On Detroit’s offseason moves: The offense

By Os Davis  |   Wednesday, June 11, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Detroit Lions
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Another offseason, another wad of roster shuffling by Matt Millen and his Detroit Lions. Because the Lions are (presumably) mostly finished wheeling and dealing, RealFootball365.com takes a look at the moves made in early 2008. Today, the major deals on offense come under scrutiny.

Quarterback.
In: Drew Stanton (from IR).
Out: J.T. O’Sullivan.

Gee, so O’Sullivan wasn’t spectacular in a pinch when Jon Kitna went down in Week 2 last season at 13-of-24 passing for 148 yards, one TD, two interceptions and three sacks, but you’d figure that after a respectable turn in NFL Europa’s final season plus merely keeping the Lions in the game against the Vikings would be enough to keep him around. Somebody must be really high on Dan Orlovsky. Or just really high.

It’s nice for Lions fans to see the return of the promising Stanton after a rookie season on injured reserve, but the truth is after Kitna took over 97 percent of snaps the past two seasons (and exactly 100 percent in 2006), no backup will be able to run this offense smoothly in an emergency situation.

Running backs.
In: Tatum Bell, Aveion Cason.
Out: T.J. Duckett, Kevin Jones.

What, the T.J. Duckett era is over in Detroit? Seriously, though, the Lions' running game has an excellent chance at improvement with these moves and not merely because of its woeful state in 2007 (31st in yardage, dead last in attempts, Jones the individual statistical leader with 581 yards). After falling victim to a bait-and-switch move by Millen & Co. which had the Lions signing Bell for big bucks, Bell performing impressively in camps with a mind focused on starting, only to be replaced by the frail Jones and forced to sit out the final 10 games.

Unfortunately, this improvement will certainly be short-lived. Bell re-upped for a single season, clearly knowing the Lions’ thinness at the position would force them to put Bell at No. 1, and will surely be motivated to prove the doubters wrong. Enjoy him while he lasts, though, Motor City, because it says here that Bell’ll get plenty of bids on the free-agent market in 2009.

Good call on Jerome Felton in the draft, too. Potentially a steal at No. 146 overall, out of Furman, Felton was one of six fullbacks invited to the combine and the biggest of the lot at 6 feet, 247 pounds. Felton could give the Lions a power running game like Detroit hasn’t seen in ... well, in a long time. Figure Felton to be starting in Week 1.

Wide receivers and tight ends.
In: Michael Gaines, John Owens.
Out: Needlessly messing with the receiving corps.

Whoa, can this be? No major changes to receiving corps? Millen left well enough alone? And two tight ends re-signed? Nicely done. (Now, if only Gaines and Owens could improve their blocking ability a bit ...)

Offensive line.
In: George Foster.
Out: Stephen Peterman, Blaine Saipaia, Damien Woody.

Of all the dead Detroit horses to beat, this one’s the deadest. In an age when line play is better than at any point in history – as evidence, consider the O-linemen of the contemporary New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts alone; also, look out for the Green Bay Packers’ this year or next – Detroit inexplicably sticks with a beyond-mediocre bunch up front that’s given up (yes, that number’s coming again) 115 sacks, 112 of those bestowed on Kitna.

Enter Gosder Cherilus. Fortunately falling into Detroit’s laps at No. 17 on draft Saturday, Cherilus is already giving some good vibes in camp, at least according to Lomas Brown, former first-round Detroit draft pick and Cherilus’ informal tutor. Sure to start at right tackle from Day 1 and working in tandem with Bell, Fulton and a couple of speedsters on the wing at receiver, Cherilus is going to have the Lions going to the right more often than John McCain in 2008.

Though Cherilus is hardly the one-man solution to all of Detroit’s problems on offense and on the line, he is a figurehead for some real improvement undergone in Motor City football for 2008. Unlike the mostly stagnant (and possibly even negative overall) offseason for the defense, the offense may start to show hints of a top-tier unit.

Of course, then there’s 2009 to worry about ...

Lovin' the Lions (and the other 31 franchises) 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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