   29   2.0   2    0   3    0
WLB  Ernie Sims       225#  113   1.0   4    1   1    0
MLB  Paris Lenon      235#  121   1.5   6    2   3    0
 •   Jordon Dizon     229#   28   0.0   2    0   0    0
SLB  Aaron Curry      245#    -    -    -    -   -    -
 •   Ryan Nece        224#   68   1.5   3    0   5    1
 •   Alex Lewis       230#   41   0.0   1    1   0    0
 •   Anthony Cannon   228#    7   0.0   0    0   0    0
totals                           17.5  21    9   4    1

0 “disruptions”, 0.0/game

fin