Lions only have three players left from Matt Millen era

It's a bit hard to believe, but we are approaching the five-year anniversary of Matt Millen being fired by the Detroit Lions. As of Sept. 24, 2013, it will have been five years since the Lions canned Millen and brought one of the worst tenures in the history of professional sports to a close.

On the one hand, five years isn't all that long. In fact, just five years ago, Millen was getting ready to take part in what turned out to be his final draft as general manager of the Lions. Then again, as a fan it feels like it's been a lifetime since Millen ran the Lions. His tenure is squarely in the past, and a lot has changed since he was sent packing. Proof of this comes in this stat from Mike O'Hara:

Sending this again: 3 Lions still on active roster inherited by Jim Schwartz in '09: Calvin Johnson, Dominic Raiola, Don Muhlbach.

— Mike O'Hara (@MikeOHaraNFL) April 5, 2013

Yes, the Lions are down to only three players from the Millen era. Roster turnover is quite common in the NFL considering a lot of players last only a few years in the league, but it's pretty remarkable that the Lions only have three guys left who were around for the 0-16 season in 2008. That speaks to just how quickly the Lions have completely overhauled their roster, and it also speaks to just how little talent was on the team when Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz took over the operation.

Currently, the Lions have 66 players under contract or under their control (i.e. restricted/exclusive-rights free agents). Below is a look at when and how the Lions acquired those 66 players, showing exactly how the current roster came together. (Note: Many players signed from the practice squad or via futures deals originally joined and were released by the team at an earlier date. However, for the sake being consistent, the date listed is when they most recently joined the active roster.)

The three remaining players from before 2009, as noted, are Calvin Johnson, Dominic Raiola and Don Muhlbach. Johnson and Muhlbach both made the Pro Bowl last season, and neither should be going anywhere in the immediate future. Johnson is under contract through 2019, and you would think Muhlbach will be around for at least a few more years. Raiola, on the other hand, is likely entering his final season with the Lions.

Since the end of the Millen era, the Lions have continued to have their fair share of struggles, but at least they made the playoffs in 2011. Whether or not they will be able to sustain success like that in the future remains to be seen, but given how much the roster has changed, it's clear we are in a new era of Lions football.

(Note: Although he reportedly agreed to a deal back in March, wide receiver Kassim Osgood is not currently under contract with the Lions.)