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Lions 2007 Training Camp Report







DETROIT LIONS TRAINING CAMP



2007 Training Camp Report



QB MATT SCHAUB



+2 AWR (76) | +1 THA (92)



A third-stringer with an injury rating and arm strength that are a little scary, but as long as he doesn't get hit or get asked to throw deep routes over and over again, he's a solid third option. I had no one else eligible, and if he keeps his roster spot, he might eventually be worthy of an injury/toughness rating bump. His throwing accuracy is his saving grace, and I think he's among the better third-string quarterbacks in the league.



HB BRANDON JACOBS



+1 SPD (87) | +1 AGI (87) | +1 ACC (89)



The big man keeps getting bumps while waiting patiently for his inevitable turn as the team's workhorse. The 264-pound former second-round pick begins his third season backing up starting running back Kevin Barlow yet again, but he looks ready to take another leap. Jacobs was already a load to deal with, and adding a little more speed, agility and acceleration to that frame is bad news for the rest of the league.



TE ANTONIO GATES



+1 SPD (90) | +1 AGI (85) | +1 ACC (87)



Gates had an exceptional playoff run in 2006, and he comes back even better. He has virtually no holes in his game, and now the increased speed makes him even more of a home-run threat. He'll get plenty of snaps at WR3 this season, where his combination of size and now 90 speed should create some heavy mismatches against the typically shorter nickel backs trying to cover him.



OT GEORGE FOSTER



+1 SPD (61) | +1 AGI (61) | +1 ACC (71)



Foster gets his contract, and now he gets a training camp boost. He's already got the awareness and blocking skills needed to succeed, so it was time to put some work into the physical attributes. That'll come in handy against some of the prominent pass rushers Detroit will see, especially the Bears' newest addition, former Colts DE Dwight Freeney.



DE KALIMBA EDWARDS



+1 SPD (8Cool | +1 AGI (8Cool | +1 ACC (90)



Edwards gets yet another bump, further distancing himself from the rest of the pack of speedy pass rushers. Only DE Raheem Orr of the Jaguars can match him across all three of these physical attributes, but Edwards now has the awareness to go along with them. He's been building toward it for a while, and I think this could finally be the breakout season for him.



OLB MICHAEL BOLEY



+1 SPD (83) | +1 AGI (86) | +1 ACC (87)



Boley has always played faster than his speed rating would suggest, probably due in part to his agility. Now he gets another physical bump as he tries to keep pace with the rest of Detroit's newer linebackers, including Reynolds and Kevin Smith. The best part is that he's still only 23 years old, leaving plenty of training camps ahead of him if he continues to develop.



SS DONNIE NICKEY



+1 SPD (91) | +1 AGI (8Cool | +1 ACC (90)



Nickey has come a long way from the terrible awareness he entered the league with as a rookie. He made the Pro Bowl two seasons ago and has developed into one of the better strong safeties in the league. This boost adds even more speed to a Detroit defensive unit that continues to get faster, and with 91 SPD and 90 ACC, Nickey should be right back in contention for another Pro Bowl bid this season.



K MATT LEACH



+2 AWR (59) | +1 INJ (Cool



Leach has gone from a raw free-agent find to a money kicker, even if he's still about as brittle as a Christmas ornament. He's already maxed out in kicking power and accuracy, so awareness was the natural place to go next, followed by a desperately needed bump to the injury rating. He's up to an 8 now, so...progress? Hopefully him having to make a tackle remains an absolute last resort.




Forum Discussion (by Rod_Mendez on 08/19/2026) Replies - 0 :: Views - 8
2007 Lions Draft Recap







DETROIT LIONS 2007 DRAFT REVIEW



Nine selections | Athletic traits, developmental upside and a few swings at the draft gem






1.9 FS DASHON GOLDSON



6'2" | 205 lbs | Age 23 | SPD 91 | AWR 51 | AGI 93 | ACC 95 | CTH 62 | TAK 75



People should probably start expecting me to reach on safeties with rare physical/athletic trait combinations. I remember drafting a stud early in the SFL that not many people liked at the time, but he ended up being pretty damn good.




Guess how many safeties in the entire league are at least 6'2" with at least 91 SPD? Two. SS Donnie Nickey of my Lions, and now Goldson.




I believe the ability to take away a couple of touchdowns over the course of a season has some value, and the height helps make up for the lack of awareness he currently has. At 6'2" with 91 SPD, 93 AGI and 95 ACC, he's simply going to be able to make some plays that other players at the position can't.




Some have speculated that I might move him to CB, but that wasn't in the plans and won't be unless he gets his awareness up significantly, and fast. Most likely, he's my starting free safety for the next decade.







1.10 MLB KELVIN SMITH



6'2" | 240 lbs | Age 23 | SPD 88 | STR 67 | AWR 68 | AGI 85 | ACC 89 | CTH 49 | TAK 79



I'm not going to lie, I was initially targeting DeOssie, who ultimately went 5th overall to the Saints. I liked his size and AGI/ACC combination. But Smith wasn't too far behind, and in a key attribute like awareness he has a +7 advantage.




At 6'2", 240 with 88 SPD and 89 ACC, Smith has plenty of athleticism of his own. Add 68 AWR and 79 TAK and I'm comfortable with picking him early even if I didn't hear his name much in other mocks. I feel like he has a pretty safe floor with upper-tier potential. I know many value STR at linebacker, but clearly I feel it’s much less important.




Current starter Chris Claiborne will hit 30 next season and Smith should hit the ground running as the lead MLB once that happens. He'll get significant time anyway in the 3-4 defense we'll run in many games this season.




Looking back on it, I think Smith, his lower cap number and the additional pick next season were well worth moving down.







2.9 TE CLARK HARRIS



6'5" | 252 lbs | Age 23 | SPD 82 | AWR 50 | AGI 76 | ACC 87 | CTH 82 | JMP 76 | BTK 68 | PBK 55 | RBK 49



The pick was acquired in a trade down from 2.1, and TE2 was a position I wanted to address considering the depth there in this draft class. I was definitely looking at 6'7" Scott Chandler here if he fell but, again, the Saints sniped him just a few picks earlier.




I was hurting for some private workouts by this point, as most of mine either turned out super disappointing or the players were close enough that I felt like I could wait. Harris has a good combination of size, speed and acceleration at 6'5", 252 with 82 SPD and 87 ACC.




What sealed it for me was the hands. Starting with 82 CTH was exactly what I needed: a tight end with reliable hands and good size for the red-zone packages that run with two TEs. He's also a decent insurance policy in case star TE Antonio Gates should happen to come down with an injury.







2.16 DE TIM CROWDER



6'4" | 260 lbs | Age 22 | SPD 75 | STR 61 | AWR 52 | AGI 58 | ACC 85 | TAK 71



Blind pick. I was hoping his speed/acceleration would skew up, so I was disappointed when it didn't. The 85 ACC is still pretty good, and 71 TAK is okay, but there's nothing here that really jumps off the page.




I guess being only 22 years old is the saving grace. There's plenty of time for him to develop, and it's not like studs were being picked left and right after he came off the board, so that made me feel slightly better. The draft just wasn't good at the position.







4.10 ROLB CHAD NKANG



5'11" | 215 lbs | Age 22 | SPD 82 | STR 80 | AWR 42 | AGI 83 | ACC 86 | CTH 59 | TAK 66



At this point everything was blind. Nkang isn't normally a linebacker I'd go for, but he looked like he had a safe floor with a little upside if things skewed right.




The 42 AWR obviously isn't ideal, but 82 SPD, 80 STR, 83 AGI and 86 ACC is a pretty solid athletic package for a fourth-round linebacker.




I was looking for a player who would skew up nicely as the draft gem in combination with the attributes that wouldn't be changed. I think it was Beason, but it could have been Durant. Either way, that would've been nice.




But what I'm left with is a pretty good special teamer and a cheap depth piece, as two current backups are set to hit the free-agent market next offseason.







4.19 C DUSTIN FRY



6'4" | 294 lbs | Age 24 | SPD 63 | STR 92 | AWR 46 | AGI 52 | ACC 81 | PBK 80 | RBK 70



Fry is 24, but I think he was the most athletic center in this class. At 6'4", 294, he's got 92 STR and 81 ACC to go with an already solid 80 PBK.




Dominic Raiola is coming up against the regression phase of his career, so it was time to keep an eye out for a suitable replacement to develop. Fry could end up a starter if he gets playing time, but that's going to be difficult unless we're out of contention or up big in the standings.




Again, the eye on the draft gem was there, and the thought of combining his athleticism with 20th overall pick Ryan Kalil's awareness, agility and blocking skills made him too interesting to pass up.




He looks to be a solid backup for the time being.







4.25 HB CHRIS HENRY



5'11" | 234 lbs | Age 22 | SPD 83 | AWR 65 | AGI 88 | ACC 93 | CAR 75 | BTK 70



I needed one more running back to fill out the RB3 slot and Henry was the best of what was left. I like his awareness, his 93 ACC and his size at 5'11", 234. He's not a burner with 83 SPD, but the acceleration is excellent and 75 CAR gives him something useful right away.




I firmly believe if given enough training camps and playing time he could eventually be a starter or a damn good RB2 in the right scheme.




A skew up to Marshawn Lynch's speed and BTK would've been nice. As a draft gem, combining that with Henry's existing size, acceleration and awareness definitely would've given him RB1 upside.







4.28 LT COREY HILLIARD



6'5" | 308 lbs | Age 22 | SPD 68 | STR 87 | AWR 67 | AGI 54 | ACC 72 | PBK 79 | RBK 66



I love spotting an overlooked lineman late that I think could eventually develop into a good starter. I guess who doesn't, right? I feel like Hilliard could actually be one of those guys.




He's got pretty solid athletic traits for a 6'5", 308-pound tackle. There are only three other tackles in the entire league that can match his combination of 68 SPD, 87 STR, 67 AWR and 72 ACC. Those are meaningful attributes for the position, too, not adding something unimportant just to make him seem more rare than he is.




His blocking skills need a lot of work, particularly the 66 RBK, but 79 PBK isn't a bad place to start. At only 22, I think I can eventually make him a starting left tackle, and a good one at that.




He might split a little time with the Moose there this season, so long as things aren't dire with a super-tight race while playing a team that could beat us.







4.31 CB TREMAINE McBRIDE



5'9" | 185 lbs | Age 22 | SPD 88 | AWR 66 | AGI 85 | ACC 87 | CTH 56 | TAK 19



I know many GMs noticed the draft gem would skew up to Revis Island, so looking at someone with potentially higher awareness to add to the elite speed Revis would give made McBride an interesting prospect.




Obviously it didn't work out, but I think the 66 AWR guarantees him a spot on the depth chart even if it's CB4/5. He's still got 88 SPD and 87 ACC, so it's not like he's completely lacking physically either.




I also find it funny he's listed as a hard hitter with a laughable 19 TAK. Apparently he hits hard as hell once every five games when he actually manages to tackle somebody.







DETROIT LIONS | 2007 ENTRY DRAFT


Forum Discussion (by Rod_Mendez on 08/16/2026) Replies - 0 :: Views - 9
Lions 2006 Postseason Review







2006 DETROIT LIONS

THE CARDIAC CATS








Sometimes a nickname fits perfectly, even if it’s borrowed. The 2006 Lions earned the moniker of “Cardiac Cats” with not only an up-and-down season, but multiple overtime losses and a three-way tie after winning seven of their final eight games that allowed them to sneak into the playoffs.


One of the preseason favorites, Detroit was definitely considered dangerous coming into the postseason, and I’m sure there were teams that didn’t want to see them make it. Unfortunately for them, they did, and the Lions showed the rest of their opponents why.


Three straight playoff wins put Detroit in the Super Bowl, where they would ultimately fall just short against the Denver Broncos after starting QB Donovan McNabb went down with a season-ending injury one game earlier.








WILD CARD ROUND

DETROIT 30 — ATLANTA 15








Detroit defeated the Falcons on the road in the Wild Card round, 30-15. It was a well-rounded performance headlined by QB Donovan McNabb, HB Kevan Barlow and TE Antonio Gates.









QB DONOVAN McNABB — 13/25 | 329 YDS | 2 TD | 0 INT | 124.2 RAT

HB KEVAN BARLOW — 19 ATT | 128 YDS | 6.74 AVG | 1 TD

TE ANTONIO GATES — 6 REC | 160 YDS | 2 TD | 69 LONG





McNabb completed just 13 passes, but those completions went for 329 yards. Both of his touchdowns went to Gates, first from 12 yards out to open the scoring and then on a 69-yard strike in the second quarter.


Barlow gave Detroit the balance it needed, running for 128 yards on 19 carries before breaking a 43-yard touchdown in the third quarter that pushed the lead to 27-9.


The uber-efficient offense didn’t let the Falcons dictate the pace despite Atlanta holding the ball for nearly 28 minutes. Detroit finished with 463 yards of total offense while averaging 13.08 yards per pass attempt and 5.91 yards per rush.


The defensive unit deserves its due credit as well. They helped keep Falcons QB Michael Vick out of rhythm, eventually leaving him with a pedestrian 72.1 QB rating.


Michael Vick — 17/35 | 268 YDS | 1 TD | 1 INT | 4 SACKS


Sean Taylor intercepted Vick and added seven tackles, while Detroit’s pass rush got to him four times. Atlanta’s only touchdown didn’t come until a 71-yard Larry Brackins reception with 2:20 remaining and Detroit already comfortably ahead.


They had snuck in. Now they were making some noise.








DIVISIONAL ROUND

DETROIT 44 — ST. LOUIS 24








The Divisional Round matchup with the Rams went pretty similarly, although it certainly didn’t start that way.


St. Louis jumped out to a 10-0 lead and held a 17-13 advantage through two quarters. The defense knocked starting QB Kurt Warner out of the game, and the usually reliable Marc Bulger struggled in his place.


Marc Bulger — 16/33 | 218 YDS | 1 TD | 2 INT | 6 SACKS


To make matters worse for the Rams, McNabb was on his game.









QB DONOVAN McNABB — 14/29 | 399 YDS | 4 TD | 0 INT | 134.0 RAT

WR ANQUAN BOLDIN — 6 REC | 227 YDS | 3 TD | 134 YAC

TE ANTONIO GATES — 3 REC | 115 YDS | 1 TD | 91 LONG





Boldin absolutely blew up with six catches for 227 yards, 134 yards after the catch and three touchdowns. His scores went for 85, 53 and 71 yards.


Gates got his second consecutive 100-yard game with 115 yards on just three catches, one being a 91-yard touchdown.


The score was 17-13 Rams through two quarters. Once the second half hit, the Lions offense was done playing games.


Barlow punched in a three-yard touchdown to put Detroit ahead. McNabb then found Boldin for a 53-yard score before hitting Gates for 91 yards, turning a four-point halftime deficit into a 34-17 Lions lead by the end of the third quarter.


Detroit ultimately outscored the Rams 31-7 after halftime.


Defensively, Kalimba Edwards recorded two sacks. Donnie Abraham and Chris Claiborne each intercepted Bulger, and the defense as a whole piled up six sacks.


The injury at quarterback for St. Louis, McNabb’s performance and the all-around defensive effort resulted in the 44-24 final score, propelling Detroit to its first PTF conference title game.








NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

DETROIT 45 — SEATTLE 17








In the NFC title game against Seattle, disaster struck early.


McNabb was hurt on an ugly-looking play where his elbow was dislocated, ending his season. He left the game 6-of-10 for 62 yards, and at that point you could have forgiven Lions fans for thinking the run was over.


Instead, Doug Johnson came in and played arguably the best football of his career.









QB DOUG JOHNSON — 14/23 | 232 YDS | 3 TD | 1 INT | 116.3 RAT

WR ANQUAN BOLDIN — 10 REC | 151 YDS | 1 TD

HB KEVAN BARLOW — 21 ATT | 99 YDS | 1 TD

TE ANTONIO GATES — 4 REC | 63 YDS | 1 TD





Johnson threw touchdown passes to Scotty Anderson, Gates and Boldin, and the offense didn’t miss much of a beat.


But the defense was the bigger story.


Seattle quarterbacks combined to complete just 12 of 31 passes while throwing four interceptions. Matt Hasselbeck went 8-of-14 for 150 yards, one touchdown and one interception before leaving the game. His replacement, Jason Campbell, completed only 4 of 17 passes for 94 yards and threw three interceptions.


Sean Taylor provided one of the biggest plays of the game, taking an interception back 69 yards for a touchdown.


What started with the nightmare of losing McNabb turned into Detroit taking complete control. The Lions led 24-10 at halftime before Johnson hit Gates for a 16-yard touchdown and Boldin for another from 29 yards out in the third quarter.


Seattle managed just 53 rushing yards and 277 yards of total offense while turning the ball over four times. Detroit controlled possession for 24:39 and converted eight of 13 third downs.


Rookie Brandon Jacobs put the finishing touches on the win with a four-yard touchdown late.


Detroit 45, Seattle 17.


Their starting quarterback was done for the season.


Their season wasn’t.








SUPER BOWL

DENVER 34 — DETROIT 29








The Super Bowl was supposed to be a foregone conclusion.


No one believed the Lions would win without their starting QB when they were going up against Peyton Manning. And early on, it looked like everyone was right.


Denver jumped out to a 14-2 lead after the first quarter and held a 24-16 advantage at halftime. By the end of the third, the Broncos had stretched it to 31-16.


Manning was every bit as dangerous as advertised.









QB PEYTON MANNING — 18/31 | 301 YDS | 4 TD | 1 INT | 117.1 RAT

WR RONNIE BROWN — 6 REC | 164 YDS | 2 TD | 75 LONG

WR MARTY BOOKER — 4 REC | 60 YDS | 2 TD





But Doug Johnson continued his excellent play in relief of McNabb and gave Detroit a chance.









QB DOUG JOHNSON — 15/31 | 280 YDS | 3 TD | 1 INT | 98.9 RAT

TE ANTONIO GATES — 4 REC | 108 YDS | 1 TD

WR SCOTTY ANDERSON — 3 REC | 71 YDS | 1 TD

WR ANQUAN BOLDIN — 3 REC | 35 YDS | 1 TD





Johnson kept making enough plays to keep Detroit alive despite being sacked four times and getting very little help from the running game. The Lions managed only 77 yards on the ground, with Barlow accounting for 71 of them on 17 carries.


And then there were the drops.


Five of them.


Boldin, Anderson, Muhsin Muhammad, Doug Jolley and Barlow were each charged with one.


Normally that’s just football. Except Detroit also had eight drops when these teams met during the regular season.


That’s 13 drops in two games against Denver.


I’m not accusing the Broncos of sneaking into the Lions locker room and coating their gloves in Crisco before kickoff. I’m just saying an independent investigation wouldn’t hurt.


Despite everything, Detroit kept coming.


The Lions entered the fourth quarter down 31-16, but Johnson and the offense continued to chip away. The defense gave them a huge play of its own when Sean Taylor intercepted Manning and returned it 75 yards.


Eventually, what had looked like a comfortable Denver win wasn’t comfortable anymore.


Detroit had pulled within five, 34-29, and got the ball back with a chance to win the Super Bowl.


With little time remaining, Johnson spotted Scotty Anderson streaking downfield and hit him. Anderson had daylight. He hauled it in and took off, getting all the way down into the red zone. Suddenly, the backup quarterback who wasn’t supposed to have a chance against Peyton Manning had Detroit on the doorstep of one of the most improbable Super Bowl comebacks in PTF history.


Then a Denver defender caught Anderson from behind and punched at the football.


Ball out.


Peanut Tillman style.


Denver recovered.


Season over.


Denver 34, Detroit 29.


After everything Detroit had survived all year — the overtime losses, the three-way tie, needing seven wins in eight games to get into the tournament, losing McNabb in the NFC Championship Game and then falling behind Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl — the season ended with the Lions literally having the ball punched away from them within striking distance of the end zone.


They deserved it.


But sometimes those teams don’t come out on top.








UNFINISHED BUSINESS








Overall, the year by most standards was a success.


By the team’s own measure, anything less than a Super Bowl victory wasn’t.


Still, it’s hard to look at what happened and not see what this team is capable of.


They survived an up-and-down regular season and multiple heartbreaking losses. With their season essentially on the line, they won seven of their final eight just to get into the playoffs. Then they went on the road and beat Atlanta, erased a halftime deficit and blew out St. Louis, and lost their starting quarterback in the NFC Championship Game only to beat Seattle by 28 points anyway.


Then a backup quarterback took them within one possession of beating Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl.


That doesn’t guarantee them anything next year.


But McNabb will be back, and the talent around him isn’t going anywhere. Kevan Barlow showed again during this run what he can do as the workhorse in the backfield. Anquan Boldin had a monster postseason, including the 227-yard, three-touchdown explosion against St. Louis. Antonio Gates opened the playoffs with back-to-back 100-yard games and continued producing all the way through the Super Bowl. And on the other side of the ball, Sean Taylor showed exactly why he can become one of the defining players of this defense, making huge plays throughout the postseason and coming up with interceptions in the Wild Card and Super Bowl, along with the pick-six against Seattle.


Those aren’t pieces Detroit needs to go find. They’re already here.


They know they can get there now. More importantly, they know exactly how close they were.


The 2006 Cardiac Cats spent an entire season finding ways to survive.


In 2007, surviving won’t be enough.


They’ll be coming back to finish it.



Forum Discussion (by Rod_Mendez on 08/13/2026) Replies - 0 :: Views - 7
Lions Draft Day 2 Recap












DETROIT LIONS

2007 PTF DRAFT — DAY 2 RECAP










As mentioned before, Detroit moves back yet again in a deal with the Panthers. Internal sources let it be known they were eyeing one of the tight end options for TE2, and possibly one of the better linebackers left, even though a few private workouts were used on cornerbacks as well, hoping for a hidden gem.





There was even a shot in the dark…but first a trade.










TRADE WITH PITTSBURGH










LIONS SEND


DE Jeb Huckeba

2008 2nd Round Pick



STEELERS SEND


WR Domenik Hixon

2008 7th Round Pick









WR DOMENIK HIXON








6'2" | 197 LBS | AGE 23 | 74 OVR

SPD 94 | STR 64 | AWR 48 | AGI 95 | ACC 91 | CTH 70 | JMP 99










The Lions were looking to get one more wide receiver in the draft but it didn’t pan out. Hixon looks much better than the options available, and while he has some talent, his awareness is piss poor and his CTH needs work as well.





The idea is to pump training camps into him early, getting him to hit his stride in two seasons that still include sophomore progression. Hixon could potentially be at 96 SPD / 98 AGI / 94 ACC by age 24.





At 6’2” with 99 JMP, it was a shot the club felt it was worth taking, as they hope they’re picking last next season.





Hixon also had a productive rookie year in Pittsburgh, catching 51 passes for 794 yards and 4 TDs while averaging 15.57 yards per catch with a long of 72. The six drops go along with the concern over his 70 CTH, but there’s enough already there to make the upside worth chasing.










2.09 — TE DALLAS CLARK








PRIVATE WORKOUT

SPD 82 | STR 69 | AWR 50 | AGI 76 | ACC 87 | CTH 82 | JMP 68 | PBK 55 | RBK 49










The Lions nearly drafted Chandler due to the late card but they took their time and he wasn’t an option in the end. The decision came down to Clark and Milner, but Clark edged him out despite -1 SPD and ACC.





Clark was +1 AGI, +3 AWR, +2 CTH, +11 PBK, +5 RBK and also an inch in height.





Clark will hopefully contribute in short yardage situations especially near the goal line. He won’t burn defenses deep, but he can take chunks of yards if you give too much of a cushion.





His awareness is lacking at 50, but his hands will be elite in a short time, sufficient for what he’ll be tasked with early. The 55 PBK should also help him get on the field in situations where Detroit wants a little more versatility out of TE2.





Not a sexy pick, but Clark should prove useful and has long term potential.










2.16 — DE TIM CROWDER








6'4" | 260 LBS | AGE 22 | TEXAS

SPD 81 | STR 60 | AWR 51 | AGI 61 | ACC 88 | TAK 67










Judging by the previous defensive end selections that ended up with a high acceleration, Crowder caught the eye as a potential pass rushing replacement for the now 30-year old James Hall at right end.





The pre-workout numbers don’t give away much. He’s got the 6’4”, 260-pound frame, 81 SPD and an 88 ACC starting point, but Detroit never got the chance to bring him in privately and see where that acceleration actually lands.





And that’s pretty much all that could be done as by that point the team was fresh out of private workouts.





Crowder is a 2nd round shot in the dark, the first in the Mendez tenure.





They were in talks with a couple teams but nothing materialized as the clock quickly began to approach its expiration.





Here’s to the hope he has 90+ ACC.










FINAL DAY — ROUNDS 4 TO 7






The final day includes rounds 4 to 7, and the Lions only own picks in the 4th, 5 total.



The draft gem has to be in the 4th round this year, right?






FINGERS CROSSED!


Forum Discussion (by Rod_Mendez on 08/08/2026) Replies - 0 :: Views - 7
Lions Day 1 & Some Recap



Lions Day 1 Recap

The Lions moved down earlier in the week from 4th overall to 10th in a deal with Tampa Bay, securing another first-round pick in the 2008 draft. Rumors were that the Lions felt Calvin Johnson might fall, but he was selected with the 6th overall pick, and the Panthers front office later said he would have been taken with the very next pick anyway.

Off went another potential target in 21-year-old Sidney Rice with the next pick. The short list of players most heavily linked to Detroit was shrinking quickly. MLB Zak DeOssie was also considered a potential target, but he came off the board earlier as well.

With their options dwindling, the front office weighed what remained and decided these two guys were going to play in Detroit next season:

1.9 — FS Dashon Goldson

While Goldson is obviously behind in the awareness department, physically, he’s in rare company. There are currently no free safeties in the league with his combination of SPD/AGI/ACC and size. Remove size from the criteria and there are only two: the best being 5’9” Bob Sanders of the Broncos, while the other, Vincent Fuller—also of Denver—is the same age as Goldson at 23, but has just 46 AWR.

After his rookie/sophomore progressions, Goldson projects to 92 SPD/95 AGI/97 ACC. The plan is to have him around 72ish AWR after two training camps when he hits age 26, putting his athleticism at approximately 94/97/99 and potentially extending his career significantly.

Hopefully, he’s able to erase more big plays with his speed than he gives up because of his lack of experience and awareness. It’s a risk worth taking in this class because, among this year’s free safety prospects, Goldson is believe to be a unique one.

1.10 — MLB Kelvin Smith

There were more linebackers than private workouts to burn. It was crazy.

Smith’s biggest weakness is his STR, but the Lions front office doesn’t believe it’ll affect him much. Aside from his very good athleticism, his starting awareness of 68 is pretty good for a rookie.

The timing also works. Current MLB and former Pro Bowler Chris Claiborne is set to regress after this season, so finding his eventual replacement now made plenty of sense.

Smith can reach 90 SPD/87 AGI/91 ACC after just one season and a training camp, then 91/89/93 after two camps while still only 25 years old. He should be around 80 AWR/85 TAK by then as well, and I think that’s a little on the conservative side.

Time will tell if passing on Clemson’s 96 SPD Anthony Waters was the right choice.

⸻

Day 2 Begins With a Trade

Day 2 started early with a deal with the Carolina Panthers, with Detroit sending pick 2.1 in exchange for 2.9 and 2.16.

The Lions have plenty of depth to fill but few starting spots, so it’ll be interesting to see how the front office continues to balance need against talent with two second-round picks now on deck.

To be continued….
Forum Discussion (by Rod_Mendez on 08/07/2026) Replies - 0 :: Views - 10

All Team News Stories

At A Glance

LIONS FRONT OFFICE
GM Rod_Mendez
Head Coach R.Marinelli
Offensive Coordinator M.Martz
Defensive Coordinator J.Barry
Special Teams S.Kwan
Salary $76.69M
Cap Penalty $8.33M
Cap Room $13.78M

INJURY REPORT
PLAYER POS OVR LENGTH
Lions Sean Taylor CB 99 1 week
Lions Robert Reynolds LOLB 88 Questionable

NFC North
RNK TEAM W-L-T PCT DIV
#1 Vikings z-Vikings 14-2-0 0.875 5-1
#8 Packers x-Packers 9-7-0 0.563 3-3
#23 Lions Lions 6-10-0 0.375 3-3
#30 Bears Bears 4-12-0 0.250 1-5

LIONS SCHEDULE
Preseason
WK DATE OPPONENT SCOUT/RESULT
P1 Sun vs Steelers Steelers #15
Lost 21-28
P2 Sun at Browns Browns #28
Won 29-21
P3 Sat at Ravens Ravens #12
Lost 19-31
P4 Thu vs Bills Bills #3
Lost 24-45
Regular Season
1 Sun at Bears Bears #30
Lost 7-14
2 Sun vs Texans Texans #26
Won 10-9
3 Sun vs Eagles Eagles #9
Lost 10-24
5 Sun at Falcons Falcons #22
Lost 17-20
6 Sun vs Packers Packers #8
Won 12-9
7 Sun at Giants Giants #24
Won 16-6
8 Sun at Cowboys Cowboys #11
Won 24-19
9 Sun vs Redskins Redskins #27
Lost 10-13
10 Sun at Jaguars Jaguars #17
Lost 35-38
11 Sun at Vikings Vikings #1
Lost 17-55
12 Thu vs Colts Colts #16
Lost 21-33
13 Sun vs Cardinals Cardinals #19
Lost 20-23
14 Sun at Packers Packers #8
Lost 7-35
15 Sun vs Vikings Vikings #1
Won 22-14
16 Sun vs Bears Bears #30
Won 18-6
17 Sun at Titans Titans #6
Lost 7-19