2008 Detroit Lions Season Preview

2008 Detroit Lions preview from MadduxSports.com. The NFC North is a division filled with question marks. Expect the NFL odds makers to have trouble setting lines on these teams, using a proven winners NFL picks will provide dividends early and often for the 2008 campaign.

2008 Detroit Lions Predictions
By Adam Barone

Rundown
The Lions need to take advantage of a weak NFC North this season after a disappointing second half to last season.

Offensive evil-genius Mike Martz is gone to San Francisco. Running backs Kevin Jones and T.J. Duckett, offensive lineman Damien Woody, linebacker Boss Bailey, cornerback Fernando Bryant, safety Kenoy Kennedy, defensive end Kalimba Edwards, and defensive tackle Shaun Rogers make up the laundry list of departed key players.

Head coach Rod Marinelli brought in lesser-known players like cornerback Brian Kelly, defensive tackle Chuck Darby, and safety Kalvin Pearson to run his Tampa-2 defense.

The loss of Rogers, one of the more talented defenders in the entire NFL, in a trade with Cleveland could be a big one. The team grew frustrated with his performance and lack of effort. Marinelli hopes that he now has a squad that will buy into his system.

John Kitna is back at quarterback and has plenty of talent to throw to, with Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson on the outside. Oh, Mike Furrey is still running around out there, but isn’t likely to get noticed much.

A key position battle will take place at running back. Rookie third round pick Kevin Smith will battle with Tatum Bell and is expected by many to win the job.

Draft Analysis
The theme of the off-season in the motor city was improvement on defense. Needs were at cornerback, defensive end, and middle linebacker. They simply didn’t have the right players for the Tampa-2.

Notable picks for the Lions were offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus in the first round out of Boston College, linebacker Jordan Dizon from Colorado, and the previously mentioned Smith out of Central Florida.

Dizon, a tackling machine, could be perfect for the middle of the Tampa-2. His size and speed are concerns. Smith has tons of talent. His strengths include patience, vision, and agility, but his lack of bulk needs to be addressed.

After viewing the Detroit Lions preview read up on the rest of the black and blue division teams including the Packers, Bears, and Vikings.

Related Pages:
Lions Official Site
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