Detroit Lions season review

The Detroit Lions Need To Think Outside the Box

Well, the Detroit Lions finished 0 – 16. The question is where they go from here. It all starts at the top with the team’s legendary owner, William Clay Ford. Remember the old saying, you can not teach old dog new tricks? Well used to go for Ford, but no longer. He has already started their off season with a bang by thinking out side of the box. Here are a couple of things we will see the Lions do in response to their unforgettable season.

General Manager
The Lions have started things off wonderfully by looking inside for their new general manager, Martin Mayhew. The natural pick for this position is the former protégé of Matt Millen, who went 31 – 84. Not only did Ford give Mayhew the position, he did not waste any of the Lions money by flying in other candidates for interviews. Now that is a man who knows what he wants no matter what those in the business may say.

Offense
Everything starts on this side of the ball. Forget the fact that the Lions had the worst defense in the NFL in 2008. It does not matter that they gave up 32.3 points and 404.4 total yards per game. The Lions need change and it will start with the offense. The right choice for their new offense is the spread offense. Not only have we seen this style of play used effectively in the college ranks, NFL teams are starting to give it serious consideration. Look at how many teams tried to copy the Miami Dolphins. The Lions have the chance to be a trailblazer for once in the NFL and they should take the bull by the horns with this spread offense. If you can score more points than your opponents, you will win every time.

Coach
This is a tough one, especially when there are so many qualified coaches out there, like Mike Shanahan. But in the end, there is only one choice for the Lions as their next head coach, Rich Rodriguez, from the University of Michigan. Not only is he already living in the state of Michigan, he would be perfect to implement their new offense. From what I gather, Michigan fans might be upset if he left, but eventually they would get over it.

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Current Players
The Lions lacked some serious talent on both sides of the ball and starting positions will be up for grabs with the new offense. There is a player who the Lions may have the chance to pick up before the 2009 season if all things go as planned. Michael Vick. Vick would be the perfect addition to the offense, not just as a quarterback but when he lines up in the wide receiver position. He would have the chance to break Randy Moss’ single season touchdown record. And think about the endorsements the Lions can get. You would have PETA in a bidding war with Ford and anyone else who wants to peddle their wares in the new stadium. The only problem with this would be if Vick could find the right equipment to protect the ankle bracelet he will be wearing.

Draft
There is no question. The first pick of the 2009 NFL draft needs to be wide receiver Michael Crabtree. The Lions will need another receiver to play opposite Calvin Johnson. Besides, look at their success in the past. They made the right choice at receiver 1 out of 4 times. I like those odds. With their second pick first round pick of the draft, they will need to go after a quarterback. Though Dan Orlovsky and Daunte Culpepper offered some stability in 2008, they need to find a young arm to come in to test these two. The man they should choose is Tim Tebow. He would be the perfect fit with the new playbook of the offense and will become the new favorite of John Madden. The real gem for the Lions will be the 33 rd pick of the draft where they can select the replacement for their best player in 2008. The Lions can select Louie Sakoda from Utah to replace kicker Jason Hanson.

Uniform
The uniforms have remained the same since the beginnings, Honolulu Blue and Silver. The time has come for them to shed their old skins for new ones. Do not go the same direction as others teams have in recent years. Stay away from the darker colors, go for a brighter combination. Nothing says watch out here come the Lions like Pink and Brown, the new fad in clothing. It would only take one year before the Lions jersey is the top selling jersey in the NFL.

Motivation
The ultimate motivation would be to hire Matt Millen as the TV analyst for the Detroit Lions. By putting him in the booth, Millen will be forced to watch the Lions rise like a phoenix from the ashes. As long as the Lions are under his dictatorship, the fans in Detroit will still be able to live the dreams of dreams. To become repeat champions and go 0 – 16 one more time in 2009.

By JM Van Horn
ProFootball-fans.com Detroit Lions Correspondent