OldCleat is making another team. Here is a list of all the remaining unrestricted NFL free agents. This list does not include veterans who were released. So, Marvin Harrison and Deuce McAllister et al were not on the list, This team would be even better with a few of those guys. Also, I did NOT include any franchised players. My question is ... is this team, as structured, better than the 2008 Detroit Lions that went 0-16? Eh, probably not. If Marvin and Deuce and Derrick Brooks are added? Maybe. (The Millen photo slugging Pat Sullivan comes from Can't Stop the Bleeding.)Defensive Tackle
Starters
Darwin Walker, DT CAROLINA
La'Roi Glover, DT ST. LOUIS
Backups
John Thornton, DT CINCINNATI
Jeff Zgonina, DT HOUSTON
Comment
Undersized and long in the tooth, this would not be the worse foursome I've seen in the NFL. Walker and Glover would be pretty dang good as a twosome. Thornton has had his moments. The Lions had Chartric Darby and Cory Redding as their starting duo last year, with Andre Fluellen and Shaun Cody as backups. Lions slightly better overall, though OldCleat’s team would be very close.
Defensive End
Starters
Ebenezer Ekuban, DE DENVER
Kevin Carter, DE TAMPA BAY
Backups
Orpheus Roye, DE PITTSBURGH
Roderick Green, DE SAN FRANCISCO
Josh Thomas, DE INDIANAPOLIS
Comment
Carter was a great pass rusher who says he’s ready to rumble again. Ekuban is a good NFL defensive end. Roye is a 3-4 end who can play the run. Green and Thomas fight for the last spot. Detroit had Jared DeVries and Dewayne White as its starters, with Cliff Avril was the rookie hope who got hurt and Ikaika Alama-Francis was last year’s draftee. OldCleat’s Des would be better for a one-year team, Detroit’s better with some good kids.
Middle Linebacker
Starters
Napoleon Harris, LB MINNESOTA
Nate Webster, LB DENVER
Backups
Teddy Lehman, LB BUFFALO
Rocky Boiman, LB KANSAS CITY
Derek Smith, LB MIAMI
Comment
Harris would probably be my starter, though Webster is very athletic. Smith is a grizzled old vet who would be a good option, while Lehman and Boiman are solid backup types. Paris Lenon was the Lions’ starter in ’08 … I think both Harris and Webster are better players.
Outside Linebacker
Starters
Willie McGinest, LB CLEVELAND
Rosevelt Colvin, LB NEW ENGLAND
Dontarrious Thomas, LB MINNESOTA
Backups
Donte' Curry, LB CAROLINA
Carlos Polk, LB DALLAS
Shantee Orr, LB CLEVELAND
Jason Babin, LB KANSAS CITY
Comment
McGinest and Colvin would make a good pass-rushing outside duo. Thomas is more of an overall linebacker type. The backups are all big linebackers. There is a dearth of athletic linebackers on free agency. The ’08 Lions just had athletic types. Ernie Simms and Ryan Nece were the Lions’ starters, with Alex Lewis and Jordan Dizon as backups. The Lions could use a Sam type, and OldCleat could use a Will type. Overall, the Lions score with Simms, OldCleat with Colvin or McGinest. Even.
Cornerback
Starters
Deltha O'Neal, CB NEW ENGLAND
Ty Law, CB N.Y. JETS
Backups
Aaron Glenn, CB NEW ORLEANS
Ricky Manning Jr., CB ST. LOUIS
Tyrone Poole, CB TENNESSEE
Daven Holly, CB CLEVELAND
Comment
O’Neal and Law are both experienced, athletic corners. They both are older, so it would behoove OldCleat to make sure that they still can turn and run, plus come up and force the run. But Law especially was one of the best in the business. The backups are all pretty dang good as third corner slot cover types. They are all a little smaller, but they all can get the job done. The Lions had Brian Kelley and Leigh Bodden as their staters, with Travis Fischer as a part-time starter. OldCleat’s corners are better.
Safety
Starters
Mike Brown, S CHICAGO
Rodney Harrison, S NEW ENGLAND
Backups
Will Allen, S TAMPA BAY
Lawyer Milloy, S ATLANTA
Marlon McCree, S DENVER
Michael Boulware, S MINNESOTA
Mike Green, S WASHINGTON
Comment
Brown and Harrison are among the best to have played their positions in the last two or so decades. How much do they have left? If healthy, they are great options. Will Allen is a free safety who could start or spell Brown. Milloy, McCree and Boulware are good options at strong safety. Green is a good player. The Lions had Daniel Bullocks and Kalvin Peterson as their starters, with Dwight Smith as a swing starter. Not too bad, but OldCleat safeties are better.
Centers and Guards
Starters
Tom Nalen, C DENVER
Melvin Fowler, OL BUFFALO
Chris Naeole, G JACKSONVILLE
Backups
Jeremy Newberry, C SAN DIEGO
Pete Kendall, G WASHINGTON
Chris Gray, G SEATTLE
Lennie Friedman, G/C CLEVELAND
Tackles
Starters
Wayne Gandy, OT ATLANTA
Jon Runyan, T PHILADELPHIA
Mark Tauscher, T GREEN BAY
Backups
Jason Fabini, OL WASHINGTON
George Foster, OT DETROIT
Comment
At this late date, OldCleat is still able to put together a pretty good offensive line. Nalen is undersized and older, but he is a great player. Fowler is a starting center who can swing over to guard and hold his own. And Naeole is a great run blocker who has been hurt over the past few years. The backups are all veterans who have started many years in the NFL and could start for a team all of this year and hold their own. At tackle, OldCleat has Gandy or Tauscher to play left tackle, Runyan, if healthy, to play right tackle, and Fabini and Foster to back up. Not at all bad. The Lions had Dominic Raiola as a starting center, and he’s a pretty good player. The guards, Edwin Mulitalo and Stephen Peterman, are big and young, but at this point, they aren’t that great. Left tackle Jeff Backus has been solid for many years, but is unspectacular. Gosder Cherilus at right tackle was a huge rookie last year, and he may be a very good player. Manny Ramirez, Damion Cook, and the aforementioned George Foster were the Lions backups and part-time starters. Because of the solid guard play, I would give OldCleat’s offensive line the edge.
Tight End
Starter
Marcus Pollard, TE ATLANTA
Backups
Mark Bruener, TE HOUSTON
Jerame Tuman, TE ARIZONA
Comment
OK, so tight end isn’t going to be a strength of the OldCleat team. All three are backups. Having said that, the Lions had John Owens and Michael Gaines as their tight ends. They are blockers, and my tight ends are better receivers. Let’s call it even.
Quarterback
Starter
Rex Grossman, QB CHICAGO
Backups
J.P. Losman, QB BUFFALO
Todd Bouman, QB BALTIMORE
Brooks Bollinger, QB DALLAS
Comment
I do not get it. Rex Grossman is at least a great backup in the NFL, and is probably a better starter than at least three to five starters in the NFL. The fact that he is still available baffles me. Losman has a great arm and starting experience. I would sign him if I were one of about 12 teams in the NFL. And Bouman and Bollinger would battle for my No. 3 spot, and they each could be a backup in the NFL. The Lions had Jon Kitna at the beginning of the season, Dan Orlovsky as the youngster, and got Dante Culpepper off the scrap heap. I’ll call this even. I like Kitna, and think Rex is about Kitna. Losman never was Culpepper, but at this point they are functionally equivalent. And Bouman/Bollinger are both better than Orlovsky.
Running backs
Starters
Fullback
Cecil Sapp, FB HOUSTON
Tailback
DeShaun Foster, RB SAN FRANCISCO
Backups
Tatum Bell, RB DENVER
Michael Pittman, RB DENVER
Rudi Johnson, RB DETROIT
Aaron Stecker, RB NEW ORLEANS
Foster is a heckuva player if healthy. And Bell is a speedy tailback with some size about him Sapp is a West Coast Offense type fullback, not a great blocker but more athletic than the normal guard wannabes that play fullback now. There just weren’t any fullbacks on this list. Pittman and Stecker are solid backup types. And it would be interesting to me to see if Rudi has anything left in the tank. The Lions had Kevin Smith, who is going to be one of the best all-around tailbacks in the league, I believe. Rudi played a few games, but he didn’t look that good. But he may need a whole camp to be back. And they had Jerome Felton at fullback, who appears to be a pretty good blocker. Advantage Lions.
Wide Receiver
Starters
Darrell Jackson, WR DENVER
Amani Toomer, WR N.Y. GIANTS
Backups
Brandon Lloyd, WR CHICAGO
Koren Robinson, WR SEATTLE
Reggie Williams, WR JACKSONVILLE
Ashley Lelie, WR OAKLAND
Keary Colbert, WR DETROIT
Comment
Jackson and Toomer are veteran receivers who can get a first down, though they are not downfield threats any more. Lloyd and Robinson are speed guys, but they are not consistent. The other receivers haven’t lived up to their promise. The Lions had Roy Williams for half the season, Calvin Johnson, and Shawn McDonald. Advantage Lions.
Kickers
Matt Stover, K BALTIMORE
John Carney, K N.Y. GIANTS
Punters
Hunter Smith, P INDIANAPOLIS
Mitch Berger, P PITTSBURGH
Kick Returners
R.W. McQuarters, CB/KR N.Y. GIANTS
Dante' Hall, WR/KR ST. LOUIS
Summary
While the 2008 Lions had more talent at certain spots, namely running back and wide receiver, the talent level at most roster spots isn’t much different than the OldCleat free agent team of 2009. There are some good veterans available still at this late date.
thankyouverymuch,
OldCleat
