FanHouse ErnieSims

In its effort to rebound from the worst season in NFL history, Detroit is hoping a hometown hero can provide some optimism.

A little more than 24 hours after he was cut by Pittsburgh, Detroit native Larry Foote agreed to a one-year deal with the Lions. Foote said that he expected to sign his new contract on Wednesday -- and he will immediately inherit Detroit's starting middle linebacker position between Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims.

If quarterback Matthew Stafford is going to be the No. 1 pick at the NFL Draft in April, then Thursday is a critical day. Stafford, who did not take part in passing drills at the league's scouting combine in February, will be the featured attraction at Georgia's pro day in front of a multitude of scouts -- including, of course, representatives from the Lions.

While quarterbacks often sit out certain drills at the combine (though it's worth noting that Southern Cal's Mark Sanchez participated), Stafford's decision immediately led to questions about the impact on his draft status. He's still expected to be one of the first guys off the board, but Detroit's opinion on him may be changing. For one thing, since the combine, Detroit reportedly engaged in talks with Denver about Jay Cutler's availability, hinting that the Lions may not see what they want from a QB at the No. 1 pick.

Something very odd is going on in Detroit this offseason: the Lions are actually showing signs of knowing what they're doing. The latest move reportedly has the Lions sending defensive tackle Cory Redding and a 2009 fifth-round to Seattle for Pro Bowl linebacker Julian Peterson.

Peterson was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons in Seattle. The Michigan State alum will slide into Detroit's starting strongside linebacker spot and, paired with Ernie Sims on the weakside as the Lions continue to rapidly rebuild their miserable defense. There are implications here beyond immediate on-field payoffs, though.

You've got questions. I've got answers. If not, I'll make them up. Each Thursday at 1 p.m. EST, I answer your queries on all things related to the NFL. If you have a question, send it over to NFLMailbag@gmail.com. Don't forget to include your name and location. Click here for the archives. Rock'n'roll.

How will the Saints offense make up for the loss of Jamar Nesbit and Jeremy Shockey for the next month, especially with Marques Colston out? Do you see any receivers finally catching anything?
- J. Willits, Jackson, MS

The Saints have been debacled by injuries so far this year; one-fifth of the roster appeared on this week's injury report. Nesbit's suspension makes him the 11th starter from the presumed opening day roster to miss time this year. That being said, while it never helps to lose a starter, Nesbit's injury opens the door for coaches to get a look at Carl Nicks, the one-time Nebraska right tackle they drafted in the fifth round this year. Nicks was thought generally to have second- or third-round talent, but some trouble he got into in college, causing him to be banned from Nebraska's pro day, caused him to drop. He was converted to left guard in the offseason and coaches rave about the athletic ability he has for his size (6'5'', 343). Nesbit has been the weakest link on a line that has really performed poorly in the run game, so seeing what Nicks can do might prove to give the line a spark.

As far as the receivers are concerned, Robert Meachem is going to get increased looks, and rightfully so. He's only got three catches in two games, but they've totaled 105 yards and a touchdown, and all have been for first downs. Each catch has showed a flair for the ability to make plays. The Saints always find a way to move the ball through the air, so they'll put together a good enough attack to hold them over, but Meachem will work his way into the forefront. By the way, the Saints have San Francisco, Minnesota, and Oakland in the next few weeks, so their schedule is pretty favorable while everyone gets healthy.

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: Jon Kitna -- man of God, man of many passing yards, man of many lapses in judgement. With Kitna, Mike Martz found a quarterback who could air it out appropriately in his offense. Appropriately, in this instance, means bombing away with little regard to risk, and the interception and sack totals with Kitna under center reflect that. Martz is gone and the Lions are shifting to a more conservative offense. Kitna isn't the right man to helm it, and, turning 36 early this season, should be on his last tour in Detroit. The problem is that the Lions aren't sure if they have anyone behind him to take over, with Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton possessing exactly zero starts and only 17 passing attempts between them, all Orlovsky's. Heat Index: 5

Running back: That conservative offense will put more work at the feet of the team's tailbacks. The Lions' running game in 2007 was 31st in the league and lost their best runner in Kevin Jones. Still, they're going about improving in the right way. They kept Tatum Bell and Brian Calhoun from last year and tailored their attack to a one-cut zone blocking system that suits their skills. Bell had almost 2,000 yards and 10 touchdowns running in that system in 2005 and 2006. Assuming he stays healthy, he should bring a big-play punch. But the biggest impact will be made by the biggest unknown -- rookie Kevin Smith. He also excels in a zone system, and the wildly productive college back is one of the players I think is going to absolutely turn heads this year. Heat Index: 7

At some point soon we'll just ignore anything coming out of Jon Kitna's mouth. In the meantime, the Lions' oft-concussed quarterback wants to make it clear that Detroit is winning at least 10 games in 2008. The same speech he gave in June 2007 and March 2008.

After a 6-2 start last season, the Lions limped to a 7-9 record. And after stating that 2008 is the year a couple months ago, he reiterated that point yesterday for anybody who may have missed it the first two times:

"Our expectation is we will be disappointed if we don't win 10 games," Kitna following a Tuesday training session. "Because that will mean we're not in the playoffs and that sucks. "I can't make it any simpler than that. Anybody who says that's not their expectation level is not much of a competitor."

Yes, that does suck, but I'm not sure I'd classify linebacker Ernie Sims as "not much of a competitor." In fact, I'd say he's the sane one of the bunch: "I'll just say we're going to do good," the Lions' leading tackler said. "I just play."

Other than the guy sitting in the team president's office, there's no reason this team can't win 10 games. They should've done it last season, but, depending on your perspective, it was all Mike Martz's fault. Assuming Jim Colletto can reintroduce the running game, the offense should be more consistent.

Hat tip: Shutdown Corner

Of course, the premise in the above headline is ridiculous -- Matt Millen certainly isn't getting unfair treatment from Lions fans and, if it's even possible, should probably get worse.

But Drew Sharp finally puts down his pitchfork to play devil's advocate -- maybe all the Lions' first-round blunders aren't his fault?

Only once has the team's early selections exemplified the kind of mouth-frothing football Millen identified with as a player. And that was his first draft in 2001, when he focused exclusively on the interior line ....

Joey Harrington was ownership's pick. Charles Rogers, Roy Williams and Mike Williams in successive years were Steve Mariucci's brainstorm. Ernie Sims was Rod Marinelli's idea. Calvin Johnson was Mike Martz's obsession.

Of course, Millen can still be blamed for hiring these poor drafters and signing off on the picks (except Sims, who so far looks great), but the point remains -- these were not Millen's choices. And two of the top three players in the '01 crop he picked -- Jeff Backus and Shaun Rogers -- turned out to be significantly less than anticipated themselves.

I don't agree that Millen has to take the reins this year; he should finally make this Marinelli's team. And I don't agree that the Lions "must" pick a rookie Pro Bowler this year; that's just setting an unrealistic goal. All the Lions have to do is resist the temptation to take a running back and address one of the lines. They'll get a good, impactful, immediate contributor if they do, and Ray Rice will still be there in the second.

With the upcoming Texans-Saints game matching Mario Williams versus Reggie Bush, Houston Chronicle columnist Jerome Solomon did a do-over of the 2006 draft. Here it is:

#1 Houston Texans - Joseph Addai, RB
#2 New Orleans Saints - Maurice Jones-Drew, RB
#3 Tennessee Titans - Vince Young, QB
#4 New York Jets - Jay Cutler, QB
#5 Green Bay Packers - Laurence Maroney, RB
#6 San Francisco 49ers - A.J. Hawk, LB
#7 Oakland Raiders - Reggie Bush, RB
#8 Buffalo Bills, Donte Whitner, SS
#9 Detroit Lions, Ernie Sims, LB
#10 Arizona Cardinals, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, T

Hmmm. Redrafts are always hard because of what you should consider. Marketing? The failures or injuries of other players on the team yet to happen? And whether these players would have the same success for the redrafted team as they do on their current team.

For example, if the Texans knew for a fact that even after working with Gary Kubiak, David Carr was going to struggle as much as he did, they wouldn't have renewed his contract in February 2006 for three years. With no David Carr in the picture, the Texans would have had significantly more fan pressure to pick quarterback, and specifically Vince Young with the first pick in that draft. Nationally, NFL fans thought that the Texans should have picked Reggie Bush, but in Texas the sentiment was mostly behind Young.

Probably the most divisive topic of the still-young NFL season has been the play that left Trent Green on a stretcher and Travis Johnson answering a ton of questions. Everyone's got their own opinion, but it's important to remember that Johnson isn't despicable, that Green put himself in the position to get hurt but felt he was doing everything within the rules to help his team.

So players league-wide are being asked their opinion or offering it on their own. Johnson's Florida State teammate, Lions linebacker Ernie Sims, weighed in.

... I'll tell you how I feel about a people going down low on me. I think it is the lowest thing in football that a man could do. When you get on that field you're supposed to be a man ... I can understand how he was feeling that Trent had went for his legs, I don't care if he is a quarterback or not. Now when it got to the point where he got up and started taunting, I don't agree with that. He saw that a man was hurt and he started taunting and everything, I don't agree with. I would have probably walked away or went about my own business. I thought that was unacceptable. Travis, he came back after the first interview I saw and he apologized for what he had said.

Wait a second, is that logic? Someone with reason? Someone who sees things in grays, as they are, and not blacks and whites? Refreshing.

I don't think the casual NFL fan realizes how little protection most players wear below their shoulder pads. If you played in Pop Warner you remember the girdle with hip and tail pads, the thigh pads, the knee pads, and especially the cup.

NFL players don't wear that stuff -- especially the cup. Detroit Lions linebacker Ernie Sims explained that to a Detroit Free Press reporter:

On why football players don't wear jock straps: When we were little kids like in pee wee football they used to make us wear jock straps. As we got older in high school, some kids wore them – I didn't wear them in high school. In college pretty much nobody wore them. It's just the type of thing that, I've got hit in the jewels before but it's just that it doesn't happen that much, so you don't need to wear it.

Are you worried about an injury in "that" area: Nine times out of 10, you'll end up messing up something else. Seriously, you rarely ever hurt that area. It's the type of thing where if you play hard, if you play wall to wall and ball to ball you don't have to worry about it.

The thing I've never understood is why they can't make a more comfortable cup designed for football. A soft groin protector like the one boxers wear would seem to make more sense for football players than the hard-shelled cup that Pop Warner players know about. Just a thought.

From Andy's Blog via Deadspin.