Damien Woody
Center/Guard
6-4 320
Positives: Very well rounded center, plays with
amazing athleticism for a guy his size and displays
good power and strength. Exceptional run blocker,
plays with great leverage and balance, uses his hands
well and is able to control defenders. Takes good
angles to his blocks, consistently turns lineman away
from the hole and drives them. Plays in space well,
displays the ability to trap and pull, maintains body
control and hits moving targets well. Has the speed to
reach the linebackers on a consistent basis and
contributes downfield. Solid pass protector, gets
separation from defenders and keeps them off his body.
Intelligent player, doesn't overextend and is fluid in
picking up blitzes and helping out the guards in pass
protection. Great size for a guard/center.
Negatives: I've always thought Woody looked out of
place as a center. Because he is required to snap the
ball every down, for some reason it has really thrown
off his initial quickness off the line. When I watched
older films of him at guard, he didn't have this
problem. Hopefully a permanent move to guard will cure
this. I'm also concerned with Woody's conditioning. At
times during the season he appeared to just flat out
take plays off and didn't come off the line with any
burst. If the coaching staff can maintain his stamina
and focus he should benefit greatly.
How does he fit in with the silver and blue?
In my opinion Damien Woody is a top five guard and is
still getting better. Damien is an incredible athlete
and very powerful, he can move mountains in the run
game and contribute in space, two areas where the team
was lacking last season. If the coaching staff can
keep him in shape and motivated, there are few better
in the league.
Fernando Bryant
Cornerback
5-10 175
2003 Stats
TAK SOLO AST SACK TFL INT PD
70 62 8 2 2 1 9
Positives: One of the best pure man coverage corners
in the league. Great athlete, has optimum speed,
quickness and agility. Very fluid in his backpedal,
and is smooth turning downfield. Gets a nice burst out
of his plant which allows him to break on balls
quickly. Gets excellent positioning, and rarely draws
interference penalties. Excellent at diagnosing a
play, reads the quarterback well and anticipates the
throw. Solid in zone coverage, gets depth and has
great range.
Negatives: Lacks size and needs to add more bulk. Gets
beat if he tries to play press and cannot jam
receivers. Is a non factor in supporting the run, and
is overall not a physical player. Has a great vertical
but will struggle against tall, strong receivers.
Appears to be anxious to make a big play and will
occasionally go for the interception rather than the
breakup.
How does he fit in with the silver and blue?
I've always thought Fernando Bryant has been highly
underrated and may be the best pure coverage corner
next to Champ Bailey. As a whole package, Bryant is
still a top 10 corner, but needs to improve in some
areas of his game. The best comparison to him is
probably Dre' Bly, both are smaller corners who are
excellent in man coverage and breaking on the ball.
Bryant will be an excellent #2 corner for the Lions
and will give the team the solid duo they have longed
for.
Tai Streets
Wide Receiver
6-3 205
2003 Stats
REC YDS AVG LNG TD
47 595 12.7 41 7
Positives: Has great measurables/tools, tall, speedy
receiver who can make plays down field. Creates
mismatches will slower defensive backs and is
excellent at going up for the jump ball. Soft hands,
looks the ball in and displays great concentration.
Snatches and tucks very quickly, not allowing
defensive backs to jar the ball loose. Is a long and
short type player, can be work well in traffic yet
make the deep play. Is a threat after the catch,
catches in stride and accelerates up field. Gets good
results as a blocker.
Negatives: Lacks initial quickness off the line. Isn't
a strong player and is slowed by the jam. Struggles to
get a clean release when corners play up on him.
Doesn't run sharp routes, tends to round off and
doesn't set up defensive backs or conceal his cuts.
Has a lot of speed but isn't a very quick player,
lacks burst out of his cuts and doesn't explode off
the line. Has had durability problems in the past.
How does he fit in with the silver and blue?
The connection with Steve Mariucci gives me confidence
considering that Mooch has worked with Tai in the past
and feels that he can get the job done in Detroit.
Streets is a nice compliment to a future stars Roy Williams and Charles Rogers, who both demand defensive
attention. Streets ability to flat out fly down the
sideline will peel safeties away from the duo giving
them more room to work. Tai has been productive the
last two years playing in a secondary role and
provides the reliable hands the Lions desperately
need.
David Loverne
Guard
6-3 299
Positives: Has great initial quickness, comes off the
ball well and gets into the defenders quickly. Solid
overall strength, can drive defenders off the ball and
shields them away from the play. Uses his hands well,
gets under defenders pads and uses great leverage.
Plays low, and finishes his blocks with authority.
Excellent run blocker, combines power, balance and
quickness to beat defensive tackles. Moves the pile
well in short yardage plays.
Negatives: A very poor pass protector. Has sloppy
techique against faster tackles and is a huge miss
match vs. one gap tackles. Is more of a mauler than a
technician in pass pro, which causes him to be overly
aggressive and lose his balance and leverage. Lunges
at faster defenders and is an overall non factor in
space. Is below average at getting a body on
linebackers at the 2nd level. Could add some bulk.
How does he fit in with the silver and blue?
David Loverne was like a square going into a round
hole in St. Louis. A powerful run blocking guard who
was in a pass heavy system? Didn't make much sense to
me but David should fit in nice with Detroit who can
afford the trade off because of their solid pass
blocking. Loverne would make a great reserve if the
Lions can find another starter for the position, but
if hes forced to start David is a downgrade from the
departed Eric Beverly because of his poor pass
blocking skills. However the Lions need to boost the
run blocking area and Loverne should help them do
that. He is also a nice option to sub in on short
yardage situations where the team struggled badly last
season.
Brock Marion
Safety
5-11 205
Positives: The crafty veteran safety still has another
solid season left in the tank. Although he isn't the
athlete he once was, Marion still has great instincts
and recognition skills. Reads the quarterback well and
anticipates the throw. Still has enough range to be
play sideline to sideline and excels in zone coverage.
Is always around the ball and takes good angles in
pursuit. Is still an aggressive safety who can help
support against the run.
Negatives: Is obviously way past his prime. His
athleticism is obviously declining and he isn't the
speedster he once was. Has also lost some in his
physical play, doesn't play as well in pursuit and
doesn't disengage blockers as well. Although he
recorded 100 tackles last season, his tackling form is
declining and he's not a big hitter anymore. Is at a
disadvantage when covering receivers one on one and
doesn't play well in man coverage. Gambles on plays to
make up for his lack of speed, and occasionally gets
caught out of position, and doesn't have the ability
to recover after he's burned.
How does he fit with the silver and blue?
Because of all the offseason trouble, Brocks place on
the team is in question but whether he makes it or
not, Marion is no long term answer. He still has a
year or two of productivity left in him and is still a
fringe top 10 safety but his game is in obvious
regression. Although he made the pro bowl last season,
he is not that caliber of a player but should do a
solid job this season. Marion's experience will also
help groom Terrence Holt into his heir apperant, and
the fact that he hasn't played on a below 500.% team
should rub off on his teammates.
Roy Williams
Texas
Wide Receiver
6'2" 212 4.38
Comparison: Terrell Owens minus the headaches
Strength:
Can be absolutely dominant at times. Has all the
natural skills to be a star at the next level.
Outstanding frame, uses his size very well to get
position. Gets a clean release, and uses his physical
skills well to disengage the press. Standout athlete
who can stretch the field and is always a deep ball
threat because of his athleticism, jumping ability and
hands. A technician at catching the football. Great
concentration, sees the ball in, and has soft hands.
Solid route runner, does a good job of disguising
routes by staying low into cuts, and exploding out of
his breaks. Exceptional after the catch, very tough to
bring down.
Weakness: Has great potential as a blocker because of his
physical skills, but rarely is able to sustain blocks
or drive defenders. Struggles to block in the open
field, and is not a factor at blocking down field. Has
durability problems. Often
plays hurt which noticeably affects his game. Has
trouble being consistently productive, gets hot then
tends to disappear. Tends to round off curl and out
routes.
How does he fit in with the Silver and Blue?
Williams has displayed absolute brilliance at times,
and the potential to take over a game much like Randy Moss and Terrell Owens do. The scary part is that
Williams still has a lot of potential to get better,
and if he can improve upon his consistency he could be
a top notch receiver in no time. Roy can do it all
receiving wise, catch in traffic, go deep and create
after the catch. The total package at receiver who
will be a devastating combo with Charles Rogers for
many years to come, and will allow speedy threats Az
Hakim and Tai Streets to move to the slot where they
are at their best.
Kevin Jones
Virginia Tech
Running Back
6'0" 227 4.56
Comparison: Edgerrin James
Strength:
A supreme athlete, one of the fastest backs I've seen
in quite some time. Can take it to the house every
time he touches the football, even in the NFL. Very
quick to the hole, yet staying under control and
patient, finds cutback lanes and accelerates to them.
Makes sharp cuts, maintains a great base, and explodes
off his plant. Has an array of moves and can make
defenders miss with quick change of direction skills.
Is elusive at the 2nd level of the defense, tough to
wrap up in space. Extremely elusive back who has a 2nd
gear that few defenders can match. Excels at outside
running, has the speed to turn the corner and is quick
to turn up field. Does a great job of finding lanes
and bursting up field when the defense is strung out.
Shows good ability between the tackles. Is a
deceptively tough, willing inside runner who does an
adaquate job picking
up the tough yards. Runs with a low pad level and
falls forward while keeping his legs churning to pick
up extra yardage.
Weakness:
Has very little experience as a receiver and it
definitely showed on film. The few times Jones did go
out for a pass he looked extremely raw and this area
will need a lot of coaching. His hands are solid but
he needs to add all the aspects of being a receiving
back. Although he can run the ball with power, it
isn't his forte and it will lower his production if
he's forced to pound the ball. Needs a lot of work as
a blocker.
How does he fit in with the Silver and Blue?
The Lions finally filled the void at running back
with a true homerun. Detroit got a supreme talent with
Jones, and although his off season workouts weren't
great, watching this kid on film I'm always impressed.
Unfortunately for Lions fans, Frank Beamer didn't
polish Kevin's receiving skills, but when he improves,
Jones will create nightmarish matchups with
linebackers in the passing game. Kevin is the first
back taken in the first round
by the Lions in over 15 years, the last back taken
that early was this one guy named Sanders...he was
pretty good.
Teddy Lehman
Oklahoma
Outside Linebacker
6'2" 240 4.56
Comparison: John Mobley
Strength:
A complete package at linebacker, shows all the
intangibles -size, speed and intelligence. Well built
frame and outstanding overall strength. Plays very
well against the run, steps up and fills the gaps and
gets over trash making his way to the play. Has the
ability to reach the flanks, takes good pursuit angles
to the ball and is a hard player to escape from. A
true sideline to sideline player. Does an excellent
job of reading and diagnosing a play and gets a
good jump on the ball. Is an extremely physical player
who can lay the wood to any NFL back. Is a text book
tackler, wraps up and drags down consistently. Shows
good awareness in pass coverage and is a solid
linebacker in zone coverage.
Weakness: Needs to stay more disciplined in pursuit, will
sometimes overrun the play and tends to "head hunt"
instead of going for the sure tackle. I was never
impressed with his ability to play man against tight
ends and he is somewhat of a liability in those
situations. Is only an average player when not
protected by the line and is very poor at shedding
blocks.
How does he fit in with the Silver and Blue?
Teddy Lehman can play Will, Mike, and Sam linebacker
but would fit best in the vacated weakside position.
Having Lehman will give them greater flexibility at
linebacker because he is so interchangeable. Teddy
will most certainly be a starter from day one and is a
great combo with last years steal Boss Bailey.
Keith Smith
McNeese State
Cornerback
6'0" 200 4.50
Comparison: Samari Rolle/ taller Dre' Bly
Strength: Smith is one of the best corners in the draft in my
opinion, his athletic ability is second to none. Has
an optimum frame and bulk. Is
effective in zone coverage, has great range-covers a
ton of ground and has excellent awareness and break to
the ball. Reads the play well, anticipates, and
doesn't get beat by pump fakes. Great pass drop,
smooth back pedal and fluid hips and turn movement,
doesn't lose speed on his transition. Simply does not
get beat deep and can keep up with ANY receiver on the
deep ball. Closes on the ball extremely well, has
acceleration of his plant and drives to the play,
timing up his hits well. I talked to Keith's coach
Tommy Tate over the fall and he could not say enough
about Keith's work ethic and dedication in the film
room. Plays alot faster than his 40 time almost to the
point that it's meaningless.
Weakness: Lacks a lot of strength and is a non factor in
run support. Is easily ridden out of the play if a
bigger player gets leverage on him. Any thoughts by
Lions fans of Smith playing safety should be erased,
he is a willing player but just does not possess the
physical attributes to play the safety position.
Tackling skills need work and doesn't have the ability
to jam receivers off the line. Small school background
scared teams off.
How does he fit in with the Silver and Blue?
Keith Smith is a real treat to watch, and in my
opinion should surprise Lions fans on how quickly he
is able to contribute. Keith is a total professional
and shows the determination to continue improving.
Although the Lions still had needs elsewhere the pick
makes a lot of sense considering that corners Chris Cash and Andre Goodman are coming off serious injuries
and Otis Smith was lost in free agency. Smith is a top
five corner in this years class and has all the skills
to become a starter one day in this league. For the
mean time, Smith should challenge for the nickel
position because of his ability to stick on even the
fastest receivers like glue. I've seen Keith on film
alot and I really believe he will be the nickelback
for this team once the season starts.
Alex Lewis
Comparison: Roosevelt Colvin
Strength: The three things weakside linebackers must be able to
do are shed blocks, pursue sideline to sideline and
play well in coverage, and Alex does a solid job in
each area. Very athletic, so much so that he has the
physical attributes to play safety. Decent against
against the inside run, steps up and fills well when
he takes the correct angles and has the ability to
take on blockers. Does well against the outside run,
pursues the play well and has the speed to defend
sideline to sideline and does an adequate job of
warding off blockers in space. Is an effective blitzer
who uses good rush moves and quickness to beat
blockers. Looks much more improved in his diagnose
skills on film his senior year and this area is
starting to become a strong point for him. Has
excellent range in pass defense and is effective when
manned up against tight ends.
Weakness:
Has a tendency to miss read running lanes and gets
trapped in the wrong running gap. Doesn't consistently
take correct angles to the action and will get caught
up in trash over the middle. Doesn't have change of
direction skills and will be taken out of the play if
he takes a false step. Needs to play less aggressively
and more under control.
How does he fit in with the Silver and Blue?
I didn't like this pick at first but I've warmed to
it. I would have rather seen Jason Shivers, Nathaniel Adibi or Nick Leckey taken here but still, Lewis is a
solid pick. Most fans wanted Chad Lavalais but he just
does not fit into the Lions system. Defensive
coordinator Dick Jauron likes big run stuffers in the
middle and Lavalais is a gap shooting pass rusher so
it just doesn't work. As for Lewis I think he gives
the Lions alot. One, he gives the team flexibility to
slide Lehman over to Mike linebacker when Earl Holmes
years here are done and Lewis would start on the
weakside. Two, he gives the team an excellent blitzer
and pass rusher for the mean time, also he can be
substituted in on passing situations. Lewis should
also get a look at strong safety but probably won't
stick there. In my opinion, Lewis could be a starter
down the line for the team because of his potential
but will be a solid backup and contributor for the
meantime.
Kelly Butler
Strength:
Is a bull in the running game. Shows good pop off the
line and gets into defenders quickly. Totally
obilerates undersized defenders and engulfs slower
ends. Gets excellent leverage and hand placement and
it's very difficult for defenders to disengage him.
Finshes blocks well, gets his legs churning and can
really move the pile. Has great overall strength,
stays low and drives with his powerful lower body.
Solid in pass protection, is a great anchor on the
right side and is tenacious. Keeps defenders off his
body and gets good separation. Is a very hard working
kid with a ton of expierence and great attitude.
Weakness:
Is limited athletically. Doesn't have the great
mobility of a pass protector and struggles with
quicker defensive ends who can exploit his lack of
ablity to be light on his feet. Needs to play with a
better base and balance, lunges at defenders alot in
pass protection and loses alot of strength by
overextending.
How does he fit in with the Silver and Blue?
I have no idea why Kelly Butler fell so far in the
draft, he had solid workouts and doesn't have a huge
weakness for teams to sour on. He's doesn't have great
mobility but Kelly is an incredible run blocker who
will one day start for an NFL franchise, possibly
Detroit. In my opinion Stockar McDougal may eventually
have to move to guard to make room for Butler at
tackle. Make no mistake Lions fans, Kelly Butler is an
excellent prospect and quite the steal!
Overall-
The Lions filled up some key voids in the free agent
market and added four possible starters. Damien Woody
adds a big boost to an oline that needed a proven push
up the middle and help in the run game. Bryant may be
the dark horse signing, he may not be a shut down #1
corner, but he should lock up the #2 slot. Streets is
a threat from the slot and adds a reliable option to
an offense he is already familiar with. Loverne may
not be starter quality, but he should help out in
short yardage situations and provide depth to a
position that really needed some. Marion is a nice
stop gap at free safety, but his offseason issues must
be resolved before hes cleared to play. The team could
have added another guard or defensive end, but overall
they filled their needs well in the "first" free agent
signing period.
The Lions draft was very successful as well, the best
in the NFL for the second year in a row. Roy Williams
definetly takes the potential of the offense to an
elite level and Kevin Jones finally gives the team a
supremely talented back. Teddy Lehman fills the void
at weakside linebacker and adds another star on
defense. Keith Smith is an underated pick in my
opinion, he gives the team security at cornerback and
can contribute immediately. Alex Lewis is another
player with potential and the ability to help out
early. Kelly Butler completed the great draft by
giving the team a true steal in the sixth round and he
should challenge for some playing time because of his
ability to dominate in the run game.
Offseason Grade= A-
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