Motown Lodown
Leading up to the start of Training Camps in July, we are taking a team-by-team tour with fantasy previews for each NFL squad. We'll detail the key offseason moves, position battles to watch, and other things to keep an eye on as the clubs prepare for the season ahead.
Notable Offseason Moves: General manager Matt Millen ignored the ghosts of drafts past by selecting wide receiver Calvin Johnson with the second overall pick. Calvin Johnson has made a big impact during the offseason workouts. One of his teammates anonymously predicted to the Detroit Free Press that CJ "is going to become the LeBron James of the NFL." We're not quite ready to dub him King Calvin, but we do expect him to start opposite Roy Williams and to make a big splash in his rookie season. Hindsight is 20/20, but we can't help but wonder whether Millen would have re-signed Mike Furrey to a lucrative three-year contract during the offseason.
The Lions aren't taking any chances with Kevin Jones' fractured left foot. Although KJ claims he'll be ready for training camp, skeptics say he could miss regular season action. The Lions filled two needs when they acquired running back Tatum Bell and offensive lineman George Foster from the Broncos in exchange for cornerback Dre' Bly, who wasn't a good fit in Rod Marinelli's cover two scheme. T.J. Duckett also signed on as a free agent. The Lions continued to beef up their offensive line by signing guard Edwin Mulitalo. And Jon Kitna isn't getting any younger, so the team tabbed their quarterback of the future when they selected homegrown talent Drew Stanton in the second round of the draft.
Position Battles: Bell has been running with the first-team offense during the offseason workouts. Duckett has stated that he'd like to be more than a short-yardage back, but it appears as though that will be his primary role. Technically, Calvin Johnson still has to beat out Mike Furrey for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Although Furrey had 98 receptions last season, we believe he'll actually be a better fit in the slot. Stanton will spend the summer battling Dan Orlovsky for the right to serve as Kitna's primary backup.
Keep an Eye On: Obviously, we'll be watching closely to see if Calvin Johnson is as good as advertised. If Jones surprises us by making a full recovery before training camp, it will be interesting to see how the carries are split between the three running backs. We assume Duckett would still take the goal line carries, but there's a good chance that Jones and Bell will split the rest of the workload. For what it's worth, Jones didn't endear himself to his new backfield mates. He publicly stated that he wasn't intimidated by Bell or Duckett because he doesn't consider them to be all-purpose backs.
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