At this point in the offseason, following a season that included a playoff appearance, you would think most of the questions posed to those associated with the Detroit Lions would revolve around the excitement surrounding the franchise. Instead, the Lions' off-field issues are all anybody wants to talk about. Case in point: Bill Ford Jr., who is the vice chairman of the Lions, was asked about the problems earlier this week. He called them "very disappointing" and added this:
"The veteran leadership on this team is about as high-quality as it gets, with Jason Hanson and Matthew Stafford, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, these are great guys, not just on the field but in the community. That’s the core of leadership we’ve build around – and the expectation is that they will put their arms around these young guys and say, ‘This is what it takes to be a pro.’ Nate Burleson, he’s been hugely important."
Ford also said that the team is "dealing with it in-house." He also pointed out that it isn't a team-wide problem, but rather a "handful of young guys" making everybody look bad. Jim Schwartz noted that earlier in the week, and it is a valid point. The Lions have been pretty well-behaved off the field in recent years, but the actions of a few select guys this offseason are degrading all of the good behavior.
Reminder: You can follow Pride of Detroit on Twitter and like us on Facebook.