The first fat domino fell just as I was finishing up my previous post. The Lions have made their first major roster move, and it’s the one everyone expected.
Shaun Rogers is no longer a member of the Detroit Lions. Big Baby was shipped to the Cincinnati Bengals for 3rd and 5th round picks in the upcoming draft.
This is a worst case scenario. It means we fans have to put our trust in, God forbid, Matt Millen. He needs to turn those 2 draft picks into productive NFL players, or he will have given up on a Pro Bowl player, head case or not, overweight though he may be, for absolutely nothing.
Normally you could argue this is addition by subtraction, as Rogers’ attitude, along with his inability to stop eating, has been a thorn in the side of Rod Marinelli. But this trade means there is another roster hole on a team that already has several. There is no one currently on the Lions who can ably fill Rogers’ role as a pass rusher and run stopper on the interior of the defensive line.
It remains to be seen if Millen can plug that gaping hole via free agency or the draft. I seriously doubt it. In fact, it’s almost a given he won’t. Let me explain…
Do you want to know why I doubt Millen can fill Rogers’ spot? Why I’m calling this trade a “worst case scenario?” Take a look at Millen’s draft history with picks in the 3rd though 5th rounds.
2007: 4th – AJ Davis, Manny Ramirez, 5th – Johnny Baldwin
2006: 3rd – Brian Calhoun, 5th – Jonathan Scott
2005: 3rd – Stanley Wilson, 5th – Dan Orlovsky
2004: 3rd – Keith Smith, 5th – Alex Lewis
2003: 3rd – Cory Redding, 4th – Artose Pinner, 5th – Terrence Holt, James Davis
2002: 3rd – Andre Goodman, 4th – John Taylor, 5th – John Owens
2001: 5th – Scotty Anderson, Mike McMahon
I see nothing but busts and backups. There’s only one starter, Cory Redding. (Who is terribly overpaid, but that’s another post.)
Now you know why the Rogers trade is this Lions fan’s worst case scenario. It’s almost guaranteed the draft picks obtained from Cincy won’t become anything more than end of the bench roster filler. That’s if we’re lucky…
Millen + draft picks = DISASTER!
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I am typing while curled up in a ball, my clothes soaked in a puddle of my own tears. This team has broken me. Snapped me like a dry chicken bone.
I feel you pain, Ian. I understand why Rogers had to leave, and from all accounts, a 3 and 5 for a starting DT is market value. Why does it still feel like the Lions got robbed?
How difficult would it be to get access to Millen? Could I just show up at his house and kill him? Or do I need to plan it out better than that?