0-16? Really?....

There is more to the NFL than the NY Jets and this has been an interesting off-season all around.

I was amazed and fascinated by the Detroit Lions and their 0-16 season.  I am a believer in the parity of this league and I don't think there is much that separates the Super-bowl champion and the team with the worst record. This is a league full of talent and  the players have a lot of pride. Because of this I always thought that if a team was staring at a possible 0-16 season they would dig deep and pull out at least one win late in the season, like the Jets of 1996 or the Dolphins of 2007. 

However, looking at the Lions roster from last year you really had to question their desire to win. The team seemed more interested in keeping salaries down and have Calvin Johnson, maybe the best WR in the league, in career prison much like Barry Sanders a generation before him. 

Last  year was an embarrassment to a franchise that hasn't won a playoff game since 1991, and hasn't been to the post season in a decade. They have only made the playoffs 14 times in their 70+ year history and most of those appearances came in the 50's and a few in the 90's. They are one of only 5 teams to never make it to a Super-bowl. 

All that being said, I really like some of the players on their roster this year. Stafford went #1 overall and I will be surprised if he can really contribute anytime soon. Stafford is the future. The present is made up of names like Calvin Johnson, and Kevin Smith.  Johnson had a remarkable 1300 yards and 12 TD's last year while playing with about 20 different QB's. That was such an over looked performance last year. The stuff Barry Sanders did single handedly as a RB was amazing but to have a season like Calvin did in 08' as a WR is crazy!  

Kevin Smith was a 3rd round pick who put up over 1200 all purpose yards 8 TD's, and one lost fumble in 238 carries. He is the real deal and gives their backfield an identity. Maurice Morris will also play a big role carrying the rock for the Lions in 09'. 

Their D-line is an interesting group, Corey Smith, Grady Jackson, Cliff Avil, and Ikaika Alma-Fancis are a hard nosed squad. Big fast gritty DE's who can get to the QB and stop the run are hard to find. Any one of these guys would fit the Jets sooo well.  They are deep on the D-line. I also like their LB's Julian Peterson, and Ernie Sims. 

Pettigrew their other 1st round pick should make a decent contribution his rookie year.  I wasn't interested in Pettigrew coming to the Jets, but he fits the Lions well and was a nice value in the second half of the 1st round. They also have depth at WR signing FA WR Bryant Johnson. 

Jason Hanson is a good kicker with a big leg. Their special teams has potential this year. They took a 1st round offensive tackle Gosder Cherilius (Gosder? wasn't that the name of the bad guy the Ghost Busters fought at the end of the movie???) in the 08' draft but the rest of that O-line is weak. Their secondary is a big question mark as well. They will be facing Jay Cutler and Aron Rodgers in their division this year and maybe even the return of Favre if the Vikings can convince him to un-retire..... again. I hope someone can step up in that no name secondary. 

Obviously they are a work in progress. With Jeff Fishers right hand man Jim Schwartz taking over as head coach and NFC North veteran QB Daunte Culpepper as the starter they might actually win a game this year!

They have a new logo, new uniforms, new HC, and a new face of the franchise...  Matthew Stafford. They have also dumped Matt Millen the most clueless executive I have ever seen in professional sports. Think positive Lions fans, they can't do any worse than 0-16. And think positive Jets fans, at least we were 1-15(1996)... we didn't put up a donut. 

J.Wagner