Who will be the Lions’ slot receiver?

By Krupka  |   Tuesday, May 23, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Detroit Lions
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This offseason, in order to help improve an anemic offense, the Detroit Lions brought in former St. Louis Rams head coach Mike Martz to be the offensive coordinator. A staple of Martz' high-powered offense has always been the passing game. Within the passing game, a position he has always keyed on is the slot receiver. Currently, there are a couple candidates on the Lions that could fit that role. Additionally, the organization has looked to the free agent market, which is bare at the moment, but come June 1 could prove to be a viable option.

The Lions chose receivers in the first round of the draft in three consecutive years, which have helped them stockpile talent at the position. In 2003 they drafted the often-injured Charles Rogers. Then 2004 saw them draft the physical Roy Williams. Once again in 2005 they drafted a receiver, Mike Williams.

When evaluating these three receivers, Roy Williams by far stands out as the best. He looks to be a franchise wideout to build around. Rogers has a knack for being injured, and for all intents and purposes shouldn't be counted on for anything. Of the three first-rounders, he fits in best at the slot position. The other Williams--Mike--was out of shape and slow last year. Some have him pegged as a prime target to switch to the tight end position.

Last season, receiver Scottie Vines bolted up the depth chart and is at the present time expected to start opposite of Roy Williams. Vines is a dime a dozen receiver, and will probably be overtaken before the season, or at some point during the season by one of the many receivers on the roster.

This offseason, the Lions added speedster Corey Bradford from the Houston Texans. Bradford was once a highly-touted receiver thought to have great potential. Unfortunately, he hasn't yet lived up to it. However, he has game-breaking speed and could flourish under Martz's offensive scheme. He is an ideal fit for the aforementioned slot receiver position.

Another option could be kick and punt return specialist Eddie Drummond. The coaching staff thought that he would be an ideal slot receiver in Martz's offense, but his poor performances in offseason workouts have turned them off to the idea.

An intriguing option that the coaching staff has been toying with is, the idea of using rookie running back Brian Calhoun in the slot. The Wisconsin product has tremendous speed (4.38 at Wisconsin Pro Day) and great hands. If he were to take this role, he could be utilized similarly to how Martz used Calhoun's idol, Marshall Faulk, in St. Louis.

As recently as a few days ago, the Lions brought in receiver Az-Zahir Hakim for a visit and physical. Hakim had great success as a slot receiver with Martz in St. Louis. He left the Rams and signed with the Lions in 2002. He never had the same success since leaving Martz, and received the nickname "stone hands" for his propensity to drop passes in his tenure with the Lions (2002-2004). He spent the 2005 season with the Saints and had an average year. General manager Matt Millen has said that the team is unlikely to sign him, though.

If the team becomes intent on filling the position from outside the organization, Washington Redskins receiver David Patten could be an option. Patten is likely to be a June 1 roster cut, and could be had for a cheap price.

The best two options seem to be Bradford or Calhoun, with Mr. Rogers a close third. With Martz being a unique and gifted offensive coordinator, look for him to mold one of the three into a viable playmaker at the slot position.

Get more Detroit Lions insights at Realfootball365.com

Eric Krupka can be reached at ekrupka@realfootball365.com
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