The Lions coaching search concluded last week when Jim Schwartz was announced as the team's next head coach. Schwartz had been the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans for the past 8 years. The Titans had a very solid defense for most of his time there. Schwartz also has experince in scouting and has worked with 2 of the best coaches in the NFL in Bill Belichik and Jeff Fischer.
Though Schwartz clearly has his work cut out for him, I believe that the Lions made a good hire here. It's almost impossible for an 0-16 team with a history of a completely inept front office to lure a big name, and Schwartz was the "best of the rest" so to speak (with the possible exception of Steve Spagnuolo, although some might put him in the "big name" category, too, even though he was an assistant). The thing I like best about Schwartz is that he has said that he will evaluate what he has and fit the scheme to the players that he has. I've been waiting for a Lions coach to say something like that for years. I am so tired of the stubborn coaches that they've hired. Rod Marinelli was in love with the Tampa 2 defense and pretty much refused to make any adjustments, even though they were far and away the worst defense in the league this year. The Tampa 2 was an absolute disaster and wasted what little talent the Lions had on defense. For example, they dumped Dre Bly for 2 Broncos cast-offs because he "didn't fit the scheme." Also, Leigh Bodden is clearly a better man-cover than zone-cover CB and was basically neutered by the Tampa 2. More examples of coaching stubbornness came from the previous coach, Steve Mariucci. Mooch's offense was incredibly outdated and conservative, yet it seemed like he was the only one who didn't realize that. Some people say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. I don't know if Jim Schwartz will be a successful head coach or not, but I do think that he will at least put a stop to the "insanity" that we have been witnessing from previous head coaches.
Draft talk
The NFL draft is going to start creeping up on us now. The playoffs are almost over, the Senior Bowl is this week, and the scouting combine is next month. Yeah, it's still 3 months away, but this is when the hype just starts to get good. The hype that you're going to hear over the next 3 months (from the national media, anyway) will probably have the Lions taking Matt Stafford, the QB from Georgia or Mark Sanchez, the QB from USC. This would be a big mistake, in my opinion. Mike Mayock, the respected NFL draft analyst for NFL Network, has stated that neither of those QBs is as NFL ready as Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco were going into the '08 draft. The Lions need to forget about drafting those guys. Don't draft a QB!
What the Lions really need with the #1 pick is an impact defensive player or a franchise left tackle (to replace the atrocious Jeff Backus). Is there a consensus #1 pick among these players? Not really. However, there are some pretty good choices. There's Andre Smith, LT from Alabama. He's regarded as the best LT in the draft by many, but is said to have problems controlling his weight. Michael Oher, LT from Ole Miss is another great prospect, but some are down on him because of an inconsistent Senior season. And then there's Eugene Monroe, LT from Virginia. He hasn't gotten much hype yet, but I expect that to change. He was the reason that highly regarded OL prospect from '08 Branden Albert was moved from LT to LG. The guy that I'm starting to lean towards, though, is Aaron Curry, the LB from Wake Forest. Curry would be a real impact player. Mike Mayock has him rated as the best Senior in the draft and said that he basically has no holes in his game. He can stop the run, does well in pass coverage, and can rush the passer. He also has enough size and speed to make him a versatile player, too. He can play inside or outside and can play in a 3-4 or a 4-3 scheme. A lot can change in the 3 months leading up to the draft, but right now I'd make Curry the pick if I were the Lions (of course I would try to trade down first...and likely not get any takers). Hopefully we'll have some good draft and free agency news to discuss when the Super Bowl is over.
Thanks for reading,
Greg
