Detroit Lions Draft Preview Pre Combine Grades

Here are grades of the players I have broke down film on so far:

Running Backs:

6.8 ( Starter midway thru rookie year)
Alabama Eddie Lacy Could go higher after combine

6.7 Impact rotational player
Gio Bernard UNC I really like this guy for the Lions
Kenjon Barner Oregon
Mike Gillislee Florida
Joe Randle Oklahoma State

6.6 Boom or Bust
Marcus Lattimore South Carolina

6.5 Solid Player
Montee Ball UW
Andre Ellington Clemson
Jon Franklin UCLA
Stepfan Taylor Stanford

6.3 Rotational Player starter potiential
LeVon Bell MSU
Chris Michael Texas A&M

6.1 Contribute- special teams sub packages
Mike James the U
Rex Burkhead Nebraska
Ontario McCalebb Auburn
Kerwynn Williams Utah State

Offensive Line:

7.5 Impact Starter Pro Bowl future:
Eric Fisher OT CMU Check the Iowa film. Awesome.
Chance Warmack OG Alabama Best guard I have broke down in years
Jon Cooper OG UNC not far behind

7 Rookie Starter
Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M I need to do more work. He is not asked to do a lot by A&M.
Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma

6.8 Starter midway thru rookie year
Brian Schwenke OC Cal
Larry Warford OG Kentucky

6.5 Starter year 2
Terron Armstead OT Ark Pine-Bluff
Dave Quissenberry OG SJSU
Dallas Thomas OT Tennessee
Brian Winters OG Kent State

Defensive Line

7.5 Impact Starter Pro Bowl future:
Ziggy Ansah DE BYU Explosive hands, great motor

6.9 Starter as Rookie Solid
Corey Lemonier DE Auburn
Damontre Moore DE Texas A&M 3-4 DE

6.8 Starter Midway thru rookie year
Alex Okafor DE Texas
Kawann Short DT Purdue

6.7 Impact Situational Player
Dion Jordan DE Oregon 3-4 Teams will love this guy.

6.6 Boom or Bust
Bjoern Werner DE FSU must answer questions about awareness and motor.
Margus Hunt DE SMU

6.5 Solid Rotational Player Starter year 2
Sylvester Williams DT UNC
Barkevious Mingo DE LSU Raw, no upperbody, has upside

6.4 Solid Roatiuonal Player Starter year 2-3
David Bass DE Missouri Western
Mike Buchanan DE Illinois
Jordan Hill DT Penn State
John Jenkins DT UGA
Devin Taylor DE South Carolina
Brandon Williams DT Missouri Southern

6.3 Rotational Player may start in career
Sam Montgomery DT LSU Corey Redding clone. Too slow outside, too small inside
Brandon Thurmond DE Arkansas Pine Bluff

Linebackers

7.5 Impact Player Pro Bowl Future:
Jarvis Jones OLB UGA injury concern

6.9 Starter as Rookie Solid
Manti Teo ILB Notre Dame

6.7 Impact Situational Player
Sio Moore OLB UCONN


Defensive Backs

7  Rookie Starter
Dee Milliner CB Alabama
Desmond Trufant CB Washington

6.9 Starter as Rookie Solid
Kenny Vaccaro S Texas
Blidi Wren-Wilson UCONN

6.8 Starter Midway thru rookie year
TJ McDonald S USC not a great tackle, good range.
Xavier Rhodes CB FSU Not a good zone corner, more comfortable in press.

6.7 Impact Situational Player
Leon McFadden CB SDSU
Jon Poyer CB Oregon State
Kayvon Webster CB USF
Khalid Wooten CB Nevada

Detroit Lions Draft Preview S Kenny Vaccaro

I watched 3 films on the Texas S Kenny Vaccaro (Ole Miss, Oklahomas State, Kansas State). He has the ability to be a good NFL Safety. He can tackle with force and come down and play in the slot. He is best when he able to run the ally and be the free hitter against the run.

He had a nightmare game vs. Oklahoma State. He struggled in space against Joe Randle. He was easily the best Texas player vs. K State. I did not see enough of him in centerfield to judge his range and ability to play the deep ball.

Bottom Line: He can be a real good NFL satety. He run downhill and strike against the run. I think he has flexibity to match up with Most TE and some slot WR. I see his value #25-#40 in this draft and the Lions would take a long look at him the 2nd round.

Detroit lIons Draft Preview CB Dee Milliner

Alabam Junior CB Dee Milliner

Milliner is a solid player with good scheme versaility. He can play zone and man coverage. His ability to tackle and play on the slot is a good selling point.

I watched 4 films on Milliner (Michigan, LSU, Tennessee, Notre Dame) and his strength is in his bail technique. When he can turn and see the QB he is at his best. The further down the field he gets the less effective he is. I question his ability to track the ball deep in man coverage. He is not an elite ball skill corner.

Bottom line: Milliner will be an effective corner in the NFL. However, I do not see him as an elite cover guy. He will have his most success in zone coverage when he can see the QB. I see his value in this draft starting around 12-15. At this point in the process, I do not think Dee should be in the conversation at #5 for the Lions.

Detroit Lions sign CB DJ Johnson

Lions sign veteran CB DJ Johnson. He was waived by the Redskins two days ago.

Here is a tribute:

Dj Played 7 games for Washington in 2012
8 tackles

Johnson played 10 games in 2009-2010
10 tackles

UDFA by Denver in 2009

UDFA out of Jackson State

Welcome to Detroit

Detroit Lions cut OG Stephen Peterman

Detroit Lions release OG Peterman after 7 seasons in Detroit. He started 86 games after being picked up of the Cowboys practice squad.

This season Peterman led the Lions with 42 good run blocks but struggled giving up 9.5 sacks and 18 QB hits. He committed 4 penalities.

Pro Football Focus Ranks:

2012 #38
2011 # 16
2010 #77 out of 82
2009 #14
2008 #74 out of 74

He is best known for introducing Kid Rock to coconut moonshine.

Here is a tribute:

Pete in good times

Pete walks off 0-16

Good Luck Stephen

Detroit Lions Cut DE Kyle VandenBosch

Lions waive DE KVB after three years in Detroit. Kyle played 43 games for Detroit making 117 tackles 16.5 sacks and 6 forced fumbles. This move saves $5 million against the cap. It also makes a $5,723,750 dead money hit this season.

Season				Tackles											Fumbles
		G	GS	Comb	Total	Ast	Sck	SFTY	PDef						FF
2012		16	16	36	28	8	3.5	1	1						0
2011		16	16	35	26	9	8.0	--	0						4
2010		11	11	49	33	16	4.0	--	1						2

Pro Football Focus Ranks:

2012 62 out of 62
2011 65 out of 67
2010 56 out of 65

Here is a tribute:

Good Luck Kyle

Detroit lions waive WR Titus Young

Titus opens up in an interview

Titus Young is no longer a part of the Detroit Lions. He was cut today because of his inability to get along with the team.

His incidents include:

Punching a Saints player in 2011.

Sucker punching Louis Delmas in the spring of 2012.

Lining up in he wrong position to get the ball on the last drive vs. Green Bay.

Being a distraction at a team meeting before the Texans game.

Former WR Coach Shawn Jefferson yells at Linehan
He wanted Titus out of the game vs. the pack

A parent coach meeting following the season.

A Twitter rampage throughout January 2013.

Young had two years left on his contract and the Lions will have to carry over $900,000 in dead cap money.

His career stats were 81 rec 990 yards 10td. 26 games 18 starts.