DET Projections  •  DET Depth Chart  •  DET Stats  •  Latest DET News

All team reports
AFC	BAL	BUF	CIN	CLE	DEN	HOU	IND	JAX	KC	MIA	NE	NYJ	OAK	PIT	SD	TEN
NFC	ARI	ATL	CAR	CHI	DAL	DET	GB	MIN	NO	NYG	PHI	SEA	SF	STL	TB	WAS

2008 Team Report: Detroit Lions

Quarterbacks

Starter: Jon Kitna
Backup(s): Drew Stanton, Dan Orlovsky

Starting QB: Jon Kitna faces pressure to keep his job this season as new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto has promised an open competition for the starting role. Kitna will turn 36 at the start of the season and the second-round pick from the 2007 Draft, Drew Stanton, will mount a significant challenge. It is expected that Kitna will do enough to keep his job; with options such as Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson, he has the weapons to do well. It would be unrealistic though to expect the numbers posted under the Martz regime to continue this season. The Lions offense was top-four in the league in pass attempts but last in carries for the last two years. Overall, Kitna makes for a nice fantasy backup but carries an element of risk due to age, skill-level and the threat of promising backups.

Backup QB: Drew Stanton was drafted in 2007 with the expectation that he would be the future of the franchise. After knee trouble landed him on injured reserve before the season began, his attempt at the starting job begins in earnest this year. Several Lions insiders believe he is already a better option than Jon Kitna, but Detroit needs to be patient. If Stanton is ready, then he has plenty of high-quality weapons in the passing game but would need time to adjust to the new offense and the pace of the NFL. If Stanton needs further development, fourth-year man Dan Orlovsky would take over if Kitna struggles or gets injured. Orlovksy hasn't seen the field since his rookie season, but he has the receivers in place to perform to a reasonable level.

Running Backs

Starter: Kevin Smith [R], Tatum Bell
Backup(s): Brian Calhoun, Aveion Cason, Artose Pinner
Fullback(s): Jerome Felton [R], Jon Bradley

Starting RB: After years of playing second fiddle to the passing game, new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto will reintroduce a running game to the offense. The planned scheme is based on the Denver one-cut system, of which Tatum Bell has first-hand experience. Bell surprisingly decided to re-sign in Detroit after a disastrous first season for the club where he was inactive for the final 11 games of the season after he was rumored to have requested a trade. Bell is likely to see a lot of action in the early part of the season and after that it will be dependent on the progress made by rookie Kevin Smith. Smith is a workhorse with good moves capable of taking any carry all the way. It is unlikely the Lions will give him all the work to begin with and his limitations as a receiver and pass-blocker dictate that he won't see the field on many passing plays. As the season wears on, his impact may become more apparent, but until the Lions demonstrate the ability to run the ball effectively, caution would be advised before considering him as a fantasy starter.

Backup RBs: Tatum Bell and Kevin Smith could hardly be called top-quality NFL running backs, but even so, the drop-off to the backups is steep. Brian Calhoun has had numerous problems with his knee and therefore only seen 14 carries in his career to date. If he remains fit, he could easily demonstrate the ability that saw the Lions invest a first-day draft pick on him in 2006. Aveion Cason is an experienced back that has been on and off the Lions roster since 2001. He has yet to see more than 26 carries in a season and is unlikely to see more in 2008 -- should he even make the final roster. Artose Pinner was re-signed in late April and is another former Lion returning home after missing the Martz years. In his previous year with Detroit in 2005, he registered 106 carries, but his career YPC is poor and again only provides depth.

Fullback: Jerome Felton has the potential to be more than just a blocking fullback. He registered 67 touchdowns in college, has excellent hands and has goal-line/short-yardage back written all over him. With similar size to his idol, Jerome Bettis, he has dreams of emulating the success of the former Detroit native. This season he is likely to find his feet since his blocking skills need work. The incumbent Jon Bradley could be kept on the roster in case Felton isn't up to this level or needs further work. Bradley is a fantasy irrelevance however with only five carries and two receptions in 2007.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson
Backups: Shaun McDonald, Mike Furrey, Kenny Moore [R]

Starting WRs: Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson are two of the better young receivers in the NFL and should be the primary focus of the new offense planned by new coordinator Jim Colletto. Of course the pass-to-run ratio will be reduced after the departure of Mike Martz, but the strength of the offense is in the two former top-10 draft picks. Williams and Johnson have the height, speed, strength and hands to destroy any defense if given the opportunity. Williams is in the final year of his rookie contract and will be keen to make this season his vehicle for a big payday, while Johnson will be eager to demonstrate the freakish intangibles he possesses after an injury-troubled rookie season. Uncertainty at running back, the offensive line and at quarterback will make life difficult until the offense clicks, so expectations must be minimized while everyone finds their feet. If the planned Denver-style one-cut running game comes to fruition and the running backs can at least keep defenses honest while getting consistent quarterback play, then Williams and Johnson could be in for career years.

Backup WRs: Shaun McDonald was a pleasant surprise for the Detroit Lions last year. Due to his familiarity with the Mike Martz offense, he was expected to be a contributor, but 79 receptions for 943 yards and six touchdowns exceeded the wildest dreams of most. Martz is gone and that will be a problem if McDonald's 2006 performance in St. Louis is a guide. With a more conservative offense planned, McDonald will not see the field as often and a sharp dip in stats must be expected barring injury to the starters. Mike Furrey caught 61 balls last year, but that was a sharp drop from the 2006 season where he came out of nowhere to register almost 100 catches. Like McDonald, it will be interesting to see if Furrey can produce without Mike Martz on hand, but don't expect much from him from a fantasy standpoint. Kenny Moore was drafted to be a multifaceted contributor and probable future No. 3 receiver. At this stage of his career he has no value.

Tight Ends

Starters: Michael Gaines
Backups: Sean McHugh, Casey Fitzsimmons, Dan Campbell, John Owens

Those looking for a fantasy sleeper from this group can only look at Michael Gaines. He was signed to a four-year deal with millions of dollars in guarantees. His primary function on his prior clubs was as a blocker, but he has evolved into a reasonable receiver. If defenses concentrate on trying to contain Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams, Gaines could serve a purpose and register enough catches to appear regularly in the box score. The leading receiving tight end from last season, Sean McHugh could challenge Gaines on passing plays if the latter struggles with his hands. McHugh is a former fullback who could fill a role, but could be a roster risk. Dan Campbell led the Lion Tight Ends in receptions and yardage in 2006. He missed all but the first 2 games of 2007 due to an elbow injury. At 32 years of age it remains to be seen what role he has to play this year. Casey Fitzsimmons and John Owens are long-serving Lions who have never really bothered fantasy teams in previous years; that is not likely to change if they make the roster.

Place Kicker

Jason Hanson : After a dismal 2005, the Lions offense and Hanson rebounded the last two years. They finished 7th in kicker scoring in 2006 and 8th in 2007, up from 32nd (a.k.a. dead last) in 2005. Hanson's FG percentage climbed from 79.2% to 87.9% (29 of 33) in 2006. Last year's 82.9% (29 of 35) probably would have been better if two of the attempts had not been blocked. Despite his advancing age, Hanson added three field goals of 50+ yards last year, bringing his career total to 33 which is third all-time behind only Jason Elam and Morten Andersen. During his 16 year career, he has missed only one game (back in 2005 with a hamstring injury).

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Aveion Cason; Brian Calhoun; Kenneth Moore; Mike Furrey; Brandon Middleton; Casey Fitzsimmons; Darrell Blackman

RB Brian Calhoun handled kickoff returns last year (10 returns, 22.1 avg.) before landing on injured reserve a quarter of the way through the season. RB Aveion Cason took over thereafter, averaging 24.8 yards on 48 returns. Both should compete for the lead role this year along with fifth round draft pick WR Kenneth Moore. Although his strength is punt returns, Moore also handled some kickoff returns at Wake Forest (10 returns, 17.2 avg. last year). Potential backups include WR Brandon Middleton (4 returns, 20.8 avg.), WR Mike Furrey (2 returns, 12.5 avg.), and TE Casey Fitzsimmons (3 returns, 20.7 avg., 1 TD). The dark horse candidate for return specialist is undrafted free agent WR Darrell Blackman. He scored once during his senior season (31 returns, 22.5 avg.) and also scored in the Texas vs. the Nation All-star game.

Punt Returners: Kenneth Moore; Mike Furrey; Shaun McDonald; Darrell Blackman

The versatile Kenneth Moore averaged 10.4 yards on 34 punt returns and scored once during his senior season. The lead punt return role for the Lions is his for the taking. Although Mike Furrey hadn't returned any punts since 2003 with St. Louis, he was the only player to return any last year (3 returns, 10.0 avg.) aside from Troy Walters. WR Shaun McDonald was the Rams leading punt returner in 2004 and in 2006 (23 returns, 7.5 avg.). Darrell Blackman averaged 12.4 yards on 26 punt returns last year. After a ninth place finish in fantasy returns in 2006, the Lions dropped to 20th last year, with punt returns being the primary reason.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Jeff Backus, LG Edwin Mulitalo, C Dominic Raiola, RG Stephen Peterman, RT Gosder Cherilus [R]
Key Backups: George Foster, Jonathan Scott, Manuel Ramirez

Commentary coming soon.

Team Defense

According to two key objective measures, the Detroit defense was the worst NFL defense in the league last season, finishing dead last in both points and total yardage allowed. That woeful performance belied some decent fantasy value though, as the Lions finished in the top third in the league in sacks, and were the third best in the league in generating turnovers. Those numbers made the Lions a top- 10 D/ST in standard scoring leagues. Looking to improve on their porous defense, the Detroit front office overhauled the unit this offseason. They upgraded the pass coverage by signing corners Leigh Bodden, Brian Kelly and safety Dwight Smith in free agency. The draft brought promising rookies DE Cliff Avril and LB Jordon Dizon. All are very good fits for Rod Marinelli's Tampa-2 defensive scheme. Shipping out Mike Martz and his all-or-nothing offensive series should also help the defense catch its breath more often. Detroit has a long way to go to get back to respectability, but if they can repeat the big-play numbers from 2007 and the new recruits help the defense get off the field more quickly, the Lions could be a sneaky No. 2 option for those who play the weekly matchup game.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Dewayne White, DT Cory Redding, DT Chartric Darby, DE Jared DeVries
Backups: DE Ikaika Alama-Francis, DE Corey Smith, DE Cliff Avril, DT Langston Moore, DT Andre Fluellen [R], DT Shaun Cody, DT Landon Cohen [R]

Starting DL: Dewayne White is moving to right defensive end this year and that should give him more opportunities to rush the passer. White suffered a left triceps injury last year, which was a contributing factor in him only having one sack in the last eight weeks. The battle to start at the other defensive end position is wide open, with veteran Jared DeVries currently penciled in as the starter. DeVries is a solid two-way defender but lacks elite pass rushing skills. Cory Redding was a major disappointment in 2007 after signing a huge contract before the season. Redding, who had seven sacks in 2006, fell off drastically last year and only had a single sack all season. With the departure of the talented but inconsistent Shaun Rogers, the Lions signed veteran Chartric Darby to replace him. Darby has experience in coach Rod Marinelli's defense and should provide some stability and veteran leadership for the defense.

Backup DL: Ikaika Alama-Francis played very little last year as a rookie, but he will be competing for the starting spot at left defensive end. Corey Smith was effective as a situational role player and provides solid depth at DE. Rookie Cliff Avril played some LB in college, but will play DE for the Lion's and he will initially be used as a situational pass rusher. Langston Moore was solid in a reserve role last season. Third round pick Andre Fluellen doesn't have great size, but he has quickness, and has a good chance to earn a spot in the DT rotation. Shaun Cody has been disappointing and will have to fight to earn a roster spot. Landon Cohen was a 6th round pick who will have to play well to make the final roster.

Linebackers

Starters: MLB Paris Lenon, WLB Ernie Sims, SLB Alex Lewis
Backups: SLB Gilbert Gardner, MLB Jordon Dizon [R], MLB Buster Davis, WLB Anthony Cannon, MLB Albert Fincher

Starting LBs: Paris Lenon had his best year for the Lions in 2007, setting a career high with 118 tackles. He is currently listed as the Lion's starting MLB, but that may change if 2nd round draft pick Jordon Dizon can earn the MLB spot, in which case Lenon would move to SLB. Alex Lewis is a smallish SLB and has only played 41 games in his four years with the Lions. He is solid in coverage, but he is a liability in run defense. He would be the odd man out should Dizon win a starting role. Ernie Sims mans the weak side and he led the Lions in tackles last year with 134. Sims' speed and athleticism are a perfect fit for the Tampa-2 defense used by Lion's head coach Rod Marinelli.

Backup LBs: Jordon Dizon was drafted by Detroit in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft and is expected to compete for the starting MLB spot. He was highly productive in college and finished with 463 career tackles, which is the 8th most in NCAA history. He is a bit undersized, but has the speed and athleticism that Marinelli likes. Gilbert Gardner was signed as a free agent and is nothing but a depth player and special teams contributor. Anthony Cannon is the backup at WLB and is a solid special teams player. Albert Fincher is another good special teams player and will be a backup at best. Buster Davis will be battling for a roster spot and is playing exclusively at MLB.

Defensive Backs

Starters: SS Dwight Smith, FS Gerald Alexander, CB Leigh Bodden, CB Travis Fisher
Backups: FS Daniel Bullocks, SS Kalvin Pearson, CB Brian Kelly, CB Keith Smith, CB Stanley Wilson

Starting DBs: Leigh Bodden was acquired in the Shaun Rogers trade and gives the Lions a much needed physical CB who is solid in both run and pass defense. Bodden had a career year with the Browns in 2007, finishing with 88 tackles and six interceptions. Travis Fisher is currently listed as the other starting CB, but Brian Kelly seems likely to overtake him during training camp. Fisher was solid as a nickel CB last year. Gerald Alexander had a very good rookie year and is penciled in as the starting free safety. He finished the season with 81 tackles and added two interceptions. The Lions acquired veteran safety Dwight Smith, who has experience in the Tampa-2 defense. He has big play ability and the Lions hope he adds stability and leadership to the secondary.

Backup DBs: Brian Kelly was signed as a free agent and adds another veteran presence in the secondary. Kelly has a very good chance to earn a starting CB job and is aided by his experience in the Tampa-2 defense. Keith Smith is penciled in as the Lions fourth CB and adds a big play element to the defensive backs. Stanley Wilson adds depth and is a good special teams performer. Daniel Bullocks suffered a season-ending knee injury during preseason and returns to compete for a starting role. Bullocks had a solid rookie year in 2006. Kalvin Pearson is a very good special teams player and adds veteran depth at safety.

Last modified: 2008-06-08 01:01:12