Detroit Lions 2011 draft class up in smoke

We had very HIGH expectations for the Detroit Lions 2011 draft class, but due to injuries, the expectations of that class went UP IN SMOKE as three members of the class spent most of the last year on the injured reserve list.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist that opening. Now we know how those three spent their free time healing from those injuries, they’ve been taking it easy smoking the hippie lettuce.

Everyone has a different opinion on the legality of Marijuana. I’m a child of the 70’s, so you can see how I lean on that subject. BUT, if you sign a contract with an employer that is willing to pay you millions of dollars, and all he is asking you is to follow a few simple rules, like don’t get arrested, don’t ride in hot air balloons and don’t smoke the green stuff, then you do it. This isn’t calculus. I just can’t imagine losing your career with a risk like that.

It’s not just that they indulge that is so disturbing to me, it’s how dumb they were in getting caught. Smoking it must make you stupider, because Mikel Leshoure got caught TWICE in a month’s period and was trying to eat the evidence when pulled over. Johnny Culbreath was seen on a video at a hotel, and Nick Fairley got pulled over for speeding in his neighborhood TWICE the same day. Did any of these guys score double digits on the Wonderlic test?

This recent spate of bad news has already affected the Lions draft strategy. Dave Birkett of the Free Press reported yesterday that a source said that the Lions now have NO interest in drafting Janoris Jenkins in the first round. Think last week had anything to do with that? Now I think that the Lions almost assuredly will draft an offensive lineman.

These guys better shape up quick, or we might have another sad case like Charles Rogers on our hands. Rogers was the first of many future Detroit Lions to have the first two years of his career wiped out by injuries. He never regained the desire or discipline to overcome that bad start. Matthew Stafford didn’t fall victim to his predicament of missing most of his first two years. In fact, the time off made him a better quarterback in the long run. It seems like the Leo’s drafted Jason Fox with the intention of eventually replacing Jeff Backus at left tackle. Two years into his career in the NFL, all he has is 4 games under his belt. Martin Mayhew has already stated that he needs to stay healthy to keep his roster spot.

The latest candidate to fall victim to the newest Detroit Lion curse is running back Mikel Leshoure. He already missed his freshman year to injury. If he should happen upon disaster and get hurt again, jeopardizing his sophomore year with the lions, does anyone think that he’ll keep his mind straight and stay clear of trouble? I sure hope so. The Lions will probably now change their strategy on drafting running backs. Instead of drafting one in the fourth or fifth round, the Lions might feel due to Leshoure’s situation that they have to address the position in the second or third round.

Not even in his second year yet, Mikel Leshoure faces the most critical time of his career. Lets hope he’s approaching this with a clear mind.