Lions tales: Super Bowl odds, advice for Rivers and Roy Williams wants to get paid
By Zachary Best
A few thoughts regarding Detroit Lions news bites from the past few days…
1. Online sports book BetUS has set their odds as to who will win next season’s Super Bowl. Just what are the odds for the Detroit Lions? They are given a “It’ll be a snowy day in Hell” shot, going off at the long odds of 80:1.
The only team with worse odds? The Falcons, at 150:1. There’s 2 other teams posted at 80:1, the Fish and the Bills, leaving the Lions in quite august company. I love to gamble as much as any red blooded American male football fan, but betting on the Lions to win the Super Bowl would be the equivalent of throwing your hard earned cash into a toilet, and flushing. Twice. Both are completely ignorant things to do, and a total waste of your money.
2. As we all know, the Lions have several positions that need to be addressed in the upcoming draft. Linebacker is one of the most often mentioned by both the fans and media. In that vein, the Lions entertained USC LB Keith Rivers, a candidate for the 15th overall pick, last week. Rivers let the world know of his thoughts following his Detroit visit via his Yardbarker blog.
"I got a chance to spend time with Matt Millen. He was very straight forward. He told me what to expect in my first year and how to make the transition from college to pro. It was some really good advice about eventually becoming the player who makes his teammates better. And he would know. He was a great linebacker."
I’m not sure what to believe. “Good advice” from Millen? The only honest advice in regard to the Lions would be “All hope abandon, ye who enter here.” It’s a quote from the poem “Divine Comedy,” describing Dante’s journey through the “The circles of Hell.” Which is quite fitting, you think?
3. A columnist for the Austin Statesman, Cedric Golden, spoke with Roy Williams this week. Golden’s opening line?
"Roy Williams wants to get paid."
Obviously. The column is basically Williams, speaking through Golden, giving the Lions, or any team interested in trading for him //cough//Cowboys//cough//, his contract demands. What would lead anyone to think that’s the case? This…
"Williams would love the six-year, $55 million contract former Javon Walker just signed with Oakland that will earn him a base salary of $1 million this season with an $11 million signing bonus attached. That will net him $12 million guaranteed this season."
I’m sure Golden didn’t pull those numbers out his ass. Williams must have implied as much, or outright told the writer off the record, giving the OK for print as long as he’s not quoted. Either way, if I’m the Lions, I just puked in my mouth a bit. They are already paying Calvin Johnson a 6 year, $64 million contract ($27.2 million guaranteed). Would it be wise of the Lions to invest Javon Walker-like money (Which is an INSANE contract) in Williams, when Johnson is making huge money, and Mike Furrey going into the 2nd year of his 3 year, $9.25 million deal?
That’s not a good use of your cap space.
Knowing the Lions though, with the history of franchising players (Such as Cory Redding and Jeff Backus) who are middling to good, but not great, I would not put it past the Leo’s sticking the franchise tag on Williams.
I like Roy Williams as a player. He’s been fairly productive, if a tad injury prone, over his Lions career. But with positional needs all over the field, if Williams could get you a high draft and a player, or a couple of good picks, you have to entertain the possibility of dealing him. The Cowboys have been drooling over the thought of adding Williams to their receiving corps, it’d be worth exploring what the Lions could pry from Jerry Jones in return.