Marinelli speaks, Rivers visits, Lions “paint hole”

By Os Davis  |   Thursday, April 17, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Detroit Lions
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Presumably bored from a lack of activity during the offseason, Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli took time out recently to detail his team’s draft plans to the Detroit Free-Press. Freely listed in the pages of the newspaper and Web site for all to read was a list of 10 players on which the Lions will be focusing.

After telling the non-NBA caring public at large (and, it should be noted, the NFL competition) that the Lions would be focusing on four areas – DE, LB, OT and RB – Marinelli and columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika went on to name names, specifically:

• Defensive end: Florida's Derrick Harvey; McNeese State's Bryan Smith.
• Linebacker: Oklahoma's Curtis Lofton; Tennessee's Jerod Mayo; Purdue's Cliff Avril.
• Offensive tackle: Vanderbilt's Chris Williams; Boston College's Gosder Cherilus; Kansas' Anthony Collins.
• Running back: Central Florida's Kevin Smith; Tulane's Matt Forte.

While such a list is a boon to mock draft-makers (since this prognosticator had the Lions taking Jeff Otah – stupid, stupid; he fits a real need – perhaps RealFootball365 will be making adjustments as well), surely Marinelli shouldn’t have tipped his hand, should he?

Lions forums seem to be divided on the matter, with roughly half of the opinion that such guts-spilling is irrelevant, while the other half mostly sees the move as one of a dunderhead: What other team reveals fully one-third of all prospects it is allowed to personally interview before the draft? What’s next, Rod? Revelation of the results of said interviews?

The good news here is that at least for Round 1, Marinelli’s loose lips may not matter. USC LB Keith Rivers himself blogged up his trip to the team's facilities (making him an 11th player for Cotsonika’s list) optimistically, stating that “Detroit really impressed me. The players enjoy being there. It was kind of like when I first came to USC to visit. Everyone was so upbeat and working hard. The Lions are going to turn the corner you could just feel it.”

Of course, New England Patriots compound" target="_new">Rivers also visited the New England Patriots compound a few days earlier and commented mostly on the “winning environment.” The Patriots draft eight spots higher than the Lions and are, in general, quite a bit, um, craftier on draft weekend. Cotsonika postulates that “The Lions don't want to give up picks ... and they hope to land at least four players who can contribute immediately and others who can develop,” “the Lions will consider making a trade to move up and snag someone.”

Marinelli adds that he – so far – wants to keep his five picks in the first four rounds (I think that’s what he’s saying anyway): “You're hoping if you do it good, if I lead this thing correctly, you'd like to say there's four guys that can come in and impact your team. And if we really doing it, that fourth round, that's five guys. And then the other guys make your team, if we're on it."

Now there’s a nightmare scenario for Detroit fans beyond taking another washout skill-position player: “The Lions will consider making a trade to move up and snag someone. President Matt Millen has been an active trader in the past.” Imagine what kind of deal Millen could make with Patriots to move up to the No. 7 pick in order to prevent Rivers landing with, say, the Carolina Panthers at No. 13 ...

Freedom of the press is one thing, but this writer opines that Marinelli probably should have muzzled himself on this one. Said Millen at the beginning of the month, “I think what we’ve done is, we haven’t painted ourselves into a hole, draft-wise.”

One wonders what he thinks now.

Painting a hole to stop our minds from wandering throughout the year at RealFootball365.com
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's ...
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