Off Season Musings #2

On The Field

The main moves of Free Agency have taken place and after them the Lions appear a stronger team than before them. The key additions were Reggie Bush at Running Back, Glover Quin at Safety and D-Lineman Jason Jones while the headline losses were that of O-Lineman Gosder Cherilus to the Colts, Defensive End Cliff  Avril to the Seahawks, Linebacker Justin Durant to the Cowboys and Defensive Tackle Sammie Lee Hill to the Titans. It doesn't seem as if the Lions were too fussed about losing Durant, Cherilus or Avril and were resigned to losing Hill as he sought more playing time. There was also the retirement of long time starting Left Tackle Jeff Backus to add to the earlier departures of Titus Young Snr, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Stephen Peterman. The most significant Free Agents they retained were all on the defensive side of the ball with former 3rd round pick Linebacker DeAndre Levy returning along with Secondary stars Chris Houston at Cornerback and Louis Delmas at Safety. Of the Free Agents yet to find a home only Lawrence Jackson remains as a possibility to return.

Off Season Musings #1

Off The Field

From the absolute depth of a 0-16 season the progression curve was supposed to be upward and up until last season it was. The 2011 roster had returned relatively unscathed and whilst some anticipated a slight regression in form most were predicting continued progression in 2012 with another tilt at the playoffs come January. If doubts had been expressed about Coach Schwartz or GM Martin Mayhew before the 2012 season they tended not to come from Lions fans or the local beat writers that make their living following the team. If there were any mutterings at all then they tended to be from fans not entirely convinced by the performance of Schwartz's Co-Ordinators. The regression to a 4-12 season though put everyone's performance under the microscope and for Schwartz and Mayhew, in particular, the scrutiny was intense.

Whilst there were probably questions raised at the highest level about whether to retain GM & HC I doubt that these questions prompted too much discussion. There is much to be said for continuity of personnel in key management positions and it's no coincidence that successful teams have this and unsuccessful ones don't. Both had done enough in the restoration of the Lions to earn the right to correct the mistakes they had made through 2012. It should also be remembered that both Schwartz and Mayhew have no previous experience as Head Coach or GM and so it would be unrealistic to expect them to be error free as they continue to develop in their roles. The key to both of their futures now is to prove they have learnt from last season and to demonstrate they are evolving into the kind of managers that lead winning organisations.