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Detroit’s defense, or lackthereof, has played a huge role in the team’s losing ways. In fact, the Lions ranked last in average yards and points allowed over the past two seasons.
The Silver and Blue’s 0-16 record last season was punctuated by the fact that its defensive unit surrendered 517 points the second most in the history of the NFL.
New head coach Jim Schwartz and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham are working feverishly on changing the unit’s losing culture. But nobody said it’s going to easy.
“I think it’s a process of understanding what they were asked to do, what we’re asking them to do, and evaluating them athletically and in the meeting rooms,” said Cunningham. “So it’s a combination of a lot of things.
“You know America, when they got McDonald’s hamburgers, everything became easy. Our job is supposed to be that we have the answers in 12 hours. But this is a process all the way through camp and preseason.”
OFFENSE
 Quarterbacks: While number-one overall pick Matthew Stafford is the talk of the town, he’ll most likely have to wait his turn to lead the offense behind Daunte Culpepper. The 32-year-old veteran has lost a considerable amount of weight in the offseason after tipping the scales at close to 300 pounds in 2008. Although he’s neither as durable nor athletic as he was in prior years, Culpepper stills throws a pretty-looking deep ball. The injury-prone Drew Stanton is firmly entrenched as the team’s third-string signal caller.
Running Backs: Look for second-year pro Kevin Smith to continue being the bell cow of the Silver and Blue running attack. Although Smith just barely missed gaining 1,000 rushing yards, he’s currently working on strengthening his lower to body to be better able to break tackles in offensive coordinator Scott Linehan’s power running scheme. The promising back is equally determined to become more of a factor as a pass catcher. The shifty Maurice Morris will backup Smith, while Terrelle Smith will duke it out with Jerome Felton for the starting fullback position. Felton is a heady player who has much better hands than the limited Smith coming out of the backfield.
Wide Receiver: Calvin Johnson developed as a top-five receiver last season by dominating the competition to the tune of 1,331 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Johnson continued to excel despite getting little to no help from his surrounding offense. Although none of the other wide outs on Detroit’s roster come close to matching Johnson’s combination of size, speed, and agility, the inconsistent Bryant Johnson is an upgrade over Shaun McDonald and Mike Furrey, who are no longer with the team. Whereas the former 49er tends to disappear, fellow newcomer Ronald Curry had an agonizing time holding on to the ball last season as a Raider despite being a smooth route runner. Curry will primarily be used in the slot. The underwhelming Keary Colbert and rookie Derrick Williams round out the receiver corps.
Tight End: First-round pick Brandon Pettigrew should see immediate action thanks to his ability to sustain blocks and soft hands in the passing game. The rookie replaces Michael Gaines, who’ll serve as a blocking tight end for the Chicago Bears. Pettigrew is the sort of big, sturdy athlete who’s tough enough to fight off linebackers when making catches over the middle. Backup Casey FitzSimmons is known as a special teams player with decent hands, but poor blocking skills. Free agent acquisition Will Heller is a 6’6” 270-pound mauler, who won’t be a factor catching the ball, but can get open for the occasional short touchdown toss.
Offensive Line: Ninth-year left tackle Jeff Backus anchors a shaky line composed mostly of young and unproven players. The Michigan product does a good job of keeping most pass rushers at bay, but has never overcome his error-prone ways. Right tackle Gosder Cherilus is still a work in progress, who must improve his footwork. Center Dominic Raiola is a smart and mobile center. His falloff in play last season can partially be attributed to a fractured thumb he suffered early in the year. Detroit’s guards are unimpressive. It’s hard to envision them creating inviting running lanes on a consistent basis.
DEPTH CHART
| 26 |
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| 27 |
 |
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| 28 |
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FS |
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SS |
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| 29 |
CB |
GERALD ALEXANDER |
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SLB |
MLB |
WLB |
DANIEL BULLOCKS |
CB |
| 30 |
BRIAN KELLY |
KALVIN PEARSON |
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LARRY FOOTE |
JULIAN PETERSON |
ERNIE SIMS |
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ERIC KING |
| 31 |
KEITH SMITH |
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R.NECE/A.DOWNEY |
PARIS LENON |
GILBERT GARDNER |
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ANTHONY HENRY |
| 32 |
PHILLIP BUCHANON |
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DEANDRE LEVY |
J.DIZON/C.SPENCER |
ZACK FOLLETT |
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LOUIS DEIMAS |
| 33 |
K |
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LDE |
LNT |
RNT |
RDE |
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| 34 |
JASON HANSON |
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JARED DEVRIES |
GRADY JACKSON |
LANDON COHEN |
DEWAYNE WHITE |
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| 35 |
SWAYZE WALTERS |
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IKAIKA ALAMA-FRANCIS |
CHUCK DARBY |
SAMMIE HILL |
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| 36 |
P |
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CLIFF AVRIL |
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JOHN GILL |
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| 37 |
NICK HARRIS |
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| 38 |
COACH |
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| 39 |
JIM SCHWARTZ |
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| 40 |
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| 41 |
WR |
LT |
LG |
C |
RG |
RT |
TE |
WR |
| 42 |
BRYANT JOHNSON |
JEFF BACKUS |
MANNY RAMIREZ |
DOMINIC RAIOLA |
STEPHEN PETERMAN |
GEORGE FOSTER |
MICHAEL GAINES |
CALVIN JOHNSON |
| 43 |
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DAMION COOK |
DANIEL LOPER |
ANDY MCCOLLUM |
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GOSDER CHERILUS |
CASEY FITZSIMMONS |
RONALD CURRY |
| 44 |
KEARY COLBERT |
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DAN GERBERRY |
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LYDON MURTHA |
WILL HELLER |
DERRICK WILLIAMS |
| 45 |
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FB |
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QB |
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RB |
BRANDON PETTIGREW |
D.J. BOLDIN |
| 46 |
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JEROME FELTON |
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DAUNTE CULPEPPER |
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KEVIN SMITH |
DAN GRONKOWSKI |
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| 47 |
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TERRELLE SMITH |
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DREW STANTON |
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AARON BROWN |
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| 48 |
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MATTHEW STAFFORD |
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MAURICE MORRIS |
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| 49 |
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AVIEN CASON |
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| 50 |
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| 51 |
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DEFENSE
Defensive Line: Head coach Jim Schwartz and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham will ask their ends to be versatile enough to line up wide and funnel plays inside. Left end Dwayne White, who led Detroit with 6.5 sacks, brings some quickness and tenacity to the defense, while Jared DeVries is a high-effort defender who doesn’t make many plays. Cliff Avril, on the other hand, is an ultra-athletic force that can get to the quarterback and force turnovers. At defensive tackle, new addition Grady Jackson might be 35 and grossly overweight, but he’s a master at fighting off blocks as a designated run stuffer. The smaller Chuck Darby doesn’t have much left in the tank, which creates an opportunity for players like Andre Fluellen and Ikaika Alama-Francis to emerge.
Linebacker: Detroit’s offseason trade of Cory Redding plus a fifth-round pick for Julian Peterson gives the Lions a long pass-rushing threat, who’s also a menacing tackler that can drop into coverage. The Michigan State product joins forces with weakside backer Ernie Sims, who’ll be asked to be more aggressive and attack the line of scrimmage now that he’s no longer being held back by Rod Marinelli’s Cover-Two scheme. Former Steeler Larry Foote should easily beat out rookie DeAndre Levy for the staring middle linebacker spot. Foote is a fine penetrating run specialist as long as he’s adequately protected. Second-year man Jordon Dizon has the instincts and physical skills to be used as a nickel backer.
 Secondary: The fact that Detroit’s ineffective defensive backfield produced only four interceptions necessitated the acquisitions of free-agent veterans Anthony Henry, Phillip Buchanon, and Eric King. Henry is better suited to line up at safety at this point of his career. The 6’1” defender is a physical player with good ball skills. Buchanon is a speedy corner who’s the early favorite to win a starting role. The one-time Raider, however, is a better Cover-Two man than bump-and-run type. King is a former Titan expected to help acquaint his teammates to Schwartz’s way of doing things. He may be asked to start even though he was primarily used in nickel and dime packages in Tennessee. Safety Gerald Alexander is trying to come back from a fractured vertebrae he suffered last October. Despite the offseason additions, this defensive backfield has the look of a patchwork group.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The 39-year-old placekicker Jason Hanson continues to astound by going eight-for-eight on field goals from 50 yards and beyond last season. Punter Nic Harris posted a healthy 43.9-yard punting average with 24 punts landing inside the 20 yard line. The Lions, however, are in desperate need of playmakers in the return game as neither Adam Jennings nor Aveion Cason have yet to show any game-breaking skills.
DETROIT LIONS OFF-SEASON TRANSACTIONS
Acquired
RB Maurice Morris
RB Terrelle Smith
WR Bryant Johnson
TE Will Heller
T Daniel Loper
DT Grady Jackson
LB Julian Peterson (trade)
LB Cody Spencer
CB Anthony Henry (trade)
CB Phillip Buchanon
CB Eric King
Drafted
QB Matthew Stafford, Stanford
RB Aaron Brown, TCU
WR Derrick Williams, Penn State
TE Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State
TE Dan Gronkowski, Maryland
OT Lydon Murtha, Nebraska
DT Sammie Lee Hill, Stillman
LB DeAndre Levy, Wisconsin
LB Zach Follett, California
DB Louis Delmas, Western Michigan
Re-signed
RB Aveion Cason
WR Keary Colbert
G Damion Cook
T George Foster
Undrafted Free Agents
WR D.J. Boldin, Wake Forest
C Dan Gerberry Ball State
DT John Gill, Northwestern
LB Andrew Downey, Maine
K Swayze Waters, Alabama-Birmingham
Departures
QB Drew Henson (released)
QB Jon Kitna (traded)
QB Dan Orlovsky: UFA Texans; $9.15M/3 yrs, $2.4M SB
RB Brian Calhoun (released/failed physical)
FB Moran Norris: UFA 49ers; $5M/3 yrs, $1.5M SB
WR Shaun McDonald: UFA Steelers; 1 yr, terms unknown
WR Mike Furrey (released)
WR Travis Taylor (released)
OG Edwin Mulitalo (released)
OL Jon Dunn (released/failed physical)
TE Michael Gaines (released)
TE Dan Campbell (released)
TE John Owens: UFA Seahawks; terms unknown
DT Cory Redding (traded)
DT Shaun Cody: UFA Texans; 3 yrs, terms unknown
DE Corey Smith: UFA (presumed deceased in boating accident)
LB Anthony Cannon (released/failed physical)
CB Leigh Bodden (released)
CB Travis Fisher (released)
S Dwight Smith (released/failed physical)
Unsigned
RB Rudi Johnson
C Andy McCollum
DT Langston Moore
DT Shemiah LeGrande (not tendered as ERFA)
LB Ryan Nece
LB Paris Lenon
CB Stanley Wilson
PROJECTION
It’s going to take more than a year to reverse the fortunes of a winless team that is too weak in the trenches to be successful in 2009. Coach Schwartz is still in the process of weeding out the players who won’t help him win. The Lions’ projected record is 4-12.
Bo Marchionte also contributed to this report
Photo Credit: GS Photo, SEC Sports Media
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