2013 Offseason Looking at Personnel

Well we are officially in the offseason. Last year seemed like a panic attack with such cap issues that just got pushed back to this year. I think all personnel minus Megatron and Reiff. Honestly I can't think of anyone else that shouldn't be under some consideration. Well

Lets start with the coaches. Schwartz needs to be on the hot seat. If we can get certain coaches I'm all for canning Schwartz. A teams discipline is a direct reflection of the head coach. This is an undisciplined team. I always want to give a guy a fair shot. If you can get a guy like Andy Reid I'm all for it. Bill Cowher and the top coaches (Gruden) are not going to be knocking down the door. I personally don't like Cowher and Gruden, but my point being those top coaches aren't going to becoming to Detroit. Based on who is out there and who is we could get I would give Schwartz one more year. A playoff birth next year would keep his job alive. Otherwise I need to see a disciplined team. I'm not say improvement, I'm saying a disciplined team. In one year that doesn't seem realistic, but I think he's had enough time to have a disciplined team.

These are Mayhew guys that are acting uncontrollable. What is driving me crazy as a Lions fan is the second round picks or the late first round picks. Titus Young, Jahvid Best, Kevin Smith, Jordan Dizon, Amari Spievey (early 3rd), and Louis Delmas. Now not all of these are Mayhew's picks. Dizon was a Millen era pick. Delmas and Smith I think are really good picks, but injuries have just plagued them. the early picks minus last you year you can't really disagree with. Even if Suh and Stafford were bust I don't think anyone was really disagreeing with the picks. I loved the Pettigrew pick who really has to work on catching the ball and not losing it. I would have taken DeCastro last year. Reiff was a good pick. Production out of our later picks just aren't working out. Heads need to roll and having to draft WR and RB early year after year there is something wrong. I'd love to bring in Scott Pioli. They tried to build a team around Matt Cassell and that didn't work. I'm on the fence similar to Schwartz. Schwartz case I'm on the side of keeping him, Mayhew I'm on the side of getting rid of him. Call it a knee jerk reaction, but heads need to roll and there is a personnel problem.

Free Agents

Pos	Player	FA Status
RB	Joique Bell	RFA
RB	Jerome Harrison	UFA
RB	Stefan Logan	UFA
RB	Kevin Smith	UFA
FB	Shaun Chapas	UFA
WR	Patrick Edwards	RFA
WR	Kassim Osgood	UFA
TE	Will Heller	UFA
PK	Jason Hanson	UFA
P	Nick Harris	UFA
OT	Gosder Cherilus	UFA
OT	Jason Fox	RFA
OT	Corey Hilliard	UFA
C	Rodney Austin	RFA
C	Dylan Gandy	UFA
C	Don Muhlbach	UFA
DL	Andre Fluellen	UFA
DL	Sammie Hill	UFA
DL	Lawrence Jackson	UFA
DL	Willie Young	RFA
DT	Corey Williams	UFA
DE	Cliff Avril	UFA
LB	Justin Durant	UFA
LB	DeAndre Levy	UFA
LB	Carmen Messina	RFA
LB	Ashlee Palmer	UFA
CB	Drayton Florence	UFA
CB	Chris Houston	UFA
CB	Jacob Lacey	UFA
CB	Patrick Lee	UFA
SS	Ricardo Silva	RFA
SS	Amari Spievey	RFA
FS	Don Carey	RFA
FS	Louis Delmas	UFA

Starting with the backfield. You keep the diamond in the rough Bell. Smith seems to be eating up money for no real reason. I think Smith is a great back plagued by injuries. I'd like to keep him around, but he's 3rd or 4th on a team that doesn't run the ball. Logan has to go. I said he shouldn't have made the team this year and maybe it's personal there. Take a knee and you get it at the 20. We have people that can return and you can't waste a spot on just a returner.

Kassim Osgood has been a special teams stud, but can't seem to actually play WR. You need these special team guys and I say keep him, let Edwards go possibly practice squad. Definitely keep Heller around. Jason has earned to go out on his own terms. I don't know what his hang time or really to many stats. I thought he did a good job. I'd like to know inside the 10 and 5. I understand the reason for the stat being inside the 20, but there's a huge difference between the 1 and the 19 yard line. He did not have a lot of touchbacks. I'd like to see a competition between him and someone in camp. There are good punters sitting on their couch and in college.

Boy is the O line a sticky situation. When Hillard came in and did a fantastic job I thought he was a must keep. If he can't do much better then Cherilus he must be expendable. It just really depends on the price. He will really be the first to stay. The draft is really going to be key. Luke Joekel is the top tackle assuming he's leaving. From what I've seen I really like him. If he's there you take him. Reiff goes to RT and Luke would be the LT and Cherilus would be gone. I don't think he'll be there. His footwork is definitely impressive. I've heard him compared to Joe Thomas. Who knows where Central Michigan's Eric Fisher goes. There are a lot of good interior lineman as well in the draft. The free agent list will be slim, but high quality lineman. I think there is very little way that Cherilus returns. Gandy and Austin are your backup C/G you keep at a low rate. Muhlbach another great season as the long snapper.

The D line is also tough. There's a good chance we get a good DE in the draft. There's an abundance of DEs in the draft and they will be quite the opposite in free agency. I think you say bye bye to Avril. We just can't afford him. He's more into his stats and he was offsides too many times. We don't have the money let him walk. Don't insult the guy. One of our rare later draft picks that panned out. We just can't afford him and don't insult him. He's not giving a hometown discount. I'd like them to keep everyone else. Williams probably won't stay. I think his contract has to be on the way down and I think you keep him around. He's not worth the money he once was. If that's what he wants then you have to let him go.

I'd like to see them keep all the LBs. I think they'll be able too. I'd really like to see the Lions bring back Houston as a #2. I'd really like them to hit the free agency market hard at the safety and CB position. Houston isn't a top 7 free agent CBs available. Delmas would probably be right at 7. I'd like to see Delmas comeback. His injuries worry me. I don't think franchising him is the answer. He's a rare talent. If he's not on the field it's irrelevant. Florence showed flashes, but he clearly doesn't have it anymore so he's gone. Hang onto his phone number. I'd like Lacey to stay. Silva and Carey I thought played well as a backup and should bring them back.