Lions Lowdown

Defense could be supplemented

2009-07-16T02:05:00.004-04:00

The biggest criticism of the Lions' draft haul in April was the lack of immediate impact defensive players, primarily in the front seven.

The Lions could add another prospect to the front lines as early as 1 p.m. Thursday, when the NFL holds its annual Supplemental Draft, the addendum to the April selection process where latecomers get a chance to be selected by an NFL team.

Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon — who ranks third on the Wildcats' career sacks list (17.5) — was declared ineligible for his senior season by the NCAA after testing positive in February for a banned substance in a dietary supplement. The suspension came too late for Jarmon — who considered coming out, anyway — to make it into April's draft, forcing him into today's pool of eligible draftees, where he could be added to the defensive line rotation for as little as a fourth- or fifth-round pick.

Jarmon is one of eight players who submitted paperwork for the NFL's late-summer catch-up draft, but has drawn the most interest, including — as ESPN reported Wednesday — from the Lions. Eighteen teams showed up for his July 10 workout, where the graduate student — who has already completed his bachelor's degree in political science and was studying abroad while working on a second major — measured in at 6-foot-3 and 278 pounds and ran a 40-yard dashes anywhere between 4.79 and 4.83 seconds. The three-year starter earned all-SEC honors as a sophomore, and second-team distinction in his junior season.

Drafting Jarmon would give the Lions a young pass rusher to play behind the likely starter at left end, Jared DeVries, one with the size that new coach Jim Schwartz prefers in his ends. Veteran Dewayne White and second-year speed rusher Cliff Avril — both of the smaller build preferred by the previous coaching staff — will likely share time at right end.

Unlike April's draft, teams do not have to use selections in the Supplemental Draft. Any team interested in any eligible player e-mails their interest to the league office, along with the round in which they'd select the player. The team with the highest-round bid gets the player, and forfeits the corresponding pick in the next spring's draft. Last spring's draft order (where the Lions were first overall) is the deciding factor in the case of multiple teams entering the same bid.

Also eligible for today's draft are:

Blake Boyd, LB, Western Kentucky
Torris Magee, WR, Southern Mississippi
Dixon McKinner, DE, Texas Tech
Joe McMahon, OL, Central Michigan
Demetrice Morley, S, Tennessee
Deon Murphy, WR, Kansas State
Corey Surrency, WR, Florida State

For a more thorough analysis of the prospects, check out these sites: CBS, The Sporting News, and ProFootballWeekly

Road work scheduled

2009-07-14T21:18:00.003-04:00

If there happens to be some traffic congestion around the Lions' Allen Park practice facility come July's training camp, don't blame the Michigan Department of Transportation.

A more likely scenario is the Lions' new fullback, noted roadgrader Terrelle Smith, who has blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher in eight of his 10 seasons, pushing through a highway project of his own, laying down a new segment of M-44.

The offseason free agent acquisition from the NFC champion Cardinals spent two years in the desert clearing the way for running backs Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower. Early last season, Smith told the rookie Hightower that the road to success was on Highway-45 (Smith's jersey number with the Cardinals), but steadily saw his own playing time decrease, as the pass-happy Cardinals realized that they didn't need a stellar rushing game — Arizona was last in the league in rushing yards per game in the regular season — to make a Super Bowl run, and more often went with three- and four-wide receiver sets.

"I never really slacked off ... they were just going away from the traditional fullback," said Smith, who knew there would be a better chance for him to play in Detroit, especially with last year's midseason pickup, Moran Norris, signing with San Francisco, setting off the usual carousel of movement among the fullback fraternity. "If it's not Lorenzo Neal, then it's Moran, and if it's not Moran, than it's me. That's just kind of how it works."

How Smith works isn't as easy to quantify.

Smith had half (29) of his 58 career carries in his rookie year with the New Orleans Saints — after following the man who is now his position coach, Sam Gash, at the position — and hasn't had more than 18 touches in a single season since then. All three of his career touchdowns came on receptions, none of them since he was with the Cleveland Browns in 2005.

"I'm a role player, and my role is to lead the way, and let my back run through the hole. It is not a statistics position. Nowadays, they want to use those 'tweener backs, those big running backs who can put their hand on the ground and run out and catch passes," Smith told the Arizona Republic last year. "To a point, it's kind of disheartening to a guy who is made and built for this (job), but in the end, if you can't block, you can't play the position. I don't ever cry, 'Give me the ball. Give me the ball.' It's not what I do."

What he does is block, which is perfect for the Lions' new preference for power offense. Don't get him wrong: He can catch, too. He just doesn't care if he doesn't get touches.

"I don't want 'em. It brings too many issues, too many problems, this and that," he said at the recently-completed minicamp. "If you're gonna throw me the ball, I'll catch it. If not, I'm gonna block somebody."

One of the people he may be blocking — at least for now — is the other fullback on the roster, Jerome Felton. Last year's second pick in the fifth round, Felton was primarily a featured running back at Division I-AA Furman University. His struggles to block as a rookie were part of the reason that then-interim general manager Martin Mayhew made one of his first moves the signing of Norris to solidify the lead-blocking role.

"I'd seen film on him, but not enough, because he was injured. Moran was hungry, and that's one of the things we talk about, is being hungry," Smith said of trying to help Felton through the tough transition from runner to blocker. "That, and you've just got to take this one play at a time. I've been through this 10 times."

Smith has also been through the wringer of constant relocation — from New Orleans to Cleveland to Arizona and now to Detroit — as well as the stress of coaching upheaval, part of the reason he's happy to be in on the ground floor with first-year head coach Jim Schwartz's staff.

"I don't want to come into a situation where I'm a piece of the puzzle, then the head coach goes. I don't like that. I've been in that situation in Cleveland. Like I tell everyone in Detroit ... I'm part of the solution, and not the problem," said Smith, who laid low throughout the offseason schedule, but plans to turn it up when camp opens on July 31. "Minicamp is like PE. You gotta learn the plays, work on stuff. ... I like the fact that nobody knows about me, nobody's talking to me. We get into training camp, people are going to think I'm stone crazy."

Would you pay to see this, if reduced?

2009-07-13T16:23:00.004-04:00

The excitement of a new season this year must be tempered with the losing streak that is continuing from late in 2007. Throw in the seeming collapse of the state's economy and automotive industry, and it's a tough time to sell one of the most expensive tickets in town.

For Oakland County residents, there's the cost of the ticket, the cost of the trip and parking in Detroit and then the cost of shirts or hats along with some food and/or beer.

Though an event, I imagine many people are not going to sacrifice as much as they would have to see their beloved Detroit Lions.

But my cousin said that he's keeping his season tickets and seems happy with minor concessions — maybe about a $100 off the total price — offered by the team. What are your thoughts?

Is now the time to buy season tickets, maybe getting better seats for the anticipated return to winning (and I'm thinking 4-12, here, with maybe one good upset along the way, but who knows, they may hit 8-8 one day)?

Or is now definitely the time to let the Lions go and focus on the outdoor autumn work and indoor projects?

I generally about now starting thinking about what game to go during the season and get going on the arrangements of tickets and scheduling it. Now, I don't know. I last went on Thanksgiving and it was a depressing blow out, though reduced prices at the concession stands helped with some Christmas shopping for my daughters. If I don't go and the Lions are regularly blacked out from TV, it might be easier to break the habit.

What are your thoughts on visiting Ford Field as the season approaches?

— STEPHEN FRYE

Report: Stafford's free tix lead to Georgia violation

2009-07-10T20:08:00.003-04:00

Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler should be quarterbacking rivals for years to come in the NFC North, but the University of Georgia may be wishing that the two former SEC quarterbacks weren't so friendly last year.

The Athens Banner-Herald published a story saying that Georgia self-reported eight violations, including one that came from a tip from the NFLPA, which was concerned that agents were inappropriately contacting a Georgia draft prospect. The school's report cited an instance of four players getting complimentary tickets to an Atlanta Falcons game in November 2008.

The player involved texted then-Broncos quarterback Cutler — whom he'd known since high school — to request the tickets. The school kept the player's name private, citing student privacy laws, but the Banner-Herald reported that a former teammate, Shaun Chapas, identified Stafford as the player getting the tickets.

For the full Banner-Herald story, click here.

Veteran LB Lewis released

2009-07-09T23:52:00.003-04:00

The Lions confirmed Thursday they have released linebacker Alex Lewis, a five-year veteran, ridding themselves of another Matt Millen pick.

Made expendable with the offseason trade for Julian Peterson, Lewis was due to make $1 million this coming season, a hefty price for a special teamer. The 5-foot-11, 237-pounder led the team in special teams tackles each of the past two seasons, but was unable to fulfill Millen's hopes that he could hold down the starting strong-side linebacker spot after the departure of oft-injured Boss Bailey and Teddy Lehman in the 2008 offseason. A starter just five times in his first four seasons, Lewis started just four games in 2008, and finished the year on injured reserve.

Despite his less-than-stellar resume, Lewis still may go down as one of Millen's rare late-round "finds." His competition for the distinction of the best in that category can be boiled down to:

Scotty Anderson, WR (5th round-a, 2001): 34 career games, 54 receptions; out of football.
Mike McMahon, QB (5th round-b, 2001): 14 career starts (7 with Philadelphia in 2005), 2,867 yards, 15 TD, 21 INT, 55.1 rating; out of football.
Terrence Holt, S (5th round-a, 2003): 43 career starts, 189 tackles, 8 INT; played out just one season of a five-year, $15 million deal with the Cardinals after leaving the Lions.
James "Dirty" Davis, LB (5th round-b, 2003): 55 games, 198 career tackles; out of football.
David "Circus" Kircus, WR (6th round, 2003): 28 games, 15 receptions; out of football.
Dan Orlovsky, QB (5th round, 2005): 7 starts, 1,679 yards, 8 TD, 8 INT, 71.3 passer rating; currently a backup with Houston.

Mission here is to inform, have fun

2009-07-09T13:29:00.000-04:00

Twenty-two days and counting until the new-look Detroit Lions open training camp, officially putting the worst season in NFL history in the rearview mirror.

Finally! The day can’t come soon enough when talk of a quarterback controversy between top draft pick Matthew Stafford and veteran Duante Culpepper fills this space rather than flash backs to Matt Millen exit interviews.

Like the Lions — who are starting anew with head coach Jim Schwartz, a franchise quarterback in camp and several new verteran free agent acquisitions — The Oakland Press is reshaping the way we cover the Lions this year.

This blog posting is intended to make you an educated consumer on this site. You may not agree with the way the blog is presented, you may disagree with the number of contributors or the level of expertise of each contributor, you may not like the change. That’s OK. In today’s modern world of interactive journalism, everyone is an expert, free to express his or her opinion in various forms of communication. We get that. In fact, we embrace that.

That’s the wonderful (and miserable) thing about the Internet. the ability to interact between the writer and consumer.

So here it is, the ground rules for what to expect when you visit Lions Lowdown and what we expect in return from you.

The purpose of this blog is to inform, educate, humor and interact with readers looking for more coverage than The Oakland Press pool of reporters can squeeze into the daily printed product.

To do that, we have called on the expertise of several staff members to post to this site.

Beat writer Paula Pasche, who is on vacation until the team opens training camp on July 31, will be the point person here. As news happens in training camp, as players succumb to the dog days of August or tough drills of Schwartz, Pasche will let you know about it. Count on it. Expect no less.

When Schwartz sees things he likes in the play of his quarterbacks, or expresses displeasure with the way the offensive line is protecting the money men, you won’t have to wait until tomorrow’s paper to read the news. We’ll post reports following each workout.

Because the Internet has no boundaries like the printed product does, we feel this blog is simply too big for one person. The Internet is not bound by a midnight deadline or a specific page count.

Lions fans are hungry for news and analysis as much they crave wins on the football field. To that end, staff writers Matt Mowery and Dave Pemberton along with columnist Pat Caputo, online editor Stephen Frye and yours truly will be contributors to this site. While Mowery and Pemberton won’t have their laptop computers just outside the practice site as Pasche will, both writers will spend enough time on the beat to provide features and analysis pieces. Both Mowery and Pemberton are seasoned journalists and have been behind the scenes contributors to Lions coverage in recent years.

The idea is to first and foremost, break news and educate you to the best of our ability as news happens regarding the Lions. Beyond that, however, we also hope to tap into this new form of communication by doing our best to entertain and have fun with Detroit’s pro football team.

You. of course, are encouraged to take part in the process. When you don’t agree with something we’ve written, by all means, let us know. When you have a question you think one of our reporters should ask a player or coach, again, let us know.

When a writer posts a story or an opinion on this blog, you’ll be able to identify a name at the end. While we don’t require the same from you, act as if your name appeared at the end. It’s easy to speak your mind when no one knows who you are or where you live.

When a player drops a punt or fumbles the ball, his name is right there on the back of his jersey for all to see. When a reporter or columnist posts a blog, his or her name and reputation are at stake. Keep that in mind when you chime in on this site. State your opinion with the same amount of respect and confidence as if your name and reputation were on the line.

Our intention is to keep feeding this site with fresh news and opinions. Expect to find something on this site Monday-Friday even as the team remains in a deep sleep until the start of training camp.

As news breaks, we’ll report it. If things remain quiet, we’ll do our best to entertain and encourage interaction to kill the time between now and the end of the month.

Enough said. Like the Lions, we hope this is the start of something big. How big will be determined in large part by you.

Jeff Kuehn,

sports editor

Stafford to start rumors

2009-07-08T12:50:00.008-04:00

There are rumors floating around that Matthew Stafford will be named the Lions’ starting quarterback for Week 1 before the start of training camp. Now these rumors are likely just that rumors, but let’s hope Stafford is not just handed the job.

Stafford should be named the starter when he is ready to play at the NFL level, not when he is better than Daunte Culpepper. Let’s be honest, beating out Culpepper doesn’t exactly put you in line to make the Pro Bowl.

If Stafford is sent out too early then this town will eat him alive. There were already fans who booed the pick and are just waiting for Stafford to throw an interception so they can say, ‘I told you so.’

Stafford could have the most pressure on him of any No. 1 overall pick in history. Think about it. He is drafted by the first team to go 0-16 in NFL history. Add in the fact that there’s a rookie GM and a rookie head coach, who are both looking to prove they belong.

If that’s not enough, consider the fans he has to win over. The same fans that remember the last two first rounds choices the Lions used on quarterbacks (Joey Harrington and Andre Ware). These fans won’t be won over easily. In fact, it’s likely the exact opposite. There are probably countless fans waiting for Stafford to fall on his face because they have grown accustomed to the Lions losing.

Changing the losing mentality of the Lions won’t be easy for Stafford, but don’t make it any harder by throwing him in too fast and giving him a job he couldn’t have possibly earned in mini-camp. Lets put some pads on before any decisions are made.

Lions Hall of Famer Creekmur dies

2009-07-07T00:04:00.002-04:00

Lions Hall of Famer Lou Creekmur, the anchor of the offensive line for three NFL championships in the 1950s, died at University Hospital in Tamarac, Fla., Sunday evening.

Creekmur was 82, and had been in failing health for several years.

The Lions' second-round pick in the 1950 draft out of William and Mary College, the overaged Creekmur — he'd served a two-year stint in the U.S. Army (1945-46) in Berlin before returning to school for his final three years — was an immediate starter on the line. He'd earn a Pro Bowl berth his rookie season, and the first of six selections to the All-NFL team (two as a guard, four as a tackle) just a year later.

With Creekmur on the line, the Lions would win titles in 1952, 1953 and 1957.

"Bobby (Layne) had a nickname for everyone, and Lou's was 'The Spirit,' " said teammate Yale Lary, referring to Creekmur's No. 76 jersey as well as his tenacity. "That group in the '50s was special and I don't think will ever be equaled. Lou was a real team player and an important part of those teams."

In all, Creekmur registered eight consecutive Pro Bowl selections in his 10-year career. However, he'd have to wait 32 years after retirement to earn a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996, joining Lion teammates Bobby Layne, Jack Christiansen, Joe Schmidt, Frank Gatski, Doak Walker, John Henry Johnson and Lary as an enshrinee in Canton.

"Lou always will be remembered as one of the true standout players in Lions history," Lions president Tom Lewand said in a release on Monday. "Offensive linemen often don't get the credit they deserve and, until his induction into the Hall of Fame, that certainly was the case with Lou. If you look at the number of All-NFL and Pro Bowl teams he was selected to, and at the success of the Lions teams when he played, you know that Lou was one of the all-time great linemen in NFL history."

In an era before left tackle was a glamor position, Creekmur — who played at 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, and was nicknamed "The Smiling Assassin" — was a master at protecting his quarterback, Layne. He knew the consequences, if he hadn't. Layne was notorious for calling out a teammate who missed an assignment.

"It was so embarrassing that we all made a pact that we would never miss a block that would ever disturb Bobby Layne," Creekmur was quoted by biographer Don Smith in 1996. "I'll tell you, the treatment he (Layne) gave us off the field couldn't have been better. ... It sounds funny to say this, but the whole team showed such a love and respect for each other, we would break our backs for each other. We were a lot of rabble-rousers. We lived high on the hog, but on Sunday we were dedicated."

Often bounced from tackle to guard — and even given the assignment of starting at defensive guard in 1955, when the Lions started 0-6 after the retirement of Les Bingaman — Creekmur never made the money that today's star linemen rake in.

He admitted his low salary — at its highest, $1,000 per game — was a key factor in his short-lived retirement after the 1958 season, especially when his starting salary as a terminal manager for the Saginaw Transfer Company, a Detroit-area trucking company, paid him $15,000 a year. By Week 5 of the following season, Lions coach George Wilson had convinced Creekmur to come back to the team. Creekmur signed a contract with the team on Wednesday, practiced Thursday, flew to Los Angeles on Saturday and started against the Rams on Sunday. Playing out the rest of that season earned Creekmur eligibility for the NFL Players pension.

In addition to his enshrinement in Canton, Creekmur is also a member of the state halls of fame for Michigan, Virginia and his native New Jersey, the William and Mary Athletic Hall of Fame and the Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. He was also selected to the Lions' All-75th Anniversary team last year.

Survived by his wife of 33 years, Caroline, as well as a daughter, two sons, two stepdaughters and nine grandchildren, Creekmur will be remembered in a memorial ceremony at a later date. Memorial donations can be made in Creekmur's name to the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County/Reitman Unit (3025 W. Broward Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312).

So long, Air

2009-07-06T14:36:00.004-04:00

Steve 'Air' McNair died this weekend, killed by gunshots early into his retirement. While police and investigators are sorting out what happened to him and a lady friend, I looked back at how he ended up in Tennessee.

The former Alcorn State star was the third-overall pick in 1995 by the Houston Oilers, who would later move to Tennessee, first to Memphis for a temporary year and then Nashville, where he would lead the Titans to the brink of an NFL championship. But the pass came up 1 yard short, there was no OT, and the Rams went on to glory. McNair retired from Baltimore, respected but not a champion.

The Lions have missed many good opportunities on draft day, but the 1995 draft was not one of them. Sure, they could have gotten Ty Law or Derrick Brooks, but they drafted Luther Ellis in the first round with the 20th pick. Ellis had a pretty decent career in Detroit, before leaving for Denver, and he was well-liked both on and off the field. They missed a chance at the bust of Rashaan Salaam, who went to Chicago with the 21st pick.

And thinking of 1995, that was a decent draft year for the team, as they picked up David Sloan (3rd), Stephen Boyd (5th), and Cory Schlesinger (6th) in the later rounds. But they didn't get the game-changer or franchise leader like McNair. Too bad they were down 51-7 in Philly in the playoffs before anyone was ready to make some plays, following 1994's 16-12 playoff defeat in Green Bay.

What were once considered troublesome years by Lions fans now look like the Golden Age. It's just that, by squeaking by into the playoffs, they missed the chance to sign a player who could have made a real difference like McNair.

Of course, what would his career have been like in Detroit? — Stephen Frye

Lions director of security loses battle with pancreatic cancer

2009-07-02T13:26:00.003-04:00

Ricky Sandoval, the Lions' director of security for the past eight years, died Thursday morning at Harper University Hospital in Detroit after a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

Sandoval, a Royal Oak resident who turned 49 on June 30, was survived by his wife Gael. Earlier in the week, the Lions organization honored their longtime employee by naming the Allen Park facility's indoor practice field after him.

"This is a very sad day for our organization and for everyone who knew Ricky," Lions president Tom Lewand said in a release. "Ricky set a new standard for courage as he not only fought this disease, but did so with incredible spirit, dignity and determination.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Gael who, like Ricky, was a tremendous inspiration to all of us as she helped Ricky fight such a courageous battle. We also extend our deepest sympathies to the families of both Gael and Ricky."

In 2006, the Lions players, coaches and staff were unanimous in selecting Sandoval to receive the franchise's nomination of the Ed Block Courage Award, an honor usually reserved for one player from each of the NFL's 32 franchises, one that recognizes men of courage in the league.

Hired as director of security in 2001, Sandoval oversaw all of the team's security needs at its Allen Park headquarters, as well as heading the security detail on the road, and acting as a liason with local law enforcement agencies. Prior to his time in Detroit, Sandoval worked for the San Francisco 49ers for 11 years (1987-98), as well as for Contemporary Services Corporation, a Texas firm that has handled security for Super Bowls in the past.

Funeral arrangements were still pending as of Thursday afternoon.

Lions finally confirm trade

2009-07-02T02:07:00.002-04:00

The Lions officially confirmed the Dennis Northcutt-for-Gerald Alexander trade late Wednesday afternoon, finally tying up the last loose end in the swap of the Lions' former second-round pick at safety, Alexander, to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the veteran wide receiver, Northcutt.

The move was first reported on Friday, but couldn't be finalized until the NFL office re-opened on Monday, and both players passed physicals with their new teams.

Stuck in a positional logjam with the Lions — who drafted a safety in the second round for the third time in four years this spring (Daniel Bullocks, Alexander, Louis Delmas) — Alexander was excited about the opportunity in Jacksonville.

"I'm just excited about being in this situation," Alexander told the Jaguars Web site. "Obviously, there is a shock value, but I'm looking forward to being part of this team. I have to move on to a new situation and learn a new system; get acquainted with a new group of people."

The shock to the whole deal is neither the Lions choosing to deal from an area of relative strength, nor the Jaguars adding to an area of weakness. Jacksonville was concerned about a lack of depth behind starting safeties Reggie Nelson and Sean Considine.

No, the shocking thing about the whole trade was the swapping of a veteran pass-catcher from one receiving-poor team to another, especially considering the investments the two franchises have made in that area. And the move is merely another step in the complete renovation of both teams' receiving corps.

Jacksonville nabbed former Rams Pro-Bowler Torry Holt in free agency, allowing the Jaguars to jettison a pair of former first-round busts at the position, by releasing the troubled Matt Jones and declining to re-sign Reggie Williams. Jerry Porter, a 2008 free agency addition, was also let go. The Jaguars drafted three wideouts — Arizona's Mike Thomas (fourth round), Rice's Jarrett Dillard (fifth round) and Rutgers' Tiquan Underwood (seventh round), but Holt is 33 and has had knee issues, and Northcutt, Jones, Williams and Porter accounted for roughly half the team's catches and TD receptions last year.

The Florida Times-Union has reported that the Jaguars staff didn't feel that Northcutt was still enough better than the rookies to justify the 10-year veteran's $2.75 million salary, and that the team will likely try to pick up another veteran receiver before training camp begins.

The Lions, on the other hand, are still searching for pass-catching options, despite the much-publicized and ill-fated run of No. 1 picks — Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams and Calvin Johnson — at the position. Only Johnson remains with the team (and only Roy Williams is also still in football), while Mike Martz proteges Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey were let go in the offseason, replaced by veterans Ronald Curry, Bryant Johnson and third-round draft pick Derrick Williams.

Considering both teams' seemingly glaring need for wideout help, the whole thing reeks of a swap of damaged goods.

Suspension still possible

2009-06-28T14:54:00.001-04:00

Grady Jackson, the 350-pound defensive tackle, who was signed to shore up the defensive line, attended mandatory minicamp last week, but didn’t practice. He’s coming off knee surgery in mid-February and the Lions want to err on the side of caution before letting him on the field.
Jackson said there’s no question he’ll be ready to play by the start of the season, but he could face a possible suspension for violating the NFL’s drug policy last season as one of several players who tested positive for a banned diuretic.
The Lions are aware that he could be suspended.
“We definitely have that in mind with it, for sure,’’ Schwartz said.
Jackson said he’s been given no timeline on the issue by the league.
“I don’t know too much about no suspension right now. Nobody’s saying nothing. I have to wait until it comes,’’ Jackson said.
— PAULA PASCHE

Key factor on offense line

2009-06-27T12:33:00.001-04:00

While quarterbacks Daunte Culpepper and Matthew Stafford are drawing a lot of attention, their success depends on the quality of the offensive line play.
The contract extension of center Dominic Raiola this week will give the Lions more continuity on the line in the coming years which is crucial. But what about this year?
A key factor will be offensive line coach George Yarno who was brought in from the Tampa Bay Bucs by coach Jim Schwartz.
Yarno, who played in the NFL for 10 years, gets rave reviews from Raiola.
“The first thing I like is that he played the game and played for a long time. He’s come up the ranks through college, he’s been under a great NFL coach in Tampa for a few years,’’ Raiola said. “... I’m excited. We connected right away.’’
— PAULA PASCHE

Report: Lions trade Alexander for WR Northcutt

2009-06-26T22:28:00.002-04:00

The Florida Times-Union is reporting that the Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars have made a player-for-player swap, with the Lions getting veteran wide receiver Dennis Northcutt in exchange for safety Gerald Alexander.

A 10-year veteran, Northcutt would add depth on the flanks for the Lions, who still lack depth behind Calvin Johnson. Detroit signed Ronald Curry and Bryant Johnson in free agency, and drafted Derrick Williams in the third round of this spring's draft. Northcutt also gives the team another option in the return game.

A second-round pick from Boise State in 2007, Alexander started all 16 games in his rookie season, but played in just five games last season before his season was ended by a broken vertebra in his neck.

Roster moves made

2009-06-26T18:06:00.001-04:00

The Lions signed undrafted free agent Kenneth Harris, a receiver who played at Georgia, on Friday.
They released offensive lineman James Blair, a second-year player from Western Michigan, and receiver Tommy Saunders, an undrafted free agent from Missouri.
— PAULA PASCHE

Lions Lowdown video

2009-06-26T13:09:00.002-04:00

Paula Pasche gives her thoughts following the Lions three-day minicamp.

Consistency a virtue

2009-06-26T09:54:00.001-04:00

Obviously Lions coach Jim Schwartz has been keeping a close eye on rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford in the workouts since the draft which wrapped up with this week’s minicamp.
“He’s been consistent from the very first time he took the field. He had confidence in the huddle, obviously he has confidence in his arm. One thing that you do see is his ability and confidence to try to fit ball into tight quarters,’’ Schwartz said.
It will get tougher once the players are in full pads and hitting during training camp, but Schwartz said Stafford needs the confidence to know he can complete a pin-point pass.
— PAULA PASCHE

Raiola signs extension

2009-06-25T14:26:00.001-04:00

ALLEN PARK — Lions center Dominic Raiola has signed a four-year extension that will keep him with the team through the 2013 season. The deal was announced Thursday.
“He’s a guy that’s been a great leader for us on offense and in the locker room. He’s been a stalwart on the offensive line, outside of a hand injury last year, he’s been great in durability. He’s the exact kind of guy the organization wants as part of the nucleus of this team going forward,’’ said Tom Lewand, the Lions president.
Raiola, who was a second-round draft pick (50th overall) by Detroit in 2001, said he doesn’t want to play anywhere else.
“I worked hard for this and there are a lot of people that went into me getting this. For where we’ve come from we haven’t done anything yet. I’m excited to be here and really finish my career,’’ Raiola said after Thursday’s minicamp practice.
For more on Raiola’s new deal see Friday’s Oakland Press.
— PAULA PASCHE

DeVries' high school coach murdered

2009-06-24T18:16:00.001-04:00

ALLEN PARK — Before Wednesday’s Lions morning practice was over, Jared DeVries was pulled aside and given the bad news that his high school coach had been shot and killed just hours earlier.
DeVries, who grew up in Iowa, appeared to be holding his side walking off the field, but there was no injury just hurt.
According to the Associated Press, Aplington-Parkersburg (Iowa) High School football coach Ed Thomas was shot in the school’s weight room with several students watching. A 24-year-old former student has been charged with first-degree murder.
   “Aside from my own father and mother, no one had a more profound impact on my life than Coach Thomas. He truly was like a second father to me and to the hundreds of players from our community he coached over the years,’’ DeVries said in a statement released late Wednesday afternoon.
“A part of him has been with me through my college and NFL careers and that will never change. I will never forget Coach Thomas. Heaven just got a great football coach and an even better man,’’ DeVries added.
Thomas, 58, was the 2005 NFL coach of the year.
    Lions coach Jim Schwartz said there’s a special bond between a high school football player and his coach. DeVries will get his full support in handling his grief.
    Three other of Thomas’ players are in the NFL: Green Bay’s Aaron Kampman, Jacksonville’s Brad Meester and Denver’s Casey Wiegmann.
“Aaron, Brad, Casey and I were so proud when he was named the NFL’s High School Coach of the Year in 2005. He truly epitomized everything that is good about high school football and all the things it can teach young men,’’ DeVries said.
   DeVries practiced with the Lions during the afternoon session, but opted to release a statement rather than talk to the media.
— PAULA PASCHE

Foote surprised by Trammell

2009-06-24T12:49:00.001-04:00

ALLEN PARK — Linebacker Larry Foote got a pleasant surprise walking off the field after Wednesday’s morning minicamp workout.
Waiting to greet him was his childhood hero, Alan Trammell, who was in town with the Chicago Cubs where he is bench coach.
Foote grew up in Detroit, idolized Trammell (still does) and wore No. 3 playing baseball as a kid, although he could never play shortstop.
“He was the greatest, are you kidding? They say Cal Ripken. If you compare the cards you see who got better numbers. Ripken had a little more home runs than Tram, hitting average Tram beat him. Him and Lou (Whitaker) turned more double plays so I’ll take Tram. He’s got a ring, Cal Ripken ain’t got a ring,’’ Foote said.
Meeting Trammell caught Foote by surprise.
“If you all wasn’t here I would have been a little more excited, but I’ve got to keep my cool,’’ Foote said. “My father he’d go crazy. We used to go out to the old stadium and watch him all the time. It’s definitely an honor.’’
— PAULA PASCHE

No depth chart for Schwartz

2009-06-23T13:03:00.001-04:00

ALLEN PARK — Lions coach Jim Schwartz will not compile a depth chart until just prior to the first preseason game, he said after Tuesday’s minicamp session.
“There’s some positions it doesn’t take Vince Lombardi to figure out who our best player is at that position. I need to stay consistent. I can’t say we’ll have a depth cart at one position, but these other positions are going to be wide open for competition,’’ Schwartz said.
Quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who said he’s 100 percent healthy going into training camp for the first time since 2004, has no problem with that. Neither does Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 draft pick.
   “I said it when we drafted Stafford, but it applies to everybody on this team. You’re a starter on this team when you’re the best player and you’re ready. You need to fulfill both of those. If you’re the best player but you’re not ready physically, emotionally, whatever it is, you’re not going to play,’’ Schwartz said. “If you’re ready but you’re not the best player you’re not the starter.’’
   Minicamp continues Wednesday and Thursday.
   For more on the competition between Culpepper and Stafford see Wednesday’s Oakland Press.
— PAULA PASCHE

Minicamp this week

2009-06-22T14:08:00.001-04:00

While Matthew Stafford’s career with the Lions will not be defined by the mandatory minicamp this week, perhaps we’ll get more of a feel for just how soon the rookie quarterback, with the $72 million contract, could be ready. And, then again, perhaps not. Undoubtedly, all eyes will be on Stafford.
The three-day minicamp — on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Allen Park — will be the Lions’ last official workout before training camp, which is tentatively set to start on July 31.
— PAULA PASCHE

Don't call it a comeback ... seriously

2009-06-20T01:41:00.002-04:00

For someone who grew up with microphones and tape recorders constantly being shoved in his face, those kind of chances at the spotlight — however small — are few and far between for former Lion Charles Rogers these days.

So every opportunity he gets, it seems, he's pitching a comeback. This time, it's different, he says. This time, I'll make it, if I just get the chance.

Last weekend, while helping out at friend and former high school teammate LaMarr Woodley's youth football camp in their hometown of Saginaw, Rogers reiterated his most constant theme: I want another shot at the NFL.

"I'm still young," the 28-year-old Rogers told Hugh Bernreuter, the longtime Saginaw News reporter who has covered Rogers ever since he WAS young.

"I know my next shot might be my last shot. I know I have to work harder than I ever worked before. I'm willing to do that," Rogers said.

And I don't buy it.

I, too, covered Rogers some when he was a terror in the Saginaw Valley League in both track and football. And while I'll admit I haven't spoken in person to Rogers in a decade, I have watched his meteoric rise to the top, and his equally precipitous fall from grace, always keeping those few past encounters stored in the back of my mind.

Until something drastic changes, he'll still be the cautionary tale for two things: 1) how teams should look at a prospect's character as much as their measurable attributes of height, weight and speed; and 2) that extraordinarily gifted kids don't necessarily know how to work through adversity once they finally meet it.

Rogers was gifted, and knew it, too. His Saginaw High quarterback would lob a pass that looked like a punt nearly straight up in the air, and somehow Rogers would end up head and shoulders above a crowd of defenders to snare it.

The kid who claimed he'd never lost a race from elementary school through high school once told me that the only people who ever challenged him on the track were his teammates — and then only sometimes. Later that spring, I watched the crosstown rival Rogers seemingly would never admit to — Saginaw Heritage's Stuart Schweigert, the current Lions safety — beat him in the state finals of the 100 dash. The look on Rogers' face was one of pure shock, as if he truly believed that no was supposed to ever beat him.

Granted, immature behavior from a high school kid isn't so out of character. But it's not like Rogers — whom the Lions picked No. 2 overall in the 2003 draft, only to see his career derailed by a pair of collarbone injuries and running afoul of the NFL's substance abuse policy — has seemed all that mature in the years following his release by the Lions.

There were the paternity issues, substance-abuse issues and the coup de grace, the time he got stabbed in the abdomen with a fork. More recently, there was the probation violation that landed him in the Oakland County jail for a month earlier this year.

"At the end of the day, I can look myself in the mirror ... I probably couldn't do that awhile back," Rogers told Bernreuter. "Maybe it's maturity. As I get older, you think differently, talk differently, see things differently."

But it was another quote from Charles Rogers that made me see — and hear — the same old cocky prep star in my brain.

"I definitely want to see what Charles Rogers is made of," he said, speaking of himself in third person, as diva wide receivers are known to do. "I want to see if Charles Rogers can pull this off."

I want to see if it's not the same old Charles Rogers, too.

Millen gives himself too much credit, as usual

2009-06-18T14:43:00.001-04:00

Did you see the latest report about Matt Millen's return to the broadcast booth? Check out what Matt Millen told SI.com and then ask yourself, "Can you honestly watch a game Millen is broadcasting with the sound on?

Here's a sample of what Millen had to say on SI.com:

"I don't go backwards. I just don't think like that. There's nothing I can do about [Detroit]. All I can do is from here on out. I understand. In Detroit, they need a bad guy. I was a bad guy. I was to blame for the fall of the auto industry and the housing market. Somehow, I had something to do with [Detroit mayor] Kwame Kilpatrick [resigning], although I'm not sure what. But that's what happens when you lose in this game. You give everyone a cheap and easy story to jump on.''

Once again, as he did time and time again in front of owner William Clay ford, Matt Millen is giving himself far too much credit for the tough times facing Detroit. As much as we'd like to pile on Millen for Detroit's other shortfalls, we'll settle with running him out of town abd letting him take credit for just one mistake -- the Lions.

Millen was 66 games under .500 (31-97) during his eight years as team president and general manager of the Lions. His talent for blown first-round draft choices such as Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers and Mike Williams left holes the Lions are still trying to fill.

Millen has a right to move on. The NFL Network should have the right to hire whoever it sees fit to analyze what's going on around the league.

If Millen, or the NFL Network, expects any Lions fan to take anything he has to say in the near future with an ounce of respect, both are out of their mind.

Millen took a franchise that posted a 9-7 record and barely missed the playoffs the year he arrived and turned it into an 0-16 laughing stock.

And, now, the minute he's more than a stone's throw away, Millen is cracking jokes about a city and a fan base who stuck with him longer than any other city would have been willing to stomach.

Take a hike, Matt. Every time the NFL Network puts your mug on the scene to offer your expert opinion, the network should run a scroll under your name just like WDIV did during the playoffs on NBC: "31-97 record as GM of the Detroit Lions."

The offseason moves by the Lions have already made this team stronger than the one Millen left behind. There's hope. There's a new coaching staff and a mix of new talent with draft picks Matt Stafford and free agent signees Larry Foote and Jon Jansen to build on.

In time, the sting of Matt Millen will be a distant memory. For now, however, don't take the bait. Let Millen crack a few jokes and think of himself as a man among men. We here in Detroit know better.

Making camp for the fans again

2009-06-18T03:37:00.002-04:00

In his first few months as Lions coach, Jim Schwartz has looked like a politician on the campaign trail, doing the proverbial hand-shaking, baby-kissing routine perfectly.

During yet another attempt to connect with the local fan base by making public appearance last Sunday at Michigan International Speedway — where he acted as the honorary starter for the NASCAR Sprint Cup LifeLock 400 — Schwartz dropped a nugget of information in a conversation with reporters.

Schwartz admitted he'd be in favor of moving training camp back out of Allen Park next year.

Whether that nugget of opinion had any grain of truth to it remains to be seen — the Lions have since denied the rumors that have started up in the interim — and regardless of where the camp might end up — be it Grand Valley's campus in Allendale, or back to Saginaw Valley State, where it resided from 1997-2001, or anywhere else — the impact of the move would be astronomically larger than any hand-shaking Schwartz can do.

It would be just what the Lions need to do to reconnect with a visibly shaken fan base, after the NFL's first-ever 0-16 season, one that had fans not showing up in droves. The Lions experienced a league-worst 11-percent drop in attendance last year, and only sold out one of their final six home games — that for Thanksgiving Day, after the NFL granted a 24-hour extension. The other five non-sellouts were the first games in the history of Ford Field to be blacked out for local television.

A league-low 435,979 attended Lions home games in 2008.

When the Lions — who'd previously had their training camps at exotic locales like the Silverdome and Oakland University in Rochester — moved their camp to SVSU's campus just north of Saginaw in 1997, on a one-year trial basis, the organization was stunned by the response. More than 107,000 fans showed up to watch practices during the three-week camp, making it a slam-dunk decision to sign an extended deal.

The final year of that contract was the first year of Matt Millen's tenure as Lions president and CEO — and highlighted by first-year coach Marty Mornhinwheg riding off in a huff on his Harley at the end of a practice. The Lions then moved into their state-of-the-art but less-than-fan-friendly practice facility in Allen Park for the next year's training camp.

While the franchise's relationship with its fans became increasingly acrimonious, the Lions did consider moving camp again to a remote site during Millen's tenure. Preliminary feelers were made to other small schools like Alma College, according to officials running the athletic programs at the time for the small private school in the center of the state.

No matter the site they may choose, holding open practice sessions again will be one of the quickest ways for the Lions to turn the tide of the apathy eroding their fan base.