Detroit Lions offensive tackle Jeff Backus has been a part of some really bad teams during his career, so it should come as no surprise that he is excited for the 2011 season. Finally it seems like the Lions are putting together a team with talent and a team that can win a lot of games, and Backus is excited for both sides of the ball going forward.
"You look at us on paper, especially on offense," he told WJR-AM 760 host Frank Beckmann on Friday. "I mean, as long as our offensive line plays well ... I'm really excited about our offense. I think we've got a lot of talent, a lot of skill players and a lot of weapons.
"And then we're filling needs on defense with what we've done with our defensive line. I can't picture a defensive line around the league that has more talented guys than what we have right now. We are on the upswing, and we're gonna win games."
Backus also mentioned that he doesn't think the NFL lockout is going to have a "huge impact" on the Lions' season. He thinks Detroit will be fine once the fall rolls around, assuming the labor issue has been resolved and there is actually football to be played, of course.