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Thanks St Pete, you just help make my point about bad player acquisitions!
Mike Utley was lost during the 1991 season, and in the following draft the Lions traded up to get a kicker (Jason Hanson) they had a great kicker in Eddy Murray but no right gaurd. The problem was exacerbated when Andolsek was killed that same spring.
Yes Jason is a great kicker, but he did has not help the Lions get a Superbowl ring, while Eddy help the Cowboys get one!
Taking the best player available is a good plan if you have a solid team, like New England, but not when you have major holes in your foundation!
In a previous post I said that this problem has been going on for 10 years but the truth is it has been a problem for 17 years!
My counter-argument. Taking lesser players that fill needs is what keeps teams down. Drafting best player available is what makes a winner, not vice versa. For example, Dizon over players like DeSean Jackson or Ray Rice, et al. You could argue the Cherilus pick's a similar mistake, though I won't. Ditto Sims over Cutler in '06.
GM hat
John,
To argue your point, subpar quarterbacks go hand in hand with a weak offensive line. They wouldn't have been so bad if they weren't running for their lives. Hate to admit this but Kitna could move the team when he was upright. He turned to garbage when pressured.
How do guys like Damian Woody and Kyle Kosier flourish after leaving Detroit and a guard like Rick Demulling blow after he arrived? The Lions O-line still suffers from the loss of Andolsek and Utley. They have been playing with a patchwork group of second stringers ever since. Bring back Kevin Glover...it was like watching Junk Yard Dog with pads nothing like jobber Raiola. Have a good night.
GM hat
John,
What are the only constants over this era of putrid Lions football? Backus at LT, Raiola at C, and Hanson kicking. Hanson aside, as the GM wouldn't you realize these two positions are in need of an upgrade? Backus has been average to below average his whole career and the little engine that couldn't Raiola is better at yelling at fans than opening holes. What would you do as GM? Feel free to rip them because their W-L record over time calls for dismissal.
To play devil's advocate here, what does that say about the rest of them that weren't good enough to stick around? I'd argue the constant that has caused the most problem in recent years (not incl. Mr. Millen) is the constant shuffling of subpar QBs, not to mention the annual roster purge in the secondary and, maybe even more important, the laundry list of head coaches and philosophies that have come in an out of the door.
I'm not saying the Lions don't need to go find a young LT to go with their rookie QB, but I just think people go overboard a bit with those two guys being easy, obvious targets.
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