While the Lions were busy cornering the market on mediocre safeties, their linebacking corps continued to shrink. Over the past 2 days, both Teddy Lehman and Boss Bailey signed free agent deals. Yesterday, Lehman became a Buccaneer (Odd to see a Lion become a Buc, rather than vice versa) and today, Bailey joined his more talented brother in Denver.
The depth chart was thin enough with the underachieving, and often injured, Lehman and Bailey. After today, it’s almost non-existent, with one quality NFL player, OLB Ernie Sims. As for the rest of the LB’s on the roster, let’s review the utter suckage…
Paris Lenon: Last season’s starter in the middle, whom the Lions have been desperately trying to replace (As shown by the Jonathan Vilma trade talk), without any luck.
Alex Lewis: A career backup who only sees the field on special teams.
Anthony Cannon: Another special teams player who should never be on the field on 1st thru 3rd downs.
Buster Douglas Davis: A 3rd round pick of the Cardinals last year, a MASSIVE BUST whom was cut at the of their camp. The Lions picked him up, and then spent 15 of 16 games on the practice squad.
Don Mullbach: Listed as a LB on the roster, but is a LB in name only. Mullbach is the Lions’ very good long snapper. Period.
Good Lord, the Lions have a single legitimate starting linebacker on their current roster! You’d think find 2 or 3 would be a huge priority. So far, the only linebackers the Lions have spoken to in free agency are Al Wilson, admittedly once a quite good LB, but is over 30, and a huge injury risk, and Dan Morgan, another player whose career has been injury filled.
The linebacker “situation” is just another reason the Lions off season has been so underwhelming. The lack of depth at running back, on both lines, and linebacker is alarming, to say the very least. Then to lose starters at linebacker (Bailey), defensive tackle (Shaun Rogers), offensive tackle (Damien Woody), and their only healthy, quality running back (TJ Duckett) has me wondering one thing.
WHAT IN THE HELL ARE THE LIONS THINKING?
I have no issues with the likes of Bailey leaving, but the seeming lack of a plan in regard to replacing him (And Rogers, and Woody, and Duckett, and Lehman, and…) is baffling. Absolutely baffling.
If the plan is for the Lions to fill all these holes through the draft, that’s all well and good. But Millen’s draft history, it…well, it sucks and sucks hard. So to expect any help through the draft is the same as expecting Wiley E. Coyote to catch the roadrunner. It’s not going to happen. Ever.
Much as Nero fiddled while Rome burned, Millen continues to sign safeties and let starters leave without any idea of who is going to replace them, while the rest of the Lions’ roster crashes and burns.
Typical Lions. God damn typical…