The Detroit Lions, were one of the biggest, if not the biggest, disappointments as a whole in the fantasy football world! Going into the season , the Lions sported explosive WR Roy Williams, possible ROY candidate in WR Calvin Johnson, solid RB Kevin Jones as well as projected top 10 QB Jon Kitna. Needless to say, none of these players lived up to expectations!
The Lions started the 2007 season 6-2, showing great promise, although it was very sloppy at times, much like their fantasy stats, but then it all came crashing down. Starting in week 10 they slapped together a 6 game losing streak, and ultimately lost 7 of their last 8 for a total of a 7-9 record. With that came a dismal Lions fantasy showing as 2006 star contributors Roy Williams and Jon Kitna never really got on a roll during the 2007 season. Their running game was all but unimpressive and their star rookie definitely went through a ton of growing pains. RB Tatum Bell, a trade acquisition for CB Dre’ Bly also failed to put any stats up, sitting most of the season as offensive coordinator Mike Martz did not like his style of play. WR Mike Furrey also failed to play a prominent role.
-------------------
Key Departures
Kevin Jones (RB) – Drafted in the first round, thirtieth overall in the 2004 draft out of Virginia Tech, the Lions thought enough of Jones to trade up to grab him as their second first round pick that year. In his only season topping 1000 yards, Kevin put up 1133 in his rookie year. After that he failed to even bring 700 yards to the table the following three years, 689 in 2006 being his best ground gain in which was the second of three very injury filled seasons. He remains a runner that has explosiveness to the line but not much afterburner speed. He is great in short-yardage circumstances, but without being on the field much, was never able to show his skills. If given the right roll, he could excel and once again become a playable option in fantasy football. That will not happen with the Lions though, as they released him this off-season for salary-cap reasons.
Mike Martz (O.C.) – Granted, he is not a player, but his departure should have a profound affect on the Lions offensive roster heading into the 2008 season. Martz, known as a pass-first coach, never fit in well with the Detroit media, fan-base, nor his team. Usually passing much, much more than he ran, he allowed the running game to dwindle and put what should have been a learning season for Calvin Johnson into a horrible first year showing. He also probably knocked a few years off of Kitna’s career as he was sacked an unmentionable amount of times. His departure should lend to a more balanced attack, which should open up the passing game, benefiting one, if not both of their top receivers.
-------------------
Key Additions
No key additions.
-------------------
2008 Bruno Boys Crystal Ball
Jon Kitna (QB) – After an admirable 2006 season, Kitna was expected to produce even more in 2007 because of the addition of rookie stud receiver Calvin Johnson. Needless to say, it didn’t happen. In fact, although he still produced solid numbers, his overall numbers fell across the board. His yardage per game, pass attempts per game as well as total TD’s all fell. Not a good sign for a QB that just had the talent around him enhanced.
This makes for very bad news this year as the passing-addicted Mike Martz will no longer be under-helm as the Lions will be going to a more balanced attack, meaning the running game will get many more touches and the overall stats of Kitna may go down dramatically. I would not be surprised if his percentages go up as the defenses will have to be more honest, but I would be completely shocked if he threw for anything more than 4000 yards and 20 TD’s. Also keep in mind that his 2006/2007 seasons represent the first seasons that he every played all 16 games in back to back years.
Drew Stanton (QB) – Having spent his whole rookie season on the Injured Reserve, Drew comes into the 2008 season with a shot at winning the starting gig. That is very unlikely though, considering that Marinelli wants to run more of a running attack, meaning a change in offensive strategy, thus pushing the second year QB into a waiting role as veteran Jon Kitna will be given the keys to the Lions offense.
Tatum Bell (RB) – Bell’s first year in Detroit was anything but predictable. Tatum was brought in to challenge Kevin Jones for the starting job, but Mike Martz never fell in love with him. He played in only five games, being benched the last eleven due to non-injury related reasons. Surprisingly, he decided to give the Lions another shot, as well as I am shocked that the Lions decided to give him another shot. They are going to a more emphasized ground game, so barring injury, his stats should go up. But how much? The Lions offensive line is still one of the weakest in the league. If I were in a deep league that held as many as five running backs per team, then I would grab him. But other than that I wouldn’t rely too much on him.
Roy Williams (WR) – A new balanced attack should take away from Roy’s stats… Or will it? Now that the defenses have to respect the partially solid running attack of Tatum Bell and the Swiss Cheese offensive line that the Lions will be throwing out there, Roy could get some deep ball attempts that were not previously available to him. Look for at the minimum a top-20 performance from this young stud, possibly jumping into the top-10. The only thing holding him back in my crystal ball rankings is a brand-new offensive coordinator.
Calvin Johnson (WR) – Calvin had a very disappointing season as far as fantasy standards and hype are concerned, but in his defense, he did have Roy Williams, Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald grabbing passes as well. Don’t expect greatness in 2008, but producing enough to be a high-4, low-3 receiver isn’t out of the question.
Dan Campbell (TE) - The fact that you have never heard of this 9 year veteran should tell you all you need to know about Campbell, projected to be the Lions starting TE to open the season. Campbell has only topped 200 receiving yards once in his career (a 308 yard 4 TD campaign in 2006) and should not be drafted in any leagues.
Jason Hanson (K) - Believe it or not, Hanson was the 6th best fantasy kicker in 2007. The reason? His strong leg. Hanson was able to connnect on a total of 14 field goals from 40 yards or mor. If your league rewards long kicks, Hanson is not a bad pick.
-------------------
Rookies to Watch
Gosder Cherilus (T) - The Lions, desperate for any solid OL help, drafted down in the first round to grab this 6 foot 6.5, 319 pound mammoth out of Boston College. The Lions brass love him, using phrases such as, “Big and physical”, “Has a great mean streak that plays with great emotion”, and Rod Marinelli describes him as “A coaches glamour guy”. In other words, he may not have been the most sexy name on the draft board when the Lions picked, but they believe that he will do what he was brought in Detroit for, and that is to help solidify the offensive line. Both with the running game and in pass protection.
Jordon Dizon (LB) - The Lions have had a hard time filling the LB group, having failed on such former draft picks as Teddy Lehman and Boss Bailey. But the Lions brass feel that they really have hit the jack-pot with this kid from Colorado, as they liken him to former Lions LB’s Chris Spielman and Stephen Boyd. Words to describe him have been, “A guy who has great instincts”, “Great field presence, excellent vision” and “Athletic and instinctive enough to more than make up for his lack of size.” The Lions feel that he can play all three LB positions and have already had positive results from the rookie training camp.
Kevin Smith (RB) - Kevin Smith possessed something that very few, if any 2008 drafted players possessed during draft day, he truly wanted to be a Lion! Just falling short of breaking former Lions great Barry Sanders NCAA single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards, Smith’s college coach at Central Florida states that Smith put his team above the chase of glory. “He cared more about winning than the record. That’s just how he feels. Give me the ball and let’s win the game.” Rod Marinelli describes him as, “Tough, durable and physical.” Smith has all the tools and confidence that that Lions organization was hoping to acquire at the RB position, and had him ranked #1 overall for running backs coming into the draft. From the looks of the college tape as well as how highly regarded he is from many professional’s points of view, I would be shocked if by sometime this year he does not take the starting gig from Tatum Bell.
-------------------
Other Team Capsules
NFC WEST - ARI I STL I SF I SEA
NFC SOUTH - ATL I CAR I NO I TB
NFC NORTH - CHI I DET I GB I MIN
NFC EAST - DAL I NYG I PHI I WAS
AFC WEST - DEN I KC I OAK I SD
AFC SOUTH - HOU I IND I JAX I TEN
AFC NORTH - BAL I CIN I CLE I PIT
AFC EAST - BUF I MIA I NE I NYJ