GMart's Lions Blog 03-05-09

Well, the first week of free agency has come and gone. So how have the Lions done so far? I wouldn't necessarily say that they've done a "great" job or that I "love" what they've done. However, I do think they've made some solid moves and I really do like their approach thus far.

When you're a team full of holes, you can't just go blowing all of your salary cap money on a couple of guys (a la Daniel Snyder's Redskins). You have to sign a bunch of guys and be careful not to overpay for them. That can be tough when you're coming off an 0-16 season - not too many guys are going to want to play for you unless you grossly overpay for their services. So taking those things into consideration, the Lions have actually done pretty well to get some quality free agents without over-paying. Some past examples of the Lions over-paying for free agents? Damien Woody, Fernando Bryant, Az Hakim. Blech. I'll give them credit for one good one, though - Dre Bly. That one did work out until he was eventually "Lionized." So, onto the moves.....

RB Maurice Morris - Morris signed for 3 yrs at just under 7 mil. He will be the backup RB and should also pickup 5-10 carries a game spelling Kevin Smith. He had rushed for over 500 yards 3 years in a row for Seattle and averaged 4.3 ypc last season. I would consider him an upgrade over the plodding Rudi Johnson.

WR Bryant Johnson - Johnson signed with the Lions for 9 mil over 3 yrs. He's a former 1st rounder who hasn't quite lived up to the hype. However, he's a steady player who has caught over 40 passes 5 years in a row. At 6' 3", he's an example of how Schwartz wants to build a bigger team. From that standpoint, he's an improvement over Shuan McDonald, who is built for the Mike Martz system of putting up meaningless stats.

CB Eric King - King signed for 4 mil over 2 yrs. He came from the Titans and therefore knows Schwartz. He's probably a nickel/dime back/special teamer. Honestly, I don't know much about the guy.

CB/S Anthony Henry - Henry was acquired for Jon INTna. Good deal. Though he's 32 and might be better suited for safety than CB at this point of his career, he was a very solid player for Dallas and a veteran leader who can help a pathetic secondary. Plus, getting anything for Kitna was a steal.

DT Grady Jackson - Grady was inked to a 3 yr 8 mil deal. Unfortunately, he's 36 and probably doesn't have much left. He's a perfect stop-gap for the Lions, though. He is so massive that he requires a double team, so he's a solid player on run downs. Again, another example of Schwartz's desire to get this team bigger.

CB Phillip Buchanon - Phillip signed for 8.5 mil over 2 yrs. Another good move to bolster the defensive backfield. Right now, he's their #1 CB. While ideally I think he should be a #2 CB, he's a definite upgrade over Bodden and all of the other jabroni CBs from last year. If the Lions can draft a CB high, I think they could be looking at a pretty good defensive backfield. Because of this, Buchanon is probably my favorite signing of theirs so far.

While I would've liked for the Lions to make more of a push for a guy like Nate Washington or Bryant McFadden, they did well to get the guys that they did. And most importantly, they didn't over-pay to do it. Also, none of the deals are over 3 years in length. And for those who are disappointed with what the Lions have done so far, here are 2 examples of how they could've done much worse:
Tampa Bay re-signed WR Michael Clayton at 5 yrs, 24.5 mil, with 10.5 mil guaranteed. Clayton has caught 2, yes 2 TD passes since 2004. Yikes!
Baltimore signed CB Dominique Foxworth to a 4 yr 27 mil contract with a whopping 16.5 mil guaranteed. He is only 25, but had 38 tackles and 1 int last year. How does that justify 16.5 mil guaranteed? I don't know.

What else will the Lions look for in free agency as they lead up to the draft? Probably a veteran backup QB. I'm hoping for Byron Leftwich, but they'll probably get Rex Grossman or JP Losman. Another offensive lineman would be nice (Daniel Loper?). Also a linebacker (Mike Peterson?). A CB or WR with kick returning ability would be good, too (Chris Carr?). And with the loss of Moran Norris, I think a FB might be a good idea, too (Mike Karney?). We'll see what happens. Bring on the draft!

Greg