Head Coach 09: Cleaning Up Millens Mess

[DeToxRox]

This is going to take place during the off season. I'll start documenting some FA happenings with my team then focus on the draft before getting really into it.

[DeToxRox]

Dan Wilson
Traditionalist
Strengths: Developing OL/DL, Strategy, Gameplanning
Weakness: Clashing with players, Demanding, Old school

Offense Philosophy: Balance attack where running sets up the pass. Believes in vertical passing game.

Playbook: College Attack

Defensive Philosophy: Kill the QB.

Playbook: Jags Physical D

[DeToxRox]

Off-season Needs

1. HB
2. LB
3. DL
4. OL
5. QB

[DeToxRox]

Salary Cap

We currently sit 49 mil under the cap with 33 players under contract. We hope to sign 3-4 solid players, and then several depth guys and camp bodies. Our primarty target is LE Antwan Odom, as we need a stud rushing DE to play opposite Dwayne White.

[DeToxRox]

Free Agency Update #1

The Detroit Lions sign LE Antwan Odom (88 OV) to a 4 year deal worth 20.3 million dollars. He will recieve a $10 million signing bonus.

[DeToxRox]

Free Agency Update #2

We add our second huge signing, this time adding LG Stacy Andrews (87 OV) with a 5 year deal worth 23.4 million, including a $7.5 million signing bonus.

He will recieve $1 million for starting all 16 games, as well as another $1 million if he makes the Pro Bowl.

[DeToxRox]

Trade News

- The Detroit Lions have shipped away WR Roy Williams to the 49'ers for their 2nd round pick #39 as well as a 2009 7th rounder.

The reason for the trade is simple: We need players and Roy doesn't fit in our plans. His contract is due up after the season and I have no desire to have to pay him what he'll want.

[DeToxRox]

Free Agency Update #3

The Lions have signed DB Brian Kelly (77 OV) to a 1 year, 3.5 million dollar deal. Kelly will make $1 mlillion garaunteed.

[DeToxRox]

Free Agency Update #4

The Lions have signed DT Dan Klecko (75 OV) to a 4 year, 17 million dollar deal. Klecko will recieve 4 million dollars as a signing bonus.

[DeToxRox]

Free Agency Update

We end up signing quite a few other guys to cheap deals but no one worth mentioning at this time. We now switch our attention to the NFL Draft where at 15, we are sitting a spot where we are going to draft best available.

[DeToxRox]

Draft Outlook

In this draft, ideally we'd like to find ourselves a starting RB, OL, LB, DB and DT. With three first day picks, we MUST find three starters with those picks. I'd like to stay away from a 1st round RB but if the guy that is there is the best on my board, I have to take him. The only positions I won't touch are WR and maybe QB in the first.

[DeToxRox]

2008 NFL Draft

First Round

1. Miami - QB Matt Ryan (Boston College)
2. St. Louis - ROLB Vernon Gholston (Ohio State)
3. Atlanta - LT Jake Long (Michigan)
4. Oakland - DT Glenn Dorsey (LSJ)
5. Kansas City - DE Chris Long (Virginia)
6. New York Jets - QB Joe Flacco (Delaware)
7. New England - RB Darren McFadden (Arkansas)
8. Baltimore - DE Derrick Harvey (Florida)
9. Cincinnati - DT Sedrick Ellis (USC)
10. New Orleans - ROLB Keith Rivers (USC)
11. Buffalo - RT Gosder Cherlius (Boston College)
12. Denver - DB Leodis McKelvin (Troy)
13. Miami - LT Ryan Clady (Boise State)
14. Denver - LT Chris Williams (Vanderbilt)
15. Detroit - LOLB Jerod Mayo (Tennessee)
16. Arizona - LG Brandon Albert (Virginia)
17. Kansas City - LT Duane Brown (Virginia Tech)
18. Houston - RB Felix Jones (Arkansas)
19. Baltimore - DB Dominique Cromartie - Rodgers (Tennessee State)
20. Tampa Bay - DB Mike Jenkins (USF)
21. Washington - RBRashad Mendenhall (Illinois)
22. Dallas - LT Sam Baker (USC)
23. Pittsburgh - RT Jeff Otah (Pitt)
24. Tennesse - DE Lawerence Jackson (USC)
25. Seattle - RB Chris Johnson (ECU)
26. Jacksonville - DE Philip Merling (Clemson)
27. San Diego - FS Kenny Phillips (Miami)
28. Atlanta - DB Aqib Talib (Kansas)
29. San Francisco - SS Tyrell Johnson (Arkansas State)
30. New Orleans - WR Jordy Nelson (Kansas State)
31. St. Louis - DB Antoine Cason (Arizona)
32. Carolina Panthers - DB Brandon Flowers (Virginia Tech)

Red = Trade

As you can see, a very busy first round. Once the draft is done I'll see if I can find out what each deal specifically was.

[DeToxRox]

Draft Thoughts: 1st Round

I am ecstatic to get Jerod Mayo at 15, though the front office thinks his potential is just an 85. Regardless, his interviews were 100's across the board, and I really think he is going to help us blitz the QB with his great speed. I hope to try him at MLB and see what we have there but if he ends up as a LOLB, then I am perfectly okay with that.

Time to sure up the run game in the second round.

[DeToxRox]

2nd Round

#39. Detroit Lions - RB Jonathan Stewart (Oregon)
#45. Detroit Lions - DB Tracy Porter (Indiana)
#62. Detroit Lions - MLB Dan Connor (Penn State)

We deal one of our two thirds this year, plus a sixth this year, as well as a third next year to move up and take a guy I figured would never make it this far.

[DeToxRox]

Draft Thoughts: 2nd Round

Personally, I think we made our like bandits. I feel like we now have some great LB's for our system, with Ernie Sims, Connor and Mayo. Getting Connor lets us keep Mayo outside where he is better suited to play, and gives us that speed for an outside rush.

Jonathan Stewart falling was remarkable, as he was a guy I had pegged as a surefire first rounder. Durability is a concern, but I think if healthy he can be a stud.

Tracy Porter was actually our GM's suggestion, and since we need all the help we can get at DB, I don't mind making the pick. I hope he starts at Nickel for us this year, then moves into the other starting slot with Leigh Bodden when Brian Kelly leaves.

[DeToxRox]

3rd round

#76 Detroit Lions - DT Pat Sims (Auburn)

[DeToxRox]

4th Round

#108. DB Zach Bowman (Nebraska)

[DeToxRox]

5th Round

#139. WR Kevin Robinson (Utah State)

[DeToxRox]

7th Round

#201. QB Matt Flynn (LSU)

[DeToxRox]

Undrafted Free Agents

RB Xavier Omom
FB Carl Stewart
DT Nick Hayden
LOLB Marcus Howard
ROLB Harry Thompson

[DeToxRox]

Draft Pick Status

All our picks are signed! Time to check out the training camp roster.

[DeToxRox]

2008 Detroit Lions Training Camp Roster

QB

1. Jon Kitna (81)
2. Drew Stanton (63)
3. Matt Flynn (63)
4. David Greene (58)
5. Austin Craig (53)

RB

1. Deshawn Foster (82)
2. Ryan Moats (77)
3. Jonathan Stewart (75)
4. Brian Calhoun (75)
5. Xavier Omon (67)

FB

1. Eshaunte Cooper (87)
2. Carl Stewart (77)
3. Jon Bradley (62)

WR

1. Calvin Johnson (88)
2. Kevin Robinson (79)
3. Mike Furrey (78)
4. Jabar Gaffney (77)
5. Shaun McDonald (73)
6. Shaun Bodiford (58)

TE

1. Ben Troupe (75)
2. Dan Campbell (58)
3. John Owens (57)
4. Sean McHugh (55)

LT

1. Jeff Backus (85)
2. Nat Dorsey (80)

LG

1. Stacy Andrews (87)
2. Edwin Multialo (80)
3. Manny Ramirez (72)

C

1. Mike Flanagan (79)
2. Wade Smith (76)
3. Dominic Raiola (73)

RG

1. Chris Kuper (75)
2. Fred Matua (74)

RT

1. Jonathan Scott (83 OV)
2. Donald Guy (82 OV)
3. Rob Petitti (82 OV)

LE

1. Antwan Odom (88)
2. Jared DeVries (80)
3. Bobby Hamilton (79)
4. Ikaka Alama-Francis (75)

RE

1. Dwayne White (82)

DT

1. Nick Hayden (77)
2. Cory Redding (77)
3. Pat Sims (76)
4. Shaun Cody (74)
5. Dan Klecko (73)
6. Jesse Mahelona (62)

LOLB

1. Jerod Mayo (75)
2. Clark Haggans (71)
3. Marcus Howard (68)
4. Alex Lewis (65)

MLB

1. Paris Lenon (77)
2. Dan Connor (76)
3. Edwin Walker (71)
4. Dashon Polk (70)
5. Buster Davis (60)

ROLB

1. Ernie Sims (84)
2. Harry Thompson (64)
3. Anthony Cannon (62)

CB

1. Leigh Bodden (84)
2. Brian Kelly (77)
3. Tracy Porter (63)
4. Zach Bowman (61)
5. Dovonte Edwards (60)

FS

1. Gerald Alexander (78)
2. Dwight Smith (76)
3. Daniel Bullocks (70)
4. Dana Wheeler (68)

SS

1. Kenoy Kennedy (81)
2. Greg Blue (73)
3. Terrance Kiel (71)

K

1. Jason Hanson (83)

P

1. Nick Harris (84)

[DeToxRox]

Prepping for Preseason Game #1 vs Indy

Our gameplanning for the first game is strictly dealing with our rookies and their knowledge of the playbook.

We focus on Mayo, Stewart, Connor, Bowman, Robinson and Porter as the guys who need this the most.

We then set the depth chart for the game:

QB: Kitna, Stanton, Flynn
RB: Stewart, Foster, Moats
FB: Stewart, Bradley
WR: Johnson, Furrey, Gaffney, Robinson
TE: Troupe, Owens, McHugh
LT: Backus, Dorsey
LG: Andrews, Ramirez
C: Flanagan, Smith
RG: Mulitalo, Kuper
RT: Scott, Pettiti

LE: Odom, DeVries
RE: White, Hamilton
DT: Sims, Redding, Hayden, Cody
LOLB: Mayo, Haggans
MLB: Connor, Lenon
ROLB: Sims, Cannon
DB: Bodden, Kelly, Bowman, Porter
FS: Alexander, Smith
SS: Kennedy, Blue

KR: J. Stewart, Bowman
PR: J. Stewart

[DeToxRox]

Pre-season Game #1: Detroit vs Indianpolis

Detroit 5
Indianapolis 27

Our 1's and 2's played really hard tonight, keeping the game 6-3 at the half. Once the other guys came in though, the game was a lost cause, as we were outscored 21-2 in the second half. Still, I am excited about our LB's, they looked excellent today.

Offensively, we never got in a groove, and Indy controlled the ball for most of the game, but still, a couple guys looked good. It'll be a work in progress, but I think we can make some noise.

Stats of note:

QB Drew Stanton: 4 of 9 for 116 yards
RB Jonathan Stewart: 2 carries for 7 yards
DE Antwan Odom: 5 tackles, 2 TFL

Time to keep plugging along.

[DeToxRox]

Injury News

DB Brian Kelly suffers a sprained knee and will miss 3-5 weeks. This hurts as we're slim in the secondary as it is. We end up signing Dana Townshend as a camp body but chances are he'll make the team.

[DeToxRox]

Cut Day

We have to cut six guys today, to put us at 65 guys. It is easy at this point in time, and we trim some fat rather quickly:

OLB Harry Thompson
OLB Marcus Howard
TE Sean McHugh
MLB Buster Davis
DT Jesse Mahleona
FS Daniel Bullocks

[DeToxRox]

Preseason Wrap

I ended up playing a lot and not wanting to update, so anyway, I finished the pre-season with a lot of guys banged up, but no one hurt. We finished 0-4, but the games were pretty close. Our offense didn't do much but I didn't play a lot of first stringers long.

Going into the year, this is our 53 man roster, with depth chart:

QB

1. Kitna
2. Stanton
3. Flynn

RB

1. Stewart
2. Foster
3. Moats
4. Calhoun

FB

1. C. Stewart

WR

1. Johnson
2. Furrey
3. Robinson
4. Gaffney
5. McDonald

TE

1. Troupe
2. Owens

LT

1. Backus
2. Dorsey

LG

1. Andrews
2. Ramierez

C

1. Flanagan
2. Smith

RG

1. Mulitalo
2. Kuper

RT

1. Scott
2. Petitii

LE

1. Odom
2. DeVries

RE.

1. White
2. Hamilton

DT

1. Sims
2. Redding
3. Cody
4. Klecko
5. Hayden

LOLB

1. Mayo
2. Haggans

MLB

1. Connor
2. Walker

ROLB

1. Sims
2. Cannon

DB

1. Bodden
2. Kelly
3. Bowman
4. Edwards
5. Porter

FS

1. Alexander
2. Wheeler

SS

1. Kennedy
2, Blue

KR

1. Bowman
2. Robinson

PR

1. Bowman

[DeToxRox]

Week 1 vs Atlanta Pregame Notes

Sadly, the injury bug has dinged up a few guys and while they could play, I cannot chance it early, so our inactives for today are:

OLB Jerod Mayo
DB Brian Kelly
DE Dwayne White
DE Jared DeVries
QB Matt Flynn
RB DeShawn Foster
DT Nick Hayden

- Zach Boman starts at DB
- Bobby Hamilton starts at RDE
- Clark Haggans starts at LOLB

This could get ugly

[DeToxRox]

Week 1: Detroit @ Atlanta

Detroit 23
Atlanta 21

Whoa, what a bar burner! This game came down to the wire, and thanks to a 43 yard Billy Cundiff missed FG, we escape with a huge W to start the year.

Tied 0-0 after the first and mostly through the second, we hit a FG with 5:34 left in the half. The Trent Green lead Falcons though would charge down field, and on 2nd and goal at the 1, try a PA pass to Roddy White. Thankfully, Leigh Bodden stepped in front and picked sixed the pass 100 yards for the score! Then on the ensuing drive, another Green INT, this time by my backup MLB lead to Kitna hitting our rookie WR Kevin Robinson for an 18 yard TD to make it 17-0.

Atlanta would score on a TD pass late in the third, and then with our D reeling in the fourth, score twice more to take a 1 pt lead. Kitna however would drive us down the field, into FG range, where Jason Hanson nailed a 41 yarder to give us the lead.

Then, Atlanta with one last chance got all the way inside 30, before Cundiff pushes the ball right and we escape with a hard fought victory.

The stats today were:

Jon Kitna: 22/33 for 250 yards, 1 TD - 1 INT

Jonathan Stewart: 17 carries for 43 yards
Ryan Moates: 5 carries for 52 yards

Kevin Robinson: 6 catches for 98 yards, 1 TD
Ben Troupe: 5 carries for 56 yards
Calvin Johnson: 3 carries for 37 yards

Dan Connor: 15 tackles, 1 FF
Ernie Sims: 9 tackles, 1 TFL
Zack Bowman: 6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD
Antwan Odoms: 5 tackles, 2 TFL

For Atlanta ..

Trent Green: 22/34 for 309 yards, 1 TD - 2 INT

Michael Turner: 23 for 67, 2 TD

Joe Horn: 5 carries for 106 yards, 1 TD
Roddy White: 3 carries for 46 yards

We now take a day off to relax, before preparing for the Packers.

[DeToxRox]

Week 2 vs Green Bay (1-0) Pregame Notes

We start the week by doing some college scouting, looking at some big school QB's, as we know we are likely going to need one in this draft as our future QB. Hopefully Stanton or Flynn develope enough to make this less a concern but I am skeptical.

Then we breakdown some week one film of the Packers, and of course we're concerned with their passing attack, which we spend the week preparing for. We take a little time to check in on our passing game, in case it becomes a shootout, but we hope it doesn't make it to that point.

Setting our inactive list is once again easy this week, as sadly we still have quite a few guys our with injury. Therefore our inactives this week are:

RB Deshawn Foster
RB Jonathan Stewart (Was banged up in practice)
C Mike Flanagan
LE Jared DeVries
LOLB Jerod Mayo
DB Brian Kelly
RT Donald Guy
QB Matt Flynn

Only Guy and Flynn are truly healthy scratches.

Our lineup will look the same this week, except White will start at RDE.

[DeToxRox]

Week 2 vs Green Bay (1-0)

Green Bay 13
Detroit 6

Ugh this was one of the more frustrating games I've ever played. Our defense is so much better it's sick, but our offense looks really bad. We ended up losing 13-6, giving up 10 forth quarter points in the last eight minutes.

Our run game was non existant with Ryan Moats leading the way with 29 yards on 15 carries, while Brian Calhoun ran 6 times for 9 yards.

Passing the ball weren't much better, as Kitna was 8 for 21 for 134 yards and a pick.

Defensivley, Zach Bowman looked good again, with 7 tackles and an INT, while Dan Connor and Ernie Sims each had 6 tackles.

We now much put this behind us and see if we can get some guys back before a big game in San Francisco.

[DeToxRox]

Week 3 vs San Francisco (2-0) Pre-game Notes

- Playing the 49'ers is worrisome as Brian Kelly is still hurt, and all SF does is pass the ball. We practice all week solely on stopping the pass, but it could be a rough go of it.

- We go out and scout some big college LT's, as we'd love to improve our OL still in the 2009 draft. Right now though we aren't sure what needs are most pressing.

- We get amazing news the day before the game! Rookie LOLB Jerod Mayo is healthy and able to play, as are backs Jonathan Stewart and Deshaun Foster. Mayo will step into the starting role at LOLB today, with Stewart starting at RB.

We set our inactives before the game:

DB Brian Kelly (Injury)
C Mike Flanagan (Injury)
QB Matt Flynn
RB Brian Calhoun
RT Donald Guy
LE Ikakia Alama-Francis
DT Nick Hayden
ROLB Anthony Cannon

[DeToxRox]

I played a lot the last few days and haven't had time to update. Anyway, we now sit at 4-1 going into Houston to battle the Texans.

Our D keeps playing gritty football, and we can throw the ball. but the run game still bothers me. Because of this we plan on focusing more on the OL in the draft then initially thought.

[DeToxRox]

Week 7 Pregame Notes vs Houston

- Jonathan Stewart is hurt again so Ryan Moates starts in his place
- We spend time practicing for our run game
- We gameplan to stop the pass. Hopefully we can contain Andre Johnson
- We scout some big college LT's
- We set our inactives, it's the usual collection of misfits.

[DeToxRox]

Week 7 @ Houston

Houston 28
Detroit 7

Ugh. This is as forgetable game as I can recall. Kitna was awful, throwing 3 picks, two of them which ended up being returned for TD's. I pulled him and brought Stanton in, who provided a little spark but was still pretty useless. He ended up with two more picks giving us 5 on the day.

We saved face at least with an Antwan Odom fumble recovery for a TD. Again though, our D only had one bad drive. The other TD Houston scored was set up after a pick.

We need to fix this offense soon. Too much inconsistency. I can't wait till I grab me a new coordinator.