- With the trade deadline less than 24 hours away, all appears to be quiet in Detroit. Although that was the case last year before Roy Williams was traded to the Cowboys, that move wasn't totally unexpected. Regardless of what the Lions said, the feeling was that he wouldn't be a Lion for long, though no one thought the trade would be as sweet as it was.
This year is different because the Lions are the ones looking to bring in a player via a trade. Some names being mentioned are Glenn Dorsey and Nnamdi Asomugha. I think Dorsey is someone who the Lions could realistically trade for, but I doubt Asomugha would come cheap. I guess Martin Mayhew could always pull a fast one on Al Davis, but I don't know if there is enough time to sign a sprinter who can "catch" in order to ship him off to Oakland.
I don't really expect anything trade-related to happen for the Lions, but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if Mayhew pulls the trigger on a deal that brings some talent to Detroit. I doubt he will want to give up a draft pick, so my guess is that if a deal happens, it will include only players. - Speaking of Mayhew, he was asked about the possibility that Matthew Stafford's injury is more serious than originally anticipated, and this is what he said:
"It's just gossip," Mayhew said Sunday at halftime of the Lions' 26-0 loss to the Packers. "It's gossip. I'm not going to comment on it. I'm not going to give it any credence or credibility by making a statement about it."
Schwartz also commented on Stafford's injury and simply said that he will practice when he's healthy enough to get back on the field.
Asked if he was denying the report, Mayhew said: "What I said is what I just said.""What I should have said is that we'll get him back on the practice field as soon as we can,'' Schwartz said. "I don't know if that will be this week, I don't know if that will be next week, I don't know if it will be the week after; but, as soon as he's ready and he's able to get out there we'll get him back on the practice field. He's doing everything he can to get back and we're doing everything we can to get him back and that's the philosophy we'll take with it."
I'm not about to start panicking over the possibility that Stafford's injury is much more serious than him simply missing a couple games, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried. All I can say is that either the Lions were not honest in saying that Stafford was questionable for the Packers game or he suffered a setback in the days leading up to the game. I say that because in the video FOX showed of Stafford walking around before the game, he was limping considerably. It wasn't a slight limp; it was a severe one. Perhaps it was just hurting a little more than usual, but I am starting to become more and more concerned.
(More after the jump)
- In his most recent blog post, Cliff Avril called Larry Foote "[a] steady influence in the locker room."
- Remember how Drew Stanton came into the game and led Bryant Johnson right into an enormous hit? I think Stanton's description of the play is the most accurate one I've read so far:
We did not have success my first drive, and I almost got Bryant killed in the process. After apologizing and warming up more, all I wanted to do was go back out there and move the ball on offense.
Johnson thankfully returned shortly after the big hit, because I thought he at least broke a rib or something like that. He must have just had his bell rung and got the wind knocked out of him. -
Don't expect to see the Lions switch to a 3-4 defense as long as Gunther Cunningham is here.
- If Phil Simms was starting a franchise and got to be the GM and head coach, he would pick Matthew Stafford as his quarterback over Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, and Mark Sanchez.