Disclaimer: This is my original work, sorry for the long post.

http://www.studyofsports.com/?p=2413

Before I begin, I'd like to address my absence from this website.  I went into what I like to call a "sports coma" after the Red Wings lost game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals.  Combined with the end of the Pistons' dynasty, the embarrassment of the Michigan Wolverines football season, and, of course, 0-16, sports became unbearable for a month.  But, alas, I awaken to see that not all is wrong in the sports world.  The Tigers are in first place, Chris Pronger has been exiled to the Eastern Conference and football is only two months away. 

With the ensuing NFL season on the horizon, irrational optimism begins to seep in, even with the dirt still fresh on the 0-16 grave in my head.  But perhaps I'm not completely insane for being a little hopeful.  The Lions have a whole new set of coaches, and they've been quite active in the offseason.  In addition to ten new draft picks, the Lions have added several new faces behind the blue and silver helmets. With that, I introduce you to the projected 2009 Detroit Lions starting lineup.

Projection based on player who will get the most starts at that position throughout the entire season.  Not necessarily Week 1 starters.

Offensive Line

While the offensive line looks relatively unchanged, the Lions actually did a lot to make this unit better.  Loper played a backup role on Tennessee's team, which featured one of the best linemen crew in the NFL.  Loper got some playing time in the playoffs last year and held his own. 

In addition to the acquisition of Loper, the Lions added plenty of depth.  Jon Jansen, Toniu Fonoti and Lydon Murtha are all new players who could certainly see some playing time this year.  Jansen, a Michigan native, is a veteran who can provide valuable mentorship for Cherilus, who is entering his second year and has shown flashes of potential.  Fonoti's size will give him a good chance to make the roster and get some reps at guard.  Murtha, a seventh round draft pick, may be a long-shot to play this year, but, injuries aside, Murtha has shown plenty of potential to be a contributor down the road for this organization.  

Overall, this unit has improved significantly.  While only one starter has changed, Cherilus is improving and the addition of solid backups should give the starters the occasional breather that they may need on game day.

Receivers and TE

Once again, the Lions' wideouts look different than they did the year before.  The underperforming Williams was shipped away to Dallas (HI, COWBOYS FANS!) for a first, third and sixth round pick, Furrey and McDonald were replaced by free agent pickups B. Johnson and Ronald Curry.  Even after all of these moves, the Lions were not done as they recently traded safety Gerald Alexander for the veteran Northcutt.

But perhaps the biggest addition to this group is first round draft pick and the top tight end prospect in the 2009 draft Pettigrew.  He should immediately give the offensive line a boost for the running game.  Last year, the Lions struggled to find a solid tight end on their roster.  And while I called the idea of drafting Pettigrew "ludicrous" in March, it was an area of need that was filled by the best player available. 

Overall, I would say this new crew is probably very similar in talent to last year's receivers.  B. Johnson will be a solid number two receiver, but won't be as flashy as Roy.  Northcutt and Curry should also be fairly solid options as the slot receiver, on par with the Furrey/McDonald team of the last few years.  Draft pick Derrick Williams is unlikely to get much playing time as a receiver but may relieve Lions fans of the extremely mediocre play of Aveion Cason on special teams.

Quarterback and Running Backs

The only real notable change here is obviously Stafford.  I project him to start the most games at quarterback this year, but I also wouldn't be surprised if he is the starter on week one at New Orleans.  He's been pretty impressive during organized team activities (OTAs) in the offseason.  And while players were also raving about Culpepper's play, the Lions stand to gain more by starting Stafford as soon as he's ready.  Depending on his progression through training camp and the preseason, Stafford could start as early as week one but no later than the Lions' bye week in week seven.

The addition of Morris is not likely to add much more than Rudi brought to the table last year.  The battle for the starting fullback position, however, is quite intriguing (well, at least as intriguing as anything fullback related can get).  Second year Felton is looking to outplay veteran addition Terrelle Smith.  Smith has plenty of experience as fullback, but is hardly used as an offensive threat.  Felton, however, is much more versatile.  He had nine receptions last year, and can also be used as a rushing threat.  Although the Lions don't plan on using the fullback position much as an offensive threat, Felton's flexibility and youth should win him the starting job.

Defensive Line

The 2009 defensive line will become the biggest liability of the Lions this year.  This is perhaps the only position that the Lions downgraded this year.  This unit may improve a little if Kevin Carter is signed (as he can play both DE and DT), but as of now, things look bleak.  Avril was a surprise last year (four sacks in last six games) and will most likely improve this year.  He's going to have to beat out White, who has been consistently good, but not outstanding. 

Inside, the Lions lost the inconsistent, but powerful, body of Redding and replaced him with Jackson.  Jackson is a big enough to replace him, but he's getting towards the end of his career and won't be able to play outside of short-yardage situations.  Rookie Sammie Lee Hill is a project that won't get any playing time this year, but if he responds well to teaching may be a dominant force a couple years down the line. 

This unit was horrid last year, giving up an incredible amount of rushing yards (172/game).  This year, things might be even worse.

Linebackers

On the flip side, the linebacker position was upgraded immensely this offseason.  The Lions finally got their middle linebacker in Foote, who wanted to come back to his home town of Detroit.  Foote will likely end the carousel of players that the Lions tried in the middle.  Similarly, the Lions picked up five-time Pro Bowler Peterson in a trade with Seattle.  Peterson provides a great compliment to Sims, and will also be a valuable pass rusher.  Peterson's rush can help with the front four's ability to pressure the quarterback. 

The addition of two, veteran players is immediately going to make Sims a better player.  Sims will have trust in his teammates and will be able to focus solely on his duties.  These veterans will also allow newly drafted DeAndre Levy and Zack Follett to learn under the best.   

Not only did the Lions acquire quality starters in this department, but they also built a solid foundation for the future of this position.

Defensive Backs

Admittedly, this is more of a hope than a projection.  In my dream scenario, Bullocks, my man-crush, plays outstanding during training camp and earns the starting spot.  If he fills this void, Henry can stay at cornerback, where the Lions are particularly thin, rather than move back to safety.

Anyways, Henry was brought aboard to replace voids left by Bodden, who was too expensive to keep, and Fisher's release.  The Lions got Henry by robbing the Cowboys once again (HI COWBOYS FANS!) while only giving up Kitna, who was probably ready to move on anyways.  The Lions also nabbed Buchanon from free agency, who will certainly fill one of the cornerback spots on the roster.  In addition, the Lions signed Eric King, who has solidified himself as the nickel back.  King may compete for a starting job, especially if Henry is pushed back to safety. 

Delmas is already wowing people in OTAs.  His mix of speed and hitting ability has elated coaches.  If he lives up to the hype he's getting, he may be Detroit's best offseason addition.

This group looks much different than last year's team.  However, different does not always mean better.  Last year, hopes were high for newcomers Bodden and Pearson.  Thoughts were that Bodden may be the most underrated corner in the league.  Things obviously didn't pan out here in Detroit, and they may not with this new crew.  But, much like the rest of the roster, the secondary needed to be altered, and the new coaching staff did a fairly decent job of it. 

In April, the Lions changed the face of the organization when they updated their old logo.  In truth, they've been overhauling the old Lions since Jim Schwartz was hired.  While the new logo bears quite the resemblance to the old one, the new roster looks nothing like the old one.  In total, 14 of the 24 positions I listed have new starters.  While the talent of these new names is still a mystery, one thing is for certain, this is no longer your 2008, Matt Millen, Rod Marinelli 0-16 Detroit Lions.  This is something different.