FanHouse Cory Redding

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.

My favorite thing about the Detroit Lions -- the team I grew up cheering for as a kid in Plymouth, Michigan -- is the way they absolutely refuse to admit how bad they are.

A team that admits it sucks would take action to correct said suckitude. It would, say, fire the general manager who has driven the team into the ground for the last eight years. But not the Lions.

No, the Lions go right on pretending they're a great team. They claim they're going to win 10 games, they claim they're going set NFL records for touchdown passes, and they make ridiculous statements like this one:

"Don't be trying to write us off," defensive captain Cory Redding warned, after the 34-21 loss. "We're good. We just didn't show up today."

Ah, yes. The Lions are good, they just decided not to show up for the first game of the season. Because that's what good teams do. Or something.

Look: The Lions stink. They will stink as long as Matt Millen is running the team, and Matt Millen will run the team as long as William Clay Ford is alive. So if you're a Lions fan and you know they're not going to give you any reason to cheer for them, it will cheer you up to laugh at them.

The Lions were finally able to sign WR Mike Furrey to a new 3-year contract. Furrey, who had 98 receptions in 2006, appears to be taking an expanded role within the organization. Many believe that Furrey has already spoken with Rams free agent WR Kevin Curtis about reuniting in Detroit. Curtis would also be reunited with his former Rams Head Coach Mike Martz, should he decide to sign with the Lions. I believe strongly that Furrey exemplifies the type of character and work ethic that the Lions have desperately needed in recent years. The Lions clearly need a dependable second outside receiver and it remains to be seen whether the Lions will pursuit another slot receiver, an outside receiver like Curtis and move Furrey to the slot role, or look in-house and give "Big" Mike Williams one final shot to prove that he can live up to past expectations.

Now that Furrey is signed, the Lions need to work overtime in trying to re-sign DE/DT Cory Redding, who enjoyed a break out season in 2006 as a devastating inside pass rusher. The Lions may have to resort to placing the franchise tag upon Redding (ala Jeff Backus) and begin negotiating a new deal later. The Lions would be devastated by the loss of Redding, that is certain. Rod Marinelli has already expressed a similar sentiment, stating that Redding needs to realize how integral a component he has become to this franchise.

Besides re-signing Furrey and Redding, the Lions have a lot of work ahead of them this off season, if they expect the team to improve. Signing Furrey was one major step in the right direction, hopefully it will be followed by a few more.

With the announcement of the firing of 2006 Defensive Coordinator Donnie Henderson, a new era has officially begun in Detroit. Henderson, who had played on a team coached by Rod Marinelli, never gelled with Marinelli's dogged faith in the Tampa-style Cover-2 zone defense. Joe Barry, in spite of being Marinelli's son-in-law, is likely one of the league's biggest proponents of the defensive scheme. Both Barry and Marinelli coached under Tony Dungy, Lovie Smith, and Monte Kiffin in Tampa. They are adherents to what has become one of the more effective defensive schemes in recent NFL history. That in mind, one has to wonder if the Lions will have the personnel necessary for the scheme to be effective in 2007 and if the rest of the league has not already caught up with and adapted to the scheme.

The Lions allowed opponents to complete nearly 70% of their passes this season. The Lions were almost completely unable to generate a consistent pass rush, especially from their edge pass rushers, even though DT Cory Redding had eight sacks. The Tampa-2 is a "bend, but don't break" type of defense that is predicated on a heavy pass rush from the defensive line and excellent zone coverage from the linebackers and the defensive backs. Most Cover-2 schemes demand big, physical corners who make it difficult for receivers to get off of the line of scrimmage. The Lions never established this type of defense against the pass. The Tampa-2 also emphasizes maintaining gap responsibilities against the run, to eliminate running lanes and allow the zone defense's fast, undersized linebackers to flow to the play unabated. The Lions linebackers, aside from Ernie Sims, never flourished within this scheme this season.

The Lions do possess some of the necessary personnel from which Barry can build a stronger Tampa-Style defense. First priority is re-signing DT Cory Redding who has proven to be a diference maker since he was moved to the middle. Getting All-Pro DT Shaun Rogers fully on board with the defense may be Barry's biggest challenge but could lead to the greatest rewards for the team. The Lions can only hope that with one more season that young players like Ernie Sims, Alex Lewis, and Stanley Wilson, Jr will continue to improve under Barry's guidance. The biggest priority for the organization is finding a consistent edge pass rusher via free agency, trade, draft or internally. Kalimba Edwards continues to be a major disappointment who may finally develop under the auspices of Barry's guidance.

After Sunday's home victory against Atlanta, I began to wonder if the Lions defensive line would have done as well containing Falcons QB Michael Vick had DT Shaun Rogers been able to play? As valuable as Rogers is to the Lions, the move of DE Cory Redding to defensive tackle in Rogers' absence appears to have been fortuitous, at least in Sunday's game.

Rogers, who is one of the more athletically gifted defensive tackles in the NFL, has been heavily criticized for his lack of a consistent work ethic. Rogers also has a less then congenial relationship with the local media. Rogers has assumed a stronger leadership role among the defensive linemen in the locker room this season, even if it is not necessarily a positive one. His leadership has lead him to prevent the team's other defensive linemen from commenting about their performance to the local media. I realize that a professional athlete is not any more beholden than anyone else is to comment to members of the media, yet, as poor as the Lions have performed in recent years the media can also be a valuable ally for a struggling team (i.e. spin control).

Rogers' four game suspension came as a result of him taking a substance that contained ephedra (or one of it's derivatives), which he was using to help maintain his body weight, something he has often struggled with. Rogers has an incentive-laden contract that prescribes that he meet certain weight requirements, so that he receives more money if he maintains his weight. In effect, Rogers put his weight issues and receiving his full salary ahead of making sure that he would be available to the team by choosing to take the banned substance. Rogers has stated that the death of Hall Of Fame DT Reggie White (due to sleep apnea, which Rogers also has) contributed to his concerns about his weight and eventually lead him to decide to take the banned substance.

Whether it was carelessness or selfishness Rogers' absence has cost the team. Since Rogers' suspension, the Lions have been without DT Shaun Cody and also have recently placed DE James Hall onto injured reserve. This lack of depth increases the likelihood that later in games, with increased playing demands, the Lions defensive line wil be less effective.

The emergence of Cory Redding as a quality defensive tackle gives the Lions a little more leverage to apply in their expectations of Rogers. I don't believe he will be allowed to start immediately upon arriving back from his suspension. The Lions are going to be able to demand a higher, more consistent level of effort from Rogers. The Lions may also be the recipients of a more pliable, humble attitude from Rogers. You would hope that Rogers would be exceedingly hungry to be get back onto the playing field after missing five weeks of football.

As surprising and encouraging as this past Sunday's victory over the Atlanta Falcons was for the Lions organization, their biggest challenge to date lies ahead of them. Throughout the last several years the Lions have often (alright, not that often) gained a major victory and have been unable to follow it up with any sort of consistency or focus, which has prevented them from being able to win games back to back. With the guidance of Head Coach Rod Marinelli, and a reasonably favorable schedule, the Lions may be able to embark upon a new frontier.

The Coach Marinelli's most revealing characteristic is his incredible focus. Marinelli possesses a near spiritual zeal for football that leads him to constantly repeat numerous mantra-like axioms in regards to football performance like having " good pad level", " reinforcing fundamentals", and "developing consistency". Marinelli's laser sharp focus sets a guiding example for his players. This Sunday's home contest against the Niners will provide the supreme challenge for the Lions to see if his coaching philosophies are taking hold within the organization and whether or not the 2-6 team can remain grounded after achieving a surprising victory over the Falcons.

Marinelli's approach has resonated with at least one player. Defensive linemen Cory Redding recently said that Coach Marinelli "...is something else, man. I want to be like him when I grow up." Redding also said in regards to Marinelli, "This guy is tough man. He's one of them old men that just don't give a dang what you say or what you think. He's going to force you to do it and force you and force you until you get it done." It is apparent after Redding's standout performance Sunday that the discipline being gained through this focused repetition is beginning to yield some positive results.

Last night the NFL announced that two-time Pro Bowl DT Shaun Rogers has been suspended for four games due to testing positive for a banned substance. Rogers, who has battled sleep apnea and weight-related issues, tested positive for a banned over-the-counter supplement he says he purchased at a GNC store. Rogers may be the most important member of the Lions defense and his absence will be acute and immediate.

In the Bills game last Sunday, Shaun Rogers played Nose Tackle and was much more effective than he had been in recent weeks playing his customary tackle position. In his absence, combined with the continued recovery of NT Shaun Cody from a toe injury, the Lions will be very short-handed in their defensive line rotation. Likely, the Lions will have to enlist back-up run stuffer Marcus Bell to assume the starting nose tackle role. Bell will be a liability in passing situations, so I expect that veteran Tyoka Jackson and versatile Jared DeVries will pitch in on passing situations. Starting Defensive End Cory Redding will remain as starting tackle until both Cody and Rogers are each respectively able to return. The biggest factor in this personnel shuffling will be to the detriment of the team's depth and ability to rotate quality players with the absence of two starters. I would not be at all surprised to see the Lions sign either DT's Damian Gregory or Cleveland Pinkney (who both were the team during the pre-season) for additional roster depth.

Rogers, who possesses a wealth of talent, has been one of the more dependable Lions in recent years. Yet, Rogers is also often conspicuous in his inconsistency and apparent lack of internal motivation. At one time, Team President Matt Millen attempted to motivate Rogers by floating his name as a potential trade candidate. Rogers is one of the cornerstones of the organization and this latest episode may have damaged his future status within the organization.