Lions set to fire Martz, hire Kippy Brown as OC?

In this article on ESPN.com, obviously there's more to the firing of Mike Martz than just rumor. How this gets out before the last game I'll never know, but it must have come from Martz's (agent) end. Kippy Brown has been an offensive coordinator before, for the Miami Dolphins in 1998 and 1999 seasons under Jimmie Johnson. This sort of information should not get out until the day after the last game, as it benefits nobody.

Jamaal Charles...

Sure looked like a top back who is NFL ready in Texas's win over Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl. ASU looked horrible, and Texas looked good, especially when running the ball. Charles should come out now, and he should be a first round pick.

Tiger thoughts...

Looking at Yorman Bazardo short term, he makes sense as a seventh inning replacement for Joel Zumaya, although long term, he'd fit into the rotation pretty well. With all of the trades the Tigers have made this off-season, Bazardo is one of the few rotation choices they have. I'd also hope he would get spot starts should the situation arrive this year. This is great value for trading Jeff Frazier a year ago.

Updated selection order...

If the draft was held today, the Lions would pick 17th. If they beat the Packers in week 17, they could pick as high as 19th; and if they lose they could pick as high as 13th.

There are also rumors that Mike Martz is on his way out of Detroit. If this is true, Rod Marinelli needs to look around the league for someone experienced enough to handle the offense, yet talented enough to make a difference. Hue Jackson of the Atlanta Falcons is sure to be a top candidate, since he and Rod Marinelli have a long history together. If the Lions have a young star in the making, ala Josh McDaniel/Jason Garrett type, I'd suggest current QB coach Adam Gase.

Kevin Jones injury front...

Well, it happened again. Kevin Jones got injured at the end of the first half, a torn ACL. My first reaction was that it looked like it would be a broken leg, which might have been a better case scenario. He's looking at 8-10 months of recovery time, which would face him squarely in the same position as he was this year. He'll probably be on PUP during training camp, so the Lions need to be looking at free agent running backs, and running backs in the draft. As luck would have it, it's a decent year for running backs, and the Lions need to look at that position long term, instead of just a short-term fix. I'd love to have Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart in the 2nd round; he's the type of back who would do well in the Lions system. The first round is not a consideration for RB. The Lions need a corner or a pass rusher.

My thoughts on Lions putting Roy on IR...

I have no problems with the Lions putting Roy on IR, and signing rookie LB Buster Davis from the practice squad, but I don't know if this will accomplish much, either. I only see Davis as a possible help on special teams, which has been horrible, so no risk there. The Lions also get to use Calvin Johnson more, but he needs to stay on his feet, and improve his overall awareness. His rookie year has been disappointing, but he's still a very good pick. WR's that big and fast don't come around often, and most rookie receivers struggle.

Draft...

As of today (December 21st, 2007), the Lions have the 14th pick in the draft. The best they can do is pick 9th, since the Raiders are at #8 at 4-10, and mathematically the Lions won't draft ahead of them. This is a good thing this year. There is some nice depth at corner, but we'll have to wait on times from the combine on that. Not a good year for pass rushers, which is a huge need for the Lions. According to the Football Outsiders DVOA (Defense-Adjusted Value over Average) in rankings of Defense vs. Types of receivers, the Lions rank 26th in the league vs. #1 receivers and #2 receivers; and #32 vs Running Backs. The Lions must improve in their defense vs. the opposing QB's first read is what it boils down to. The Lions run defense was exposed with their porous effort vs. San Diego, who is lacking any WR threats. That game was very similar to the Minnesota and Philadelphia losses which were blowouts. All three games were on the road, yet stick out as why the Lions are a bad team.

New blog...

I'm ready for a new blog. No restrictions, but I'll keep it to mostly Lions/Tigers issues. The Tigers just signed Dontrelle Willis to a three year deal for 29 million. Great contract that gives the Tigers flexibility. Dontrelle had a bad year last year, and his K/BB numbers prior to that were less than ideal, but he still has upside at only 25. I'm also excited that he'll make an impact in the community, as seen yesterday when he came to Detroit to sign his deal. Terry Foster had a great story about the kind of impact D-Train can have in this city, and that is important. On the Lions side, their season is over, except for two meaningless games against the Chiefs and Packers. They have plenty of work to do. Draft preparation is well under way, but I'll try and get a good look at as many Bowl games as possible. Also, they are well under the cap next year, and can shave much more money than is already showing when Foster/Bell void out of their deals.
-DH