Detroit Lions Season/Draft Preview

While there are so many good things going on in sports right now, I would like to take a look a one thing that has always left a little hole in my heart, Lions football. The Lions have not had a winning season in 8 years and with some of the moves they are making it looks like they might be able to stretch it to 9, hell chances look so good I'll settle for another less than 10 loss season. While Rod Marinelli believes he can get another five years to build through the draft, it looks like he might be out before then. Before I get too down on the Lions and start looking for a cliff to jump off of let's take a look at the Lions position by position roundup.

Today, Its offensive skill players.
QB: Jon Kitna,Dan Orlovsky, Drew Stanton
Relatively one of the stronger units on the team. You've got an aging starter who's got God on his side. A back-up who's biggest accomplishment in his pro career is leading his team to the 3-yard line and not scoring. A third-stringer touted as the future, even though at the Senior Bowl couldn't throw a spiral. I expect Kitna to play 12 games, but because of age and the Offensive Line (we'll get to that later) he'll get knocked around too much to remember at least what will add up to one whole game. No one has seen enough of Orlovsky or Stanton to really give them a grade, but we'll go with they would be no worse than JP Losman if they were forced to start.
QB Grade:B-

RB:Tatum Bell, Brian Calhoun, Aveion Cason, Jon Bradley
The lions running back corps is looking for more people to throw into the rotation as they got rid of the two most productive backs they have had in the past 3 years(T.J. Duckett and Kevin Jones). After demanding a trade and then seeing his competition gone, he is back to carry the load he should've after the trade from the broncos last year. Brian Calhoun is one fast little guy, at least that's what I know from Madden football. No one else knows because he hasn't been on the field enough in his two seasons as he has only been on the active roster for 11 of 32 games.
This is definitely and area that will need to be addressed during the draft because the Lions have taken a couple of swings and misses on the free agent market.
RB Grade:C-

WR:Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Mike Furrey, Shaun McDonald, Reggie Ball, Ron Bellamy, Brandon Middleton, John Standeford
The Lions love them some Wide Receivers, don't they? With an expected and unreasonable shift towards the running game this season, look for all of these guys to have down years. I wouldn't be surprised if somehow Matt Millen decides to get rid of one of these guys for a couple of Draft Picks, help in the trenches, or a RB. I really can't say anything bad about this WR corps. They don't drop that many passes, it just seems like they only drop them when a win is on the line.
WR Grade:B+

TE:Dan Campbell, Casey Fitzsimmons, Michael Gaines, Sean McHugh, John Owens, Clark Harris
The Lions brought in Michael Gaines this year as a probable blocking tight end. These guys haven't gotten much action the past couple of years with Mike Martz at the helm. Noe that Jim Coletto is here, get ready for a couple of small breakout seasons form Gaines and Fitzsimmons. They won't be elite tight ends, but they will be good targets on play action fakes that the lions will need to run.
TE Grade:C

In the next edition: The Trenches and Special Teams