Dreaming of Better Times For The Gridiron Heroes

Dreams can sometimes help us to get by the tough times that we are dealing with in the present. I myself tend to dream of hitting the big time and launching into the world of CEO of one of the greatest teams in football history, the Detroit Lions!!! Okay, maybe I am exaggerating, but it is always great to dream right?

I, like other Lions fans, have spent years sucking down my sorrow in the twelve ounce curl exercises that seem to dull the pains of my loyalty to fecal matter wearing Honolulu Blue. I cried when Wayne Fontes was let go, when Barry Sanders retired as a result of this, when Chris Spielman and Herman Moore moved on to greener pastures elsewhere. I saw a team that destroyed America's team in that wonderful home playoff game year's ago and I saw that team ripped apart slowly by the coaches that came in after Wayne Fontes, only to completely resemble that flaming bag of doggy treats that we used to leave on our unsuspecting Rochester Hills neighbor's doorsteps. It was this great ponderance of memory lane that had me boiling over last night as I realized that I had helped to pay for that bag of doggy treats that was left on my doorstep by William Clay Ford. Why should we as Lions fans have to wait for great product to be put on the unfrozen tundra of Ford Field? We have done enough waiting!!! It is time for the Ford family to pay us back for the years of misery they have put us through. It is an uncapped year, the Lions should go for broke now. They have a star quarterback and receiver already, why not use free agency to bring in new players and resign our restricted players that could impact the team now? The Ford family can open up their purse and bring some aspects of joy to a statethat has been on the verge of collapse the past few years with the economy swinging it's scythe towards the neck of the industry that defined the area. So, without the worry of actually using any of my own money, below is a list of what I would do to improve the team if my dreams came true and I was suddenly Martin Mayhew in this presently uncapped season.

Let's talk offense! The first player I would sign, even though many would disagree with this, is LT. Tomlinson did only have 730 yards rushing last year for San Diego, but he ran for at least 1,000 his previous 7 seasons and he still scored 12 rushing TDs last year. With Kevin Smith returning from his injury, they will make a perfect pair in the backfield. Next the Lions could sign Derrick Mason as their slot #2 receiver. Mason had 73 catches for 1,028 yards last season. A perfect target to get the heat off of Calvin. If Mason refused to sign then we could always try for TO for #2 lol. If we add another target to the lineup as the #3 receiver with Muhsin Mohammad who had 53 catches for 581 yards for the Carolina Panthers then Stafford's weapons would have become an arsenal of nuclear weapons, leaving the conventional behind. Offensive line help definitely needs to be addressed by signing RT Kirk Chambers who is an unrestricted free agent from the Buffalo Bills and drafting for RG Mitch Petrus of Arkansas and for LG Zane Beadles of Utah. The last position that needs to be addressed is that of back-up quarterback.  I would sign  UFA Charlie Batch from the Pittsburgh Steelers, so that he can come back to Michigan with his two Super Bowl rings and finish his career and also help tutor Stafford without worry of any quarterback controversy ever.

Alright, now let's look at the other side of the ball, the defense! First of all the Lions need to resign Larry Foote. He is leader on and off the field. The second person I would sign is Kyle Vanden Bosch for LDE who only had 3 sacks last year for the Tennessee Titans, but has had 12 twice in his career with big boys like Haynesworth next to him on the line. Which goes in to my next signing which may be far fetched, but this my dream so shut your traps you nay sayers. The next person I would sign would be for RDEJulius Peppers who had 10.5 sacks last year. This would propel the Lions into the upper echelon of defensive lines in the NFL, especially with the drafting of Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska for DT. Then add UFA Jason Taylor, who had 6.5 sack last year for the Miami Dolphins, to an already pretty decent Linebacker corp, and you are looking at a far better defense pressure wise than took the field the year before. But, my dream isn't over yet so let me keep going.

In the defensive backfield the Lions need a little help for Delmas, so why not sign the reliable Tyrone Carter UFA of the Pittsburgh Steelers to help him at SS. We can also try to grab Antonio Cromartie of the Chargers in a trade that they were working on as I posted this and Nick Harper who was on the Titans last year in order to sure up our cornerback positions.

So, here is what my starting team would look like taking the field next September:

QB: Matthew Stafford

RB: LeDainian Tomlinson

RB: Kevin Smith

WR #1 Calvin Johnson

WR #2 Derrick Mason

WR #3 Muhsin Mohammad

ORT: Kirk Chamber

ORG: Mitch Petrus

Center: Dominic Riola

OLG: Zane Beadles

OLT: Jeff Backus

TE: Brandon Pettigrew

LDE: Kyle Vanden Bosch

LDT:  Grady Jackson

RDT: Ndamukong Suh

RDE: Julius Peppers

SLB: Jason Taylor / Julian Peterson

MLB: Larry Foote

WLB: Ernie Simms

CB: Antonio Cromartie

CB: Nick Harper

FS: Lious Delmas

SS: Tyrone Carter

PR: Dennis Northcutt

KR: Derrick Williams

KR: Aaron Brown

Kicker: Jason Hanson

Punter: Nick Harris

The reason I have elected to go old with many of the free agents is because there are so many holes the Lions need to fill when it comes to youth, that as a GM I would elect to nail one side of the ball in the draft and in this year's  I can say that I am hitting the offensive line. After Suh, almost every draft pick will be for the offensive line. This will help protect the arm of Stafford for years to come. The addition of older vets right now, if they would even join the Lions, is to give the Lions another year so that the younger players can mature and to allow for the draft next year to fullfill the defensive side of the ball. When it comes to skill players on offense, I believe, with the exception of another exceptional receiver to help Calvin, that we already have the nucleus of youthful corp players we need to win in the future. This is with Stafford, Johnson, Pettigrew, and Smith. If you notice many of the players come I would sign have either worked with Coach Schwartz before, played with Larry Foote in Pittsburgh, or have connections to the area. I know that this roster would make us the oldest team in the league, but it would allow us to win for at least one year while we wait to draft younger players in the future. Winning is addicting and to win that one year might change everything around for the future years with the younger players. It would definitely do wonders on the persona of the Lions and might lead to better players signing in the future.  I would only sign the older vets to a one year contract if I could. I know, it is all a pipe dream! I might as well put it all in my pipe and smoke it. But, a fellow can dream right? Being a Lions fan for years, sometimes that's all you may have, your dreams. Keep up the good fight and talk to you later!