Scenes from the Roar Zone Thanksgiving vs.the Eagles

Third win in a row for Detroit. Third in a row on Thanksgiving.

What I noticed:

Stafford is obviously a lot more comfortable with Jim Bob Cooter than Joe Lombardi. The subtle changes since the bye week have helped tremendously.

A lot more Golden Tate with the ball. A good dose of those screens.

Defense is in getting in good run fits. Front 7 is in sync. Games starting to get home in the pass rush.

Josh Bynes is legit. Improved so much this season.

The young corners are playing well. Especially Slay. Lawson competes and Diggs is tough.


Here are the scenes:

Mr.C rocking the Mike Furrey jersey

MSW on the shuttle

The swag of MSW

MR.C on the shuttle

Mr.C chats with Rob Rubick

Golden Tate's Bae

MSW at Ford Field

A beautiful shot of MSW and I-75

MR.C with The Detroit Skyline behind

Theo with a TD

Golden with a TD

Calvin with 3 TD

Ansah had 4 tackles 3.5 sacks. 3 QBH, 1 FF, 1 FR 2 TFL

Detroit Lions place CB Josh Wilson on IR and Re-sign Dwight Bentley

Lions have placed CB Josh Wilson on season ending Injured Reserve. He was the starting slot CB and was a decent player in there. His injury is compounded by the loss of Mathis and Lawson to brain injuries.

Here is a tribute;

8 games in Detroit 4 starts
32 tackles 1 PBU

Get Better Josh

Lions re-sigh veteran CB Dwight Bentley. Bent was a 3rd round pick in 2012 and has suffered multiple injuries. He missed most of last season with a torn ACL. He was waived in the off-season because of the knee. He played slot for Detroit when healthy.

Here is a tribute:

Bill has played 18 games in Detroit 8 starts
44 tackles 5 PBU

Welcome Back Bill

Detroit Lions Re-sign CB Crezdon Butler and Promote S Isaiah Johnson

Detroit Lions place veteran CB Rashean Mathis on season ending injured reserve with a brain injury. Mathis was injured during the Vikings game was not diagnosed with a concussion until the bye week.

Here is a tribute:

Mathis has played 38 games in Detroit
Starting 36.
127 tackles 28 PBU 2 int 1 td

Get better, Shean

Lions re-sign CB Crezdon Butler. Butler was in camp with Detroit and was cut in September. A 6 year man out of Clemson, Butler can play both CB positions.

Here is a tribute:

Butler 36 NFL games 3 starts
Preseason with Detroit 6 tackles 2 PBU

Lions promote S Isaiah Johnson to Replace the hobbled Isa Abdul-Quddus. Johnson was a UDFA out of GA Tech. Played strong during the preseason and has been on the practice squad all year.

Here is a tribute:

8 tackles and 2 PBU in the preseaosn

Welcome to Detroit Men.

Martin Mayhew and his worst moves as Detroit Lions GM

After an exhaustive analysis of the moves of GM Martin Mayhew, here are his worst moves:

1. Drafting Eric Ebron # 10 in the 2014 Draft over DT Aaron Donald.

This was the final nail in the coffin. Mayhew did not exercise the 5th year option on Nick Fairley and he knew he was not going to re-sign Suh. Si.com called Donald far and way the best DT in the NFL.

2. The Jahvid Best Trade. 2010 draft

Traded back into the first round to nab best. Best was concussed in his last game at Cal. Many teams had taken him off their draft board. He gave up picks that became CB Chris Cook, DE Everson Griffin to division rival Minnesota.

3. Trading up for Mikel LeShoure in the 2011 draft.

I give a little leeway to Mayhew on this one because LeShoure torn his Achilles and lost 2 steps. Lions traded picks that became OG John Moffitt and All-Pro CB Richard Sherman to Seattle.

4. Inability to find quality CB in the draft and free agency.

Ready for this list:

Jahi Word-Daniels, Jack Williams, Marcus McCauley, Prince Miller, Will James, Anthony Henry, Kevin Hobbs, Philip Buchanon, DeMarcus Faggins, Amari Spievey, Dante Wesley, Jon Wade, Nathan Vasher, Paul Pratt, Eric King, Tye Hill, Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, Anthony Madison, Aaron Berry, Alphonso Smith, Jerome Murphy, Patrick Lee, Jacob Lacey, Drayton Florence, Ron Bartell, Kevin Barnes, Chris Houston, Jonte Green, Chris Greenwood, Cassius Vaughn, Josh Thomas, Mohammad Seisay, Danny Gorrer, Josh Wilson, Rashean Mathis, Quandre Diggs, Nevin Lawson, Dwight Bentley, Alex Carter, Darius Slay.

Played CB for the Lions under Mayhew.

Quality starters: Houston, Slay,Mathis.

Quality slot CB; Wright

5. The guys he signed to play safety next to Louis Delmas:

List # 2
Marvin White, Deangleo Smith, Ko Simpson, Marquand Manuel, John Wendling, Amari Spievey, Randy Phillips, CC Brown, Ricardo Silva, Chris Harris, Vincent Fuller, Erik Coleman, Don Carey, Tyrell Johnson,

Notice Amari Spievey is on both lists.

6. Selecting Nick Fairley over Robert Quinn in the 2011 draft.

Fairley was dropping fast in the draft after questions about his character surfaced. Quinn was coming off a tough year at UNC but blew up the combine, This blog rated Quinn over Fairley.

7. Trading 2 2015 draft picks for Haloti Ngata.

Ngata was washed up and reported out of shape.

8. Selecting Brandon Pettigrew, Derrick Williams and Aaron Brown with the Roy Williams trade.

Trading Roy was genius. Selecting those guys not so much.

9. Bringing in thugs to Detroit.

Fairley, LeShoure, Titus Young, Johnny Culbreath, Aaron Berry, Amari Spievey.

Lost count of the number of arrests.

10. Signing Calvin to a 7 year $113 million contract in 2012

gave us one great year and one good. Now a possession WR. Let go of the wrong guy. Should have kept Suh.

Martin Mayhew and draft day trades

2009

Lions trade WR Roy Williams and Vance Walker for TE Brandon Pettigrew, WR Derrick Williams and Aaron Brown

Lions trade 3rd round pick (Shonn Greene) For DeAndre Levy, Sammie Hill And Lydon Murtha

Lions Trade Cory Redding and a 5th (Jason Phillips) for Julian Peterson

Lions trade 6th rd (Tom Brandstatter) for Zach Follett and 2010 5th round (traded it)

Analysis:

WIlliams trade was horrible for both teams. Lions trade back and get Levy and Hill.

Peterson trade was awful

2010

Lions trade 2nd (Chris Cook) 4th (Everson Griffin) and 7th Mickey Shuler for Jahvid Best and Jason Fox

Lions trade 5th (Kam Chancellor) and DE Robert Henderson for OG Rob Sims and Willie Young

Lions trade 5th round pick (Cam Thomas) for Corey Williams

Lions trade 6th (Shann Schillger) and 2011 7th (Andrew Jackson) for Chris Houston

Lions trade 7th  Levi Brown for KO Simpson

Lions trade Tyler Polumbus for 2012 7th Traded to Vikings (Trevor Guyton)

Analysis:

Best trade looks horrible. Cook and Griffin are quality players.

Kam Chancellor for Sims and Young. Good for both teams.

Draft picks for quality starters Houston and Corey Williams


2011

Lions trade 3rd John Moffitt 4th Kris Durham 5th Richard Sherman 7th Laz Livngston for Mikel LeShoure, Doug Hogue and Johnny Culbreath

Lions trade 6th Byron Maxwell for Lawrence Jackson

Lions trade Dan Gronkowski for Alphonso Smith

Lions trade Kevin O Connell for 7th (Frank Kearse) than trade that for Shaun Hill

Analysis:

LeShoure trade was god awful. Richard Sherman hurts.

Maxwell for LJ

We traded three members of the legion of boom.

Kevin O'Connell for Shaun Hill good trade.


2012

Lions trade 4th Joe Looney for Ronnell Lewis and Jonte Green

Lions trade 2012 7th (Trevor Guyton) 2013 4th (Josh Boyce) for Tahir Whitehead and Travis Lewis

Lions trade 5th (Jack Crawford and 7th (Nate Stupar for Chris Greenwood

Analysis:

A lot of nothing here. Whitehead is probably the best player here.

2013
Lions trade 5th Jesse Williams for Sam Martin and Theo Riddick

Analysis:

Good trade Williams never played and Martin and Riddick have been solid.

2014

Lions trade 2nd Paul Richardson 4th Russell Bodine 7th Kiero Small for Kyle Van Noy and 5th we trade (Devin Street)

Lions trade 5th Devin Street for Caraun Reid and Nate Freese

Lions trade 5th Aaron Lynch for WR Mike Thomas

Analysis:

Trading up for KVN looks horrible. At least Lions acquired Reid with a pick.

Mike Thomas trade was a bust

2015

Lions trade 1st Shane Ray for Manny Ramirez Laken Tomlinson traded 5th (MyCole Pruitt) and 2016 5th

Lions trade 3rd (Danelle Hunter) and 5th (MyCole Pruitt) for Alex Carter

Lions trade 2016 third rd for Gabe Wright

Lions trade 4th (Zadarius Smith and 5th Shaq Riddick for Haloti Ngata and 7th (Joey Iosefu)

Lions trade George Johnson and 7th Joey Iosefu for Michael Burton

analysis:
Tomlinson trade looks good.

Carter looks awful. Two quality player for a bust.

Wright looks bad. CVannot get on the field for a third next year.

Ngata trade hurts. Guy was washed up.

Detroit Lions claim DT C.J. Wilson and place DT Andre Fluellen on IR

Lions claim Raiders DT CJ Wilson for depth on the D-Line. He will replace injured DT Andre Fluellen. Flu hurt is hip vs. the Chiefs. The Lions have been hit hard by injury on the D-line.

Here is a tribute:

Wilson has 70 games and 19 starts of experience.
102 tackles 5.5 sacks

Flu 79 games in Detroit 7 starts
70 tackles 4.5 sacks

Welcome to Detroit

Mayhew and waiver claims and Practice Squad Claims

2009

Brian Witherspoon CB
Jack Williams CB
Marvin White S
Marcus McCauley CB
Adam Jennings WR
Jason Hunter DE
Kevin Hobbs CB
Yamon Figurs WR
Turk McBride DE
Copeland Bryan DE

Practice Squad
DeAngelo Smith S

Analysis: Only McBride lasted into 2010. White started 8 games at safety. Hobbs played 14 at slot CB. Hunter was in the rotation at DE. Jack Williams hurt his knee on his 2nd play as Lion.


2010
Barry Turner DE
Ashlee Palmer LB
Brandon McDonald S
Stefan Logan WR
Spencer Havner LB

Practice Squad
Prince Miller CB

Analysis:
Palmer was the gem. He played 80 games and started 22. An excellent special teams player. Logan lasted 48 games as the return man before being run out of town. McDonald played 19 games with 38 tackles.

2011
Keiland Williams RB
Chris Harris S

Practice Squad
Joique Bell RB

Analysis:
Joique has been a find. 47 games and 10 starts. Harris started at S but struggled. Williams played 15 games with little impact.

2012
Jerome Murphy CB
Patrick Lee CB

Practice Squad
Jimmy Sadler-McQueen DT
Kris Durham WR
Shaun Chapas FB

Analysis:

Durham started 16 games as below average WR. Chapas got hurt.

2013
DeJon Gomes S

2014
Josh Thomas CB
Isa Abdul-Quddus

Practice Squad
Josh Bynes LB

Analysis:
Bynes has been player. Quddus has been good on special teams.

Martin Mayhew and Trades and Free Agents

2008

Trade
Roy Williams and 7th round (Vance Walker) for Brandon Pettigrew, Derrick Williams and Aaron Brown

Williams was on his last legs but the Lions messed up the picks. Pettigrew has been a major disappointment and Dwheelz was a total bust.

2009

Trades
Jon Kitna for Anthony Henry.
Cory Redding for Julian Peterson
Gerald Alexander for Dennis Northcutt
7th round pick (Levi Brown) for Ko Simpson

Kitna played 4 more seasons including a win over Detroit. Redding is still in the league. Alexander was never the same after Adrian Peterson broke his neck.

Henry played 14 games with 2 picks. He was awful. Peterson played  31 games with 5.5 sacks. He was run out of town Mayhew. Northcutt (16 games)  and Simpson (8 games) had little impact.

Free Agents
WR Bryant Johnson
DT Grady Jackson
CB Philip Buchanon
OT Dan Loper
TE Will Heller
LB Larry Foote
CB Will James
OT Jon Jansen
RB Maurice Morris
OL Dylan Gandy


Buchanan (13 games), Foote (14 games), Jackson (15 games), James (16 Games), Jansen (11 games), Loper (8 games) only lasted one season. The team went 2-14. Heller played 64 games in Detroit. Johnson and Morris contributed for 2 and 3 years. Gandy played 78 games in Detroit.


2010

Free agents
WR Nate Burleson
DE Kyle VandenBosch
CB Jon Wade
LB Landon Johnson
S CC Brown
LB Stephen Tulloch
CB Nathan Vasher
LB Bobby Carpenter
S John Wendling


Three impact players here: Burleson, KVB and Tulloch. CC Brown was a starter in 2010 but was horrible. Vasher was a fill in. Johnson knocked out Aaron Rodgers. Wendling was a horrible Safety but a great special teams player.

Trade
6th draft pick (Shann Schilliger ) 7th in 2011 (Andrew Jackson) for Chris Houston
7th round pick Draft pick (Frank Kearse) for Shaun Hill
5th round pick (Kam Chancellor) and Robert Henderson for Rob Sims and a 7th (Willie Young)
Ernie Sims for Tony Scheffler
6th round Draft pick (Byron Maxwell) for Lawrence Jackson
TE Dan Gronkowski for Alphonso Smith
5th round (Cam Thomas)  for Corey Williams

6 impact players here in trades. Dumping Ernie Sims was huge for the success of the 2011 team. Smith made some plays but completely undisciplined. Schwartz ran him out of town.

2011

Free agents
S Erik Coleman
WR Maurice Stovall
Wr Rashied Davis
CB Eric Wright

Wright was a horrible outside CB but a excellent slot CB. Coleman got hurt.


2012

Free agent
WR Kassim Osgood
CB Drayton Florence
CB Jacob Lacey

Lacey and Florence were awful.

Trade
5th round pick in 2014 (Aaron Lynch) for WR Mike Thomas

Thomas was a complete bust.

2013

Free agents
DE Jason Jones
RB Reggie Bush
S Glover Quin
DT CJ Mosley
K David Akers
RB Montell Owens
DE Israel Idonije
LB Rocky McIntosh
WR Kevin Ogletree
CB Rashean Mathis

5 impact players. Bush was great in 2013. Quin was in the Pro Bowl. Jones ans Mose have been solid players on some good D-Lines. Mathis has been three year starter.


2014

Free agents
DE Darryl Tapp
WR Golden Tate
FB Jed Collins
CB Cassius Vaughn
DE George Johnson
K Matt Prater
S James Ihedigbo

Tate was the big prize. Vaughn was awful. Prater was a huge pick up. Ihedigbo has been hit and miss.

2015

Free agents
DT Jermelle Cudjo
DT Tyrunn Walker
WR Lance Moore

Moore had been a decent WR. Walker lasted 4 games.

Trade
1st round pick (Shane Ray) for Laken Tomlison, Manny Ramirez and a 5th this year.
4th round pick )Zadarius Smith)  and 5th round pick (Shaq Riddick) for Haloti Ngata and 7th
George Johnson and swap of 7th for 5th round (Michael Burton)
Mohammad Seisay for 6th round pick 2016
Kyle Brindza for Tim Wright

Ngata has been awful.

Martin Mayhew and the Draft

2009

Acquired three picks in the Roy Williams trade. Stafford has developed into a below average QB. Pettigrew has been a major disappointment. Delmas could not stay healthy and made a lot of mental mistakes. Levy turned about to be the best pick. Derrick Williams was a major bust. Hill turned into a nice DT for the Titans. Nothing out of the late rounds.

Matthew Stafford
# 1 overall 2009
85 starts
36-49 record

Brandon Pettigrew
Round 1 # 20 overall
88 games 80 starts

Louis Delmas
Round 2 # 33 overall
65 starts

DeAndre Levy
Round 3 #76 overall
90 games 83 starts

Derrick Williams
Round 3 #82 overall
18 games 1 start

Sammie Hill
Round 4 #115 Overall
59 games 18 starts

Aaron Brown
Round 6 #192 overall
22 games 2 starts

Lydon Murtha
Round 7 #228 Overall

Zach Follett
Round 7 #235 overall
17 games 2 starts

Dan Gronkowski
Round 7 #255 overall
2 games

2010
Bad draft overall. Suh was a no-brainer. We let walk after his rookie contract. Best had a brain injury as did Spievey. Spievey was drafted a CB but had to be switched to S. Fox could not stay healthy, Young was a good DE before leaving to Chicago

Suh
# 2 overall
85 starts

Jahvid Best
Round 1 # 30 overall
22 games 15 starts

Amari Spievey
Round 3 #66 overall
35 games 26 starts
1 arrest

Jason Fox
Round 4 #128 overall
13 games 3 starts

Willie Young
round 7 #213 overall
48 games 15 starts

Tim Toone
Round 7 #256 overall

2011
Horrible draft. The blog wanted Robert Quinn and Leonard Hankerson with first 2 picks. 4 players arrested. 3 with multiple arrests.

Nick Fairley
Round 1 # 13 overall
46 games 30 starts
2 arrests

Titus Young
Round 2 # 44 overall
26 games 17 starts
untold arrests

Mikel LeShoure
Round 2 # 57 Overall
17 games 14 starts
2 arrests

Doug Hogue
Round 5 #157 overall
18 games

Johnny Culbreath
Round 7 #209 overall
1 arrest

2012

Terrible draft. Reiff was a reach and has played out of position. Broyles, Bentley, Greenwood were always hurt. Decent development from Whitehead and Travis Lewis has been slow.

Riley Reiff
#23 overall
54 games 47 starts

Ryan Broyles
Round 2 # 54 overall
21 games 6 starts

Dwight Bentley
Round 3 #85 overall
18 games 8 starts

Ronnell Lewis
Round 4 #125 overall
8 games
1 arrest

Tahir Whitehead
Round 5 #138 overall
54 games 18 starts

Chris Greenwood
Round # 5 #148 overall
6 games

Jonte Green
Round 6 #197 overall
24 games 7 starts

Travis Lewis
Round 7 #223 overall
35 games 4 starts

2013
Best draft for Mayhew. Ansah is a stud. Slay is a good # 2 CB. Warford started well but has faded. Taylor is a rotational guy. Riddick is gem.

Ziggy Ansah
#6 overall
38 games 36 starts

Darius Slay
Round 2 #36 overall
37 games 28 starts 

Larry Warford
Round 3 #65 overall
34 starts

Devin Taylor
Round 4 #132 overall
37 games 2 starts

Sam Martin
Round 5 #165 overall
40 games

Corey Fuller
round 6 #171 overall
23 games 2 starts

Theo Riddick
Round 6 #199 overall
36 games 2 starts

Michael Williams
Round 7 #211 overall

Brandon Hepburn
Round 7  #245 overall

2014

This is the draft that finally cost Mayhew his job. Ebron over Aaron Donald is unbelievable. The blog was not happy. KVN is a bust. Swanson sucks. Webster and Freese are cut.

Eric Ebron
# 10 Overall
19 games 11 starts

Kyle Van Noy
Round 2 #40 overall
15 games

Travis Swanson
Round 3 #176 overall
24 games 13 starts

Nevin Lawson
Round 4 #133 overall
8 games 1 start

Larry Webster
Round 4 #136 overall

Caraun Reid
Round 5 #158 overall
18 games 4 starts

TJ Jones
Round 6 #189 overall
5 games

Nate Freese
Round 7 #229 Overall
3 games

2015

Poor draft with little impact on the 1-7 team. Tomlison is getting better. Ameer and Wright have played themselves out of the rotation. Carter is hurt. Diggs and Burton have been the best players.

Laken Tomlinson
8 games 6 starts
#28 overall

Ameer Abdullah
Round 2 #54 overall

Alex Carter
Round 3 #80 overall

Gabe Wright
Round 4 #113 overall
6 games 1 start

Michael Burton
Round 5 #168 overall
8 games 6 starts

Quandre Diggs
Round 6 # 200 overall
8 games 1 start

Corey Robinson
Round 7 #240 overall
1 game