Thursday Notes: Lions Sign Jackson, Buchanon

by Sean Yuille on Mar 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST in Detroit Lions Notes

The Lions have announced the signing of defensive tackle Grady Jackson. According to Steve Wyche, the deal is worth $8 million over three years. Many have questioned this signing, saying that Jackson is "washed up," but it's not like the Lions spent a ridiculous amount of money. Besides, there generally isn't much guaranteed money in a deal like this, so if he turns out to be a waste of money, the Lions could simply release him. Personally, I think he will be worth the money, as he can come into a game and stuff the run. He's not an every down type of player, but he helps with what was a lack of depth at DT.
The Lions also reportedly signed cornerback Phillip Buchanon. His deal is worth $8.5 million over two years. Buchanon immediately upgrades the Lions' secondary. He, along with the recently acquired Anthony Henry, likely will fill the two vacant starting spots at cornerback. That means that the Lions can shift their focus away from improving the secondary in the draft, at least with their first three picks. Although I wouldn't be against drafting a talented corner, I don't think it's necessary to do so with one of the top three picks. I don't know if the Lions were even thinking about that, but I bring it up because of the recent discussion about taking a corner in my mock draft posts.
Defensive end Vonnie Holliday is scheduled to visit the Lions early next week. He played for Gunther Cunningham for one season in Kansas City and was also in Miami at the same time as Scott Linehan. Holliday is going to visit the Broncos today, so let's hope he doesn't pull a Chris Simms and sign immediately after visiting. Simms, who just visited Denver, agreed to a two-year deal with the Broncos. The Lions were reportedly interested in him, but he didn't make it out of Denver a free agent.
A private search for the three men still missing in the Gulf of Mexico began on Wednesday.
According to Nick Schuyler, the former South Florida football player who was rescued on Monday, Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith both took their life jackets off and let themselves be swept away after losing hope only a few hours after the boat capsized. William Bleakley was with Schuyler until early Monday, which is when he saw a light and tried to swim for help. Unfortunately he took his life jacket off as well, meaning that Schuyler is the only one that survived barring some unthinkable miracle. Even Schuyler was close to not making it, as his doctor said that he had only five to ten hours left until he probably would have died. The fact that anyone made it is a miracle.
Rod Marinelli spoke about Corey Smith in a story on the Bears' website.
The Lions put together a great piece about the kind of person Smith was off the field.
No Lions player will wear the #93 next year as a way to honor Corey Smith.
97.1 FM radio host Mike Valenti is a piece of crap. Plain and simple. He went from an entertaining host to a wannabe shock job pretty quickly after WXYT shifted to FM, and since then he has been an asshole. And that's saying it nicely. I quit listening to him long ago, but apparently he read a joke on the air about Corey Smith earlier this week. It was a joke sent in by a listener, but that is no excuse. He didn't have to read it on the air, but he did and has since apologized after the Lions stepped in and spoke to WXYT, which is the team's flagship radio station. Tom Lewand also apologized to Corey Smith's family for the remarks since they happened on a radio station that is affiliated with the Lions.

Surprisingly, I think Mike Valenti actually summed up my feelings on the situation by saying this after he apologized: "The only thing I can promise you as my listeners is that it won't happen again. Otherwise, I'll tell you right now, I don't deserve to be around." I feel that he shouldn't be around for other reasons, but he is definitely on his last strike, so to speak.
Some recent free agent signings:

Ray Lewis - Ravens
Matt Birk - Ravens
Laveranues Coles - Bengals
Kurt Warner - Cardinals
Also, cornerback Jabari Greer, who recently visited the Lions, signed with the Saints.

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See ya round TO

It looks as if TO is gone from Dallas. It makes me happy to see that Jerry Jones realizes how much of a moron TO is.

by ImPuLsE on Mar 5, 2009 12:13 AM EST reply actions

Stoney and Wojo

So Stoney and Wojo don’t have a job but dirtbag (and has always been one) Mike Valenti still has one. What a country.

by damnitdamnitdamnit on Mar 5, 2009 1:16 AM EST reply actions

I was listening to 97.1 the other day when the “joke” was read. To say that it was some reprehensible act on the part of Valenti is ridiculous. He was quite obviously disgusted by it when he recieved it, and plainly said that he didn’t want to read it. Foster pushed him to read it several times before he finally begrudgingly did so. He was clearly disgusted before, and was even more clearly disgusted after, and spoke out against it immediately after reading it. Certainly he shouldn’t have read it, but nobody knew that better than he did. It’s just foolish to say he did anything reprehensible.

by Trysdor on Mar 5, 2009 10:36 AM EST reply actions

No, it WAS reprehensible

I think the bottom line was that he read the joke.

He read a tasteless (and not even funny) joke on the air about a good guy who just died in the past few days.

There is no excuse. The right thing would have been to ignore the joke, not read it, and move on. He could have moved on, but he chose not to.

by n4ry4 on Mar 5, 2009 11:39 AM EST up reply actions

From Valenti himself:

"There was some reading of jokes and some incredibly inappropriate comments that were made. On behalf of our organization, I feel obligated to apologize to the Smith family on behalf of our flagship station and I’ve been in contact with both the area manager and with the program director. The kind of behavior that was exhibited on their airwaves on Monday afternoon was nothing short of reprehensible. It’s not something we’ll condone, it’s not something the Detroit Lions organization wants to be a part of and I’m hopeful they’ll take appropriate steps to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.’’

It’s not like he said this is awful, but you should hear it. It didn’t even end there:

And then Valenti told a joke about Smith being lost at sea and concluded by saying "From (listener) in Farmington Hills, thank you for that.’’

Valenti is an attention whore and did not need to read it. If anything, he should have called out the listeners for sending that crap in.

Check out Pride of Detroit, SB Nation's Lions Blog

by Sean Yuille on Mar 5, 2009 2:35 PM EST up reply actions

here’s hoping the insurance companies don’t try and make something out of how Smith and Cooper took off their life jackets and “let themselves be swept away”, because I’m sure a lawyer could make a case out of that line….

by ahtrap on Mar 5, 2009 12:01 PM EST reply actions

Love the Buchanon pickup

I am glad we ditched Bodden and picked up Philip. This will be a good move.

GO LIONS!

by Twon82 on Mar 5, 2009 12:31 PM EST reply actions

Free Agents

I like what Schwartz is doing – signing players who can fill some gaps and not going out for the “biggest fish in the sea.” We’re at least 3 years away from being consistently competitive and this is LIKELY the real reason free agent signings is no one wants to come to Detroit – the likelihood of winning here is light years away. In sum, I guess its good we’re not looking to sign big name free agents – they wouldn’t want to come here anyway.

RESTORE THE ROAR IN ’09!! (remember that in 1991)

by NYCLionsfan on Mar 5, 2009 1:23 PM EST reply actions

Why all the "3 years away" talk?

Sorry to a curmudgeon, but that’s one phrase that really grates on me that I hear all over Lions boards. " We shouldn’t trade for this guy or draft that guy because we’re at least 3 years away from contending".

I think you do the best thing you can for your team no matter what the record was last year, especially with new management and new coaches. Getting good players for the right value when the opportunity comes up, whether it’s a big-name guy or a mid-level guy, is always the right move.

Look at Arizona, Atlanta and Miami last year. This thing may turn around very quickly or we may end up with another “lost decade”, you just don’t know.

by n4ry4 on Mar 5, 2009 2:41 PM EST up reply actions