Detroit Sports Thread

[POJO_Risin]

I like Harrington...I think he could perform...he has a running game now...and next year he should have to fantastic receivers...so there SHOULD be no excuse for success...

[ALinChainz]

I swear if Mr. Freakin' Spartan Charles Rogers gets hurt next season, I will personally drive a fucking U-Haul down there, pack up his brittle fucked up self and his shit and it's back to East Lansing.

Having him out there alone would be a huge difference.

Defense needs to stay healthy too.

Joey up til this season, rarely sacked at all. This season, different story. Not all his fault I agree. Play calling too.

Fucking Lions. Should finish somewhere in the top dozen picks in the next draft.

[POJO_Risin]

Well...will be curious to see where they go with it...I'm guessing D...or line help..but we'll see...

Mariucci will be on the hot seat if they don't perform...

[ALinChainz]

Safeties ... need them bad.

Solid at D Line ... young but should be solid at LB.

Secondary is and has been a bitch for awhile now.

Overall health and a healthy Rogers with a little upgrade on the OL.

Mooch will have some leeway here, cleaning up.

[ALinChainz]

Williams, Jones give Lions hope

BY CURT SYLVESTER, FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Roy Williams said it last August. And now -- with just one game remaining in his rookie season -- he sees no reason to change his tune.


"There's no doubt about it," Williams said Wednesday. "This game is easy. It's just a fact of making plays. It happens sometimes and sometimes it didn't. But the game of football is easy."


For a wide receiver whose first season has virtually run the gamut -- from brilliant, spectacular plays early in the season, to the injury that cost him two games and slowed him significantly at midseason, to the frustrating dropped balls Sunday against Chicago -- that is saying a mouthful.


But in Williams and running back Kevin Jones -- the Lions' two first-round picks of the 2004 draft -- they landed players around whom they will be able to build for years to come.


Williams' impressive start included back-to-back two-touchdown games against Houston and Philadelphia. Despite troubles more recently, he still leads the Lions with 50 receptions for 755 yards and seven touchdowns.


"Roy has fought through some leg injuries and ankle injuries," coach Steve Mariucci said. "You watch him practice each day and he hasn't really been full speed much of the season. But to his credit, he's fought through it and participated as much and as well as he possibly could, and had a semi-productive year. He's going to be a heck of a player."


Jones started slowly in Mariucci's three-back rotation and was held back even more by a sprained ankle he suffered in the Sept. 26 game against Philadelphia. But he has rushed for 100 yards or more in four of the last six games and ranks fifth among NFC rushers with 1,061 yards. He also has five touchdowns.


"Kevin is really finishing the year strong," Mariucci said.


Jones the No. 30 pick overall, is definitely having the stronger finish of the two first-round picks.


Since Mariucci started giving him the majority of the carries in the Nov. 14 game at Jacksonville, Jones has turned in rushing totals of 81, 100, 99, 196, 156, 79 and 123 yards and is averaging a fraction less than 5.5 yards per carry over those seven games.


"Things are slowing down for me now," Jones explained. "And I'm just trying to get better each week."


If the game slowed down for Jones, it was probably because he learned to slow himself down after a few frantic attempts to make every play a big play in the exhibition season and the early regular season.


"Early in the season I don't think he really understood how to play the game," running backs coach Tom Rathman said. "It's not college, where you can just bounce everything outside and use your speed to create big plays.


"I think his success now is due to the fact he understands the scheme a little bit better and he has a little more patience as a runner. That's the one area he's doing really well in -- when he has the football in his hands."


Rathman won't be completely satisfied with Jones, however, until he becomes a complete player, which means improving his blocking skills, especially in blitz pickup, and becoming a more polished receiver.


But the product the Titans will see Sunday at Tennessee is already an NFL-caliber back.


"You can't say enough about the running back," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "We've played some good running backs this year, but this might be our greatest test of the year.


"We really liked Kevin coming out and the last five weeks he's had a phenomenal end to the season."


The Lions knew they were getting a quality back. The one thing that might have surprised even them was the power with which he runs, as Jones showed in a play last Sunday against Chicago. He pushed four defenders down the field for the final 8-10 yards of a 33-yard run.


"He's had several of those this year," Rathman said. "I don't think he was noted as a power runner coming out of college. More of a slasher, speed-type guy, but if you could identify him as the type of game he brings, he's a power runner. He's fast, he can make the cuts and then he can run through tackles."


Except for his 104-yard, two-touchdown game against Minnesota two weeks ago, Williams had his best games early in the season. The ankle injury he suffered Oct. 10 at Atlanta limited his speed and cutting ability several weeks into November and even early December.


And, while he sticks to his theory that football is an easy game to play, he has learned something about the need for staying power and the need to avoid injuries in the NFL.


"If you look at the stats after the injury, it was 30 yards here, 40 yards here, instead of the big games I had before the injury," said Williams, the seventh pick in the draft.


Williams said he would like to make up for his drops in the Chicago game with a superior performance -- and a Lions' win -- against the Titans.


Williams was asked if he could see himself and Jones eventually becoming a combination like Isaac Bruce and Marshall Faulk at St. Louis or Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James at Indianapolis.


"No, I think maybe a Roy Williams-Kevin Jones-Charles Rogers combination," he said of the other prized young receiver, who was lost for the season because of a broken collarbone suffered in the opener at Chicago. "I think that's what we'll get to be."


Thinking small, obviously, is not the way Williams approaches this easy game.


NOTEBOOK: Mariucci held out or limited several players in Wednesday's practice -- guards Damien Woody (groin) and David Loverne (knee), cornerback Fernando Bryant (ankle) and wide receivers Tai Streets (knee) and Az-Zahir Hakim (groin). Quarterback Joey Harrington (elbow) took fewer snaps but is listed as probable.


Contact CURT SYLVESTER at 313-222-2621 or sylvester@freepress.com.

[ALinChainz]

Shaun Rogers signs six-year deal with Detroit Lions


January 1, 2005


DETROIT(AP) -- The Detroit Lions reached a six-year deal with Shaun Rogers on Saturday, making him the highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL, his agent said.

The Lions and agent Kennard McGuire would not reveal terms of the contract.

``This will make Shaun the best-paid defensive tackle in the game,'' McGuire said. ``We are very pleased with what we have been able to get for him.''

The 25-year-old Rogers, 6-foot-4 and 345 pounds, was chosen to the Pro Bowl this year and was an alternate last year. He has 75 tackles, four sacks, two blocked kicks and a fumble recovery this season.

[ALinChainz]

Pride of the Lions at stake in final game

BY CURT SYLVESTER, FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Even the mathematical possibilities finally ran out on the Lions.


So they will play out the season the same way they played out last season. And, before that, the 2002 and 2001 seasons.


They virtually took themselves out of playoff contention by going 1-7 during a midseason slump, although they maintained hope of slipping into a wild-card playoff berth.


Now even the most remote mathematical possibility has been eliminated. Seems that 6-10 or 7-9 just won't make it, even in a down year for the NFC.


The Lions' only motivation in their season finale Sunday at Tennessee will be what they can manufacture in their own minds -- pride of performance, the pleasure of playing the game right and the possibility of finishing the season with a victory.


And for some of them -- including middle linebacker Earl Holmes -- it is not that difficult.


"Nothing else matters at 1 o'clock when that ball is kicked off," Holmes said. "We're competitors; we compete. When it's Super Bowl or playoff time and we have to win this game, you're going to play like it's your last game anyway because we're competitors.


"The mental part of it is, man, we want to beat Tennessee. And they want to beat us. We're competitors, regardless of what the situation might be."


The reality, however, is that after their 4-2 start, the Lions expected to be playing for something more meaningful by the end of the season. Had they broken even in the final 10 games, they would have made the playoffs.


They can look back at the past two months and find any number of wasted opportunities -- games that would have put them there.


"We've lost about five games where we had a chance at the end for somebody to make a play; it hasn't happened for us," coach Steve Mariucci said. "Otherwise, we'd be in the playoffs.


"We're getting to the point of make that play or not, and -- as we go forward -- we're going to make that play more often."


So what is the driving force for a 6-9 team playing on the road against a 4-11 opponent?


"Each guy here has a certain motivation, a certain reason -- and they might be different reasons from one guy to the next -- why this game's important, why they should play well, why they should play hard," Mariucci said.


"They're professional athletes, and you expect that from them. And they expect it from themselves. ... I expect us to play well."


A victory certainly would not save the season for the Lions, but it would edge them slightly closer to respectability at 7-9 after consecutive seasons of 2-14, 3-13 and 5-11. And it would enable them to go into the off-season feeling a little bit better about themselves.


"When this is the taste that's going to be left in your mouth for the rest of the off-season, you always want to do it right," quarterback Joey Harrington said. "And, personally, I need to continue to grow, continue to learn and continue to improve. This is another game to do that."


Although Mariucci has avoided experimenting with young players in expanded roles in the final weeks, it seems he is giving quarterbacks coach Greg Olson an audition for a greater role in play-calling next season.


Olson called the offensive plays in the past two games, against Minnesota and Chicago, and apparently will call them Sunday.


Mariucci gave former Lions coach Marty Mornhinweg similar responsibilities when Mornhinweg was his assistant at San Francisco, thereby allowing himself a greater focus on managing the game. Mariucci and offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis have an input in play-calling, but Olson is making most of the decisions.


"Having coached the quarterbacks, I've always felt the guy that's with him 18 hours a day -- which is his coach -- should have a good feel for what that guy is good at, what that guy likes, dislikes, what he feels a little uncomfortable with," Mariucci said.


"That quarterback coach is closest to the situation, and obviously in communication with him continuously throughout a game, so that's a logical person to be giving him a play. So we're doing some of that right now.


"I'm seeing how it goes. We're trying to observe it and look at it, see if that helps us. We're trying to find out what helps us the best in terms of giving him the play in a timely fashion, allowing him to have some time out there to think about it, chew on it, talk to his huddle, more time over the ball."


NOTEBOOK: Guard Damien Woody practiced Friday for the first time this week and likely will play Sunday. Neither wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim nor Tai Streets practiced, but one or both probably will start, too.


Contact CURT SYLVESTER at 313-222-2621 or sylvester@freepress.com.

[ALinChainz]

DREW SHARP: It's time for results from Mooch after two seasons

January 3, 2005


BY DREW SHARP
FREE PRESS COLUMNIST



NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- During one last same-old, same-old postmortem, Steve Mariucci's attention wandered to far more interesting developments unfolding on a television in the room.


As he repeated the stock answers after another Lions collapse, Mariucci's eyes stayed glued to the final moments of the St. Louis-New York Jets overtime thriller.


What a concept.


You had two teams heading to the end of the last game with a playoff berth at stake.


He couldn't turn away.


It must have seemed like a million years ago since Mariucci was in a similar position.


He's disappointed in this team, but more important, he's disappointed in himself. He expected faster development than just three more wins from when he took over amid the hoopla and pageantry two years ago.


The biggest disappointment of a fourth straight season of double-digit losses was the head coaching.


People expected more from Mooch than what they've gotten. The Fords signed a $25-million check over five years for more credibility, more discipline and more toughness. After two years and 21 losses, all they've gotten for their investment is a stubbornly rigid philosophy that's choking away any potential offensive life.


As the final seconds ticked away from another horror show Sunday, so too did this mark the end of the $25-million man's honeymoon.


Mariucci has had two years to evaluate, two years to indoctrinate. And now it's time for results.


His job should be in serious jeopardy after next season if he can't get enough out of these guys to merit a playoff berth in what should likely remain a woeful NFC.


If he desires a new quarterback, fine. Make it work. And understand that if any new challenge to Joey Harrington fails, it would be Mariucci's disaster 100 percent.


The offensive playbook requires more than just a little tweaking. Everybody knew that Mariucci was a conservative offensive thinker, but it seems the Lions never challenge opposing defenses.


And it's not about tricky gadget plays like the double reverse-flea flicker-Statue of Liberty that we drew up on the neighborhood street as kids. It's about keeping defenses off rhythm.


"I'm not pleased," Mariucci said when asked how he would grade himself this season. "I don't do grades. But I expected to bring this team along a lot faster."


So because he won't grade himself, allow me.


He gets a D for this season.


If you didn't know who was on the sideline, you'd have sworn it was a Marty Mornhinweg operation from 2001 and 2002 with the endless mental errors and overall bad execution. The Lions remain an emotional vacuum. They have no leadership in that locker room, placing even more of the onus on the coaches.


Mariucci said he'll spend this week evaluating what the Lions' personnel priorities will be in the off-season. A fast, physical safety should be first on the list, a good veteran quarterback who could win the starter's job is second, and a playmaking tight end third.


But he should honestly evaluate himself first.


Roy Williams told coaches the Tennessee safety had adjusted to an earlier route and perhaps they should adjust as well.


The coaches didn't listen. The Lions tried the same play later and it proved unsuccessful.


"All I can do is run what's called and try to catch the ball," Williams said.


Williams said later that he wasn't criticizing the West Coast offense. He just doesn't think the Lions should be married to one basic concept and that the coaches should adopt elements from other teams.


"Why not take a little something from these various teams and make it Steve Mariucci's offense?" Williams said. "We could call it the Motown offense. People would like that, wouldn't they?"


But that would require more flexibility from Mariucci.


Maybe the changes have already begun. Mariucci, perhaps grudgingly, surrendered offensive play-calling responsibility to quarterbacks coach Greg Olson three games ago out of concerns that it was compromising his overall game management.


Time has a way of quickly catching up to you. It wasn't that long ago when Mariucci walked out onto the stage at Ford Field as the living messiah. He would cut through the history of mediocrity.


The Lions finally nabbed a head coach who was in high demand in the NFL when the Lions courted him. And the Fords deserved a pat on the back for their willingness to pay whatever the cost in their still seemingly hopeless quest to give this city its second playoff win in nearly a half-century.


But just as there are doubts about Harrington, there are justifiable questions about Mariucci as he approaches his most important off-season here.


The toughness, the discipline, the credibility that were promised at the outset aren't there.


Pointing the blame at Matt Millen is certainly deserved and obviously more convenient. Mariucci was well insulated from the criticisms, but not anymore.


His reputation is on the line.


"I can't wait to start next year," Mariucci said Sunday. "I wish that it would start tomorrow."


A little advice, Mooch: It does.


Contact DREW SHARP at 313-223-4055 or dsharp@freepress.com.

[ALinChainz]

Blocked field goals fine, but Rogers is hungry for wins

January 3, 2005






BY NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER



NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- He didn't want to hear it. The blocked field goal attempt? Big deal. The Lions lost to the Titans, 24-19.


"If you don't win, there's not too much positive," Shaun Rogers said Sunday. "That's the bottom line. You've got to win to be happy."


This is why the Lions signed the 25-year-old Rogers to a six-year contract extension reportedly worth $46 million -- including a $15-million signing bonus -- making him the highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL.


It must have been tempting to coast, one day after signing such a fat deal, with the playoffs out of reach, having made the Pro Bowl. But Rogers played hard, and when it didn't lead to a "W," he was surly.


"The guy always plays hard," Lions coach Steve Mariucci said, "and he made a big play and gave us a chance again."


The Lions were behind in the fourth quarter, 24-13. They had turned over the ball, and the Titans were trying to capitalize by kicking a field goal.


But Rogers got in the way. It was the sixth blocked field goal of his four-year NFL career. He also has blocked a PAT attempt.


All Rogers had to say about the play was: "You just put pressure up the middle, get your hands up and try to see the ball and block it."


He was more colorful about the play of the defensive line, which didn't have a sack but knocked Tennessee quarterback Billy Volek out of the game with a separated shoulder.


"We got off to a sluggish start, and then some jibber-jabbering got started and some things got riled up," he said. "I think we left our mark. Even though it was a loss, I think we left our mark as a defensive line. ...


"We go out there to play hard, and if you happen to be in the way, you happen to be in the way."


He had a little to say about the contract extension, but not much.


"It's a blessing," he said when first asked about it. "I'm glad we got it done. Now we can do what we've been doing, play ball."


Asked about it again -- about avoiding any issues related to the franchise-player designation, specifically -- he said, "I'm happy to get it done. It shows they have some belief in me, a sense of commitment that I share. Hopefully I can be around a long time and continue to be productive and not disappoint anybody."


Contact NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA at 313-222-8831 or cotsonika@freepress.com.

[ALinChainz]

Another frustrating season for Joey

January 3, 2005



BY NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER



NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Not again. The Lions were down by five and down inside the 20. It was the final minute of the fourth quarter and fourth down. Quarterback Joey Harrington threw the ball for wide receiver Roy Williams, only to see it deflected and fall to the turf.


The Titans took a knee a couple of times, and that was it, another close-but-not-quite loss for the Lions, 24-19.


"It's frustrating," Harrington said, whispering at first. "You look back through the course of the game, and you can pick out five or six plays that coulda, shoulda, woulda made a difference. But you never know when they're going to come up. It's just frustrating."


The season came to an appropriate end Sunday, for the Lions in general, for Harrington in particular.


Harrington was 33-for-49 for 346 yards. It was the third time in three seasons he reached 300 yards. The first came his rookie year, when he threw for 309 against Minnesota. The second came two weeks ago, when he threw for 361 against the Vikings.


But a big reason Harrington threw so much was that the Lions were playing from behind -- note his other 300-yard games were losses, too -- and he turned over the ball twice Sunday.


In the first quarter, Harrington was stripped by linebacker Keith Bulluck.


"I didn't even see him coming," Harrington said. "Roy beat his guy up the seam, and I was right about to pull the trigger."


By the time Harrington figured out where the ball was, Bulluck had recovered the fumble and was 15 yards downfield, on his way to a touchdown that, with the point after, put the Titans ahead, 7-0.


In the fourth, with the Lions trying to come back from a 24-13 deficit, Harrington was intercepted by cornerback Andre Dyson. Making matters worse, he was called for a low block on the return.


"I've done that a couple times this year. I didn't know it was a penalty," Harrington said. "The rule is in place to protect people's knees, and I had no intention of injuring the guy or taking the guy's knees out. He was the lead blocker for the guy who was running right behind him, and I just tried to blow the play up. There was no malice involved."


It's frustrating. ... It's just frustrating.


Harrington could have said it over and over again. He didn't seem upset when asked if he would welcome a veteran quarterback who knew how to run the West Coast offense, considering backups Mike McMahon and Rick Mirer are free agents and likely will be replaced.


"That's what we've had the last three years, with Ty Detmer and Rick Mirer," he said. "I'd welcome anybody who fits into this team. The objective is to win football games."


But when someone suggested quarterbacks were supposed to make strides in their third year of the West Coast offense, Harrington took issue with it.


"Everybody grows at a different rate, because everybody has different experiences," he said. "There's no magic year or magic formula that says, 'By Year 3, he's going to be Joe Montana.' I mean, we've got a lot of things to clean up in the off-season.


"Do I feel like I made strides? Yeah, I do. More touchdowns, less interceptions. Had some success."


For the record, Harrington threw 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season, versus 17 and 22 last season and 12 and 16 his rookie year. The Lions went 6-10, versus 5-11 and 3-13.


"I feel better this year than I did last year, and so in my mind that's improvement," Harrington said. "Is it enough improvement? Was it enough improvement for us to go to the playoffs this year? No. I've got to get better. I mean, everybody in this room has to get better."


Harrington said he would "sit in an ice bucket for a couple of weeks," to heal mentally and physically, then get back to work.


"The season here is so long, you've got to take a minute to yourself and put your head back," he said. "Going through what we went through this year, I mean, there were mornings when it was a struggle to drive into work. Knowing we just lost another close one, that takes a toll on you."

[ALinChainz]

NOTEBOOK: Lions' outlook seems healthy

Young players give them hope for '05
January 3, 2005







BY CURT SYLVESTER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER



NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Twenty minutes -- that's all it took. Maybe not even that long.


By the time the Lions got back to the locker room from their 24-19 loss to Tennessee in the season finale, coach Steve Mariucci had switched their focus from the failures of 2004 to the possibilities of 2005.


"There's all kinds of hope for next year," Mariucci said. "I can't wait to start next year. I wish that it would start tomorrow.


"There's so much more out there for these guys. They just really skimmed the surface. I'm looking at our youngsters -- my first and second years of drafting. They have played so much football and we're going to benefit from that.


"I can't wait till they become experienced players, because then they'll be consistent. They'll make plays all over the place. They'll be able to take charge of a game rather than get their feet wet.


"The hope is there, we're anxious to get there. There's going to be a lot of work to do -- yes -- but when we get it done, it'll be a lot of fun."


Although the Lions' 6-10 record was a step up from last year's 5-11, no one was selling it as the kind of improvement they needed or wanted to make a meaningful step toward competing for an NFC North title.


What Mariucci was selling -- and his players apparently were buying -- was the idea that all of this year's young players have the potential to take the team to bigger and better things.


"Even though we didn't make the playoffs and we didn't finish the way we wanted to, it's still one more win than we had last year," cornerback Dré Bly said. "I feel like with Coach coming in, we can expect a fast turnaround.


"I think with guys coming back healthy next year -- having a healthy Charles Rogers and K.J. (Kevin Jones) from the first game, having a healthy Roy Williams for 16 games -- we'll be a better football team.


"I'm going to just look forward to next year and really dedicate myself this off-season to try to get some of the guys going, to compete and get better. Hopefully, we can learn from our mistakes because next year will be big for this organization."

[ALinChainz]

Lions end season in familiar fashion

By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer
January 4, 2005


ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -- The Detroit Lions did in 2004 what they often have during their decades of futility since winning the 1957 NFL title.

Detroit teased its fans with some wins they didn't expect, and a handful of players showed flashes of promise for the future.

But by the end of the season, the Lions' record (6-10) was lackluster and their victories were overshadowed by several near-misses and a few blowouts.


``I look at the whole year as a huge, missed opportunity,'' Lions CEO Matt Millen said. ``We started OK, but finished really poorly. We got complacent, lost our sense of urgency and that led to losing to teams with less talent, and that's just an awful feeling.''

When the Lions were 4-2 in October, they were praised for turning it around after winning an NFL-low 10 games over the previous three seasons. When they lost eight of their last 10, they were regarded as the lowly Lions again.

``Even though we got off to a good start, we were winning without playing good football,'' Jeff Backus said. ``Then, we lost our sense of urgency and that really came back to bite us.''

Minnesota and St. Louis are both in the NFC playoffs despite 8-8 records. That's what really bothers the Lions, who wasted big leads in some games and missed opportunities to win others.

``It's a tough thing to handle,'' Joey Harrington said. ``The only thing you can do is use it for motivation for next year. We've gotten to that point where we're close. When we come back, it's going to be time to win.''

Harrington set career highs with 19 touchdowns, 3,047 yards and a 56.0 completion percentage and threw a career-low 12 interceptions. In his third NFL season, he was booed often at home and challenged regularly by coach Steve Mariucci.

``What he has developed is some thick skin,'' Mariucci said. ``I'm hard on Joey and he likes it that way. He's making progress.''

The Lions were determined to surround Harrington with help this season and they appeared to have succeeded with two first-round picks: receiver Roy Williams and running back Kevin Jones.

Williams had 54 receptions for 817 yards and eight TDs, all records for a Detroit rookie. With 1,133 yards rushing, Jones reached a milestone just Barry Sanders and Billy Sims did as Lions rookies. After an ankle injury slowed him early in the season, Jones ran for an NFL-high 825 yards over the final seven games.

When Detroit was struggling to score points, Eddie Drummond helped out with two TDs on punt returns and two on kickoff returns. Drummond was picked to play in the Pro Bowl, but likely will miss the game because of a shoulder injury.

On the other side of the ball, defensive tackle Shaun Rogers solidified himself as a star -- earning his first Pro Bowl invitation -- and was rewarded with a six-year contract last week.

``I'm glad we got Shaun's deal done because we can really build around him,'' Millen said.

With Rogers clogging up the middle and James Hall getting a career-high 11 1/2 sacks despite playing all year with a broken thumb, Detroit's defensive line was among the league's best.

Rookie linebacker Teddy Lehman had a solid season, playing a team-high 1,225 plays, and cornerback Dre' Bly made four interceptions, earning a second straight trip to the Pro Bowl.

``I've got a thousand reasons to be optimistic,'' Mariucci said. ``Yes, the record is disappointing, we all agree on that. What is encouraging as we go forward, and I have to keep reminding myself, half of our starters and half of this football team are players that are on their first contract, which means they're young.''

Through free agency and the draft, starting with the 10th overall pick, the Lions hope to add at least one safety, at least one quarterback, a receiver, a guard and a defensive lineman.

They would like to re-sign some of their free agents, but it might be difficult to bring back offensive tackle Stockar McDougle, who is unrestricted and could draw interest elsewhere.

Some have wondered how long Millen, who just completed his fourth season, will stick around to run the Lions when he could be making stress-free millions again as a TV analyst.

``I'm going to finish what I started,'' Millen said. ``And by finish, I mean win a Super Bowl. It will not be enough for me to just win more games, because everybody who does not win the Super Bowl is a failure in this league.''

[ALinChainz]

Jones is named offensive rookie of December

FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES

The Detroit Lions running back Kevin Jones is NFL offensive rookie of the month for December. He rushed for 626 yards and averaged 5.1 a carry in the Lions' final five games. He led all rookie backs with 1,133 yards this season.

[ALinChainz]

3 Lions aides interview to run offense

BY CURT SYLVESTER, FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Coach Steve Mariucci has interviewed three Lions assistants -- running backs coach Tom Rathman, line coach Pat Morris and quarterbacks coach Greg Olson -- but apparently is not close to naming an offensive coordinator.


"They have all expressed an interest if I want to go in that direction," Mariucci said Thursday. "They would be ready, willing and able to do that."

Although Mariucci thinks highly of all three, he appears more likely to keep them as position coaches and hire a coordinator from outside the organization.


"I wouldn't want to take any one of those three away from their duties now," he said. "They're very good at what they do.


The new coordinator will replace Sherm Lewis, who retired.


"Sherm was a walk-around coordinator, so I could fill it with a walk-around coordinator," Mariucci said, referring to a coach who moves from one offensive group to another during practice. "I'm going to entertain the possibilities there and if we can't find the right person, I can always go in-house."


Mariucci said he expects to interview a number of candidates, including San Francisco offensive coordinator Ted Tollner.


In all likelihood, the coordinator will be familiar with the West Coast offense and will play a role in the revisions Mariucci has in mind for the 2005 Lions and quarterback Joey Harrington.


"We are giving Joey -- and I'm trying to prove it by the way we've been with him -- every opportunity to develop into our quarterback," Mariucci said. "I can't guarantee he's our quarterback for the next 12 years, but everything we have been doing is in keeping with developing him for the future, making progress every way we can.


"Some of it's about his skills, some of it's about surrounding him with people, some of it is how do we best use him -- what does he do best, what should we stay away from?"

[ALinChainz]

Lion Bytes: Free-Agent Update, Draft & More

Scout.com - Scout.com

January 13, 2005 at 10:44pm ET


List of Lions' free-agents heading into the off-season, draft update and more.


FREE-AGENT UPDATE:
--TE Stephen Alexander (UFA. Too many drops but upgraded the position in 2004, likely to be re-signed.)
--DT Marcus Bell (UFA. Made a strong, positive impact on D-line rotation and will be re-signed.)
--CB Chris Cash (RFA. Didn't have a good year but will probably be tendered at minimum amount.)
--KR Eddie Drummond (RFA. A Pro Bowler who's special when he's healthy. Lions cannot afford to lose him.)
--S Vernon Fox (RFA. Proved he can help on special teams, likely to be back.)
--CB Andre Goodman (RFA. Too many lapses in coverage leave his future in doubt.)
--G Tyrone Hopson (RFA. Surprised with good showing in final game, might have earned a contract for 2005.)
--RT Stockar McDougle (UFA. The Lions want him back but won't break the bank to keep him because he seldom plays up to his athletic potential.)
--QB Mike McMahon (UFA. Mariucci likes him, but McMahon wants to compete for a starting job. That's not likely in Detroit.)
--QB Rick Mirer (UFA. No. 3 QB for the past season. Didn't do anything wrong but not likely to be re-signed.)
--DT Kelvin Pritchett (UFA. After 14 NFL seasons, it might be time to call it a career.)
--LB Wali Rainer (UFA. A valuable performer on special teams when he plays under control. Expected to be re-signed.)
--C Dominic Raiola (UFA. O-line coach Pat Morris puts him in situations he handles best -- pulling, blocking on the move. Will be re-signed.)
--OT Victor Rogers (RFA. Very little experience but could be insurance in case they don't bring McDougle back.)
--CB Dainon Sidney (UFA. Spent the season on IR, not likely to be back for 2005.)
--WR Tai Streets (UFA. A disappointing season, not much of a factor in Lions offense. Leaves his career with the Lions in doubt.)
--WR Reggie Swinton (UFA. Inconsistent as a receiver but valuable as backup to frequently injured KR/PR Eddie Drummond.)
--FB Stephen Trejo (UFA. Cut once last summer, came back to play on special teams. Probably will not be re-signed.)
--SS Bracy Walker (UFA. Adequate backup in the secondary but best as a special teamer. Lions want him back.)

FEELING A DRAFT: Unlike a couple of years ago, when they needed help at virtually every position, the Lions can be selective in both the draft and free agency. They'll get a left guard, a safety and then look for a promising TE. A speed pass rusher would interest them because Kalimba Edwards , a second-round pick in 2002, still hasn't panned out.

MEDICAL WATCH: TE Stephen Alexander (ankle), WR Roy Williams (ankle) and DE Jared DeVries (sports hernia) all are candidates for surgeries early in the offseason. None appears to be a serious problem, however.