| 11 March 2010
The latest set of congregation questions from DetFan79 (of Roar of the Lions fame) are all about the Lions' furious activity once free agency opened. Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz wheeled, dealed and spent their way to a partially rebuilt defensive line, a compainion for Calvin Johnson and a new cornerback.
We discuss the results of the wheeling and dealing in this week's Q & A.
For my take, read on...
1. Who was your favorite free agent acquisition thus far via trade or signing?
It has to be Kyle Vanden Bosch, if only for the aggressive way the Lions went after him. He was their number one free agent target from the get go, and were not going to be denied. The fact Vanden Bosch plays a position of need and already knows Jim Schwartz's defensive system like the back of his hand are pluses.
Vanden Bosh may not be the player he was 3-4 seasons ago, but he still has something left.
2. Which move will have the most impact?
If (and it's a big time if) it works out, the signing of Nate Burleson will have the most impact, for one reason only. If Burleson becomes a legitimate number 2 receiver, he will make the Lions' Big 2 on offense, Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, better...and just as importantly, keep them happy. The Lions have tens of millions tied up in Stafford and Johnson, and they desperately need players surrounding them to step up. Scott Linehan is gambling Burleson will do so.
Burleson can kill two birds with one stone if can deliver an 70-80 catch, 900-1000 yard season (or just be better than Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt, who had less than 800 receiving yards combined). Burleson will (hopefully, if Linehan is right) give Stafford a badly needed 2nd downfield weapon, and cause defenses to drop the double and triple blanket coverage on Megatron, something he's had to deal with on a weekly basis for most of his career.
I hate to say it, but as Burleson goes, so may Stafford, and especially, Johnson.
3. After this first week of free agency, is the team better, worse or the same? How much so?
Definitely better, but I think it's too early to state in black and white just how much. The draft and free agency are intertwined.
What the Lions do in free agency greatly affects what they may or may not do in the draft, and it's in the draft where true improvement is made. You'd also like to factor in the continued improvement of soon-to-be 2nd year players like Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, Louis Delmas, Deandre Levy and Sammie Lee Hill.
But if you are going to twist my arm? I'll say they are greatly improved. But when you're 2-30 over the last couple of seasons, calling them greatly improved is relative. The Lions might win 6 games this season, if they get a few breaks. A 4 win improvement is an impressive accomplishment, but it only means the Lions would have progressed from God awful to merely bad.
But I'm not etching 6 victories in stone. A few more solid personnel moves before the draft, then another draft as good as '09...I may get swept up with the rest of the Lions Kool-Aid drinkers.
4. The Lions went from picks 2 and 15 in round 5, and pick 2 in round 6 to just pick 18 in round 5 (while adding a mid 7th). Was this worth it for what the Lions got in return (Corey Williams and Chris Houston)?
In return for those lower picks, the Lions received 2 players who are experienced, relatively young, of starting quality, and will be, worst case, part-time starters. Best case, Houston should step into the starting lineup immediately, while Williams either becomes a very important part of the defensive tackle rotation (if either Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy are the Lions' 1st pick), or starts next to Hill (if the Lions go for Russell Okung or Eric Berry instead).
The Lions would be lucky to get a pair of starters out of what was three 3rd day selections. Even if they did stumble onto gold late in the draft, the odds are good such low selections wouldn't develop into starters right away. Anytime you can deal a 3rd day pick for a player of starting ability, you make that trade...every single time.
For the rest of the Lions blogosphere's answers to these latest head scratchers, head over to Roar of the Lions!
By the way, the Lions Congregation is going to become a much larger fixutre on the web, and will actually have its own home. I'll be sure to let you all know when our plans are set.
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