Cincy: 513-316-3372

Cleveland:  513-476-9928

Houston:  513-616-4801

Denver:  513-263-0601

Dallas:  937-409-3611

Detroit:  513-919-2867

Minnesota:  937-657-2282

New Orleans:  513-260-8032

San Fran:  513-259-1743

Seattle:  513-981-1452

After Day 2 of Free Agency, we've seen some strong signings amongst user teams:

Arizona-Butler has a heck of a leg. Zbi solidifies a strong Safety depth chart, Gaffney returns to Zona as a dependable 3rd down WR, Zastudil probably will be cut. GRADE-C+

Baltimore-N/A, unaware of FA period? GRADE INC
 

Buffalo-Myers is a solid professional, Davis adds a weapon at the TE, Burnett gives good depth, and Dixon is a change of pace backup QB. Grade B

Carolina-Thomas strengthens a weak WR core, and the additions of Arkin/Ducasse beef up a decimated interior line.  Schwartz is one of the gems of this years FA class. Grade B-

Cincinnati-Austin is a depth signing. Lloyd adds a slot/4th WR. McKnight is a blazer, could be used as KR. Curry good special teamer. GRADE C+

Detroit-Backup QB, good speed. GRADE D

Houston-Martin is a starter, hard nosed DT. Cox is a decent blocker. Kindle/Woods are underrated, good signs.   All other depth needed. GRADE B-

Kansas City-N/A, probably playing Titanfall with Baltimore owner GRADE INC

Minnesota-Super Bowl champs got better with the top OL Nicks signing.  Robinson also bolsters a deadly run game.  Jackson is penciled in as starter, but handing off to AP isn't hard. Rainey good speed back.  Vilma/Rolle/Sims are good depth LB.  GRADE A+

New Orleans-Brock starts immediately, good mid-tier CB. Gettis adds depth, and Hawley is ok. GRADE B

NY Jets-Manning came over in a lopsided steal of a trade.  Graham is a solid DB.  Howard still might have something in the tank. GRADE B-

Philadelphia-N/A GRADE INC
 

San Diego-Good 3rd WR. GRADE C-

San Francisco-Two solid possession WR.  It's the 49ers tho, what else do they need? GRADE B-

Seattle-De La Puente & Brown start and helps the Hawks running game. Moore and Hester will fight for jobs, but can also make an impact. GRADE B+

Tampa Bay-Sanders is a good signing.  Depth elsewhere. GRADE B-

1st qtr-Philly received the ball, and on the 2nd play from scrimmage, Ziggy Ansah came in and crushed Michael Vick, causing a fumble that the Lions recovered.  After a short run, Stafford tried to thread a pass to a dragging Lance Moore, but didn't see MLB Mychael Kendricks in the zone, interception on the 7.  Not learning from the first drive, again Vick scrambled backwards, into the endzone, where again Ansah was waiting and sacked Vick for the safety.  After some great defense and inaccurate passes from both teams, the Lions ended the quarter kicking a FG

Lions 5 Eagles 0

2nd qtr-The Lions could not figure out the Eagles coverage, and were not efficient in running the ball, punting to the Eagles.  A VERY controversial defensive pass interfence call on 3rd and 20 led to a 52 yard gain and 1st down for Philly, which they culminated in a 14 yd draw from Shady McCoy.  Seemingly angered by the referee's bias, the Lions offense finally started clicking after Stafford realized that Philly was shading Megatron with the LB, so continued dump offs to Reggie Bush drove the team down, and Bush ultimately pounded the ball in from 2 yards out right before the 2 minute warning.  The Eagles went into their 2 minute offense, and Vick found his TE Zak Ertz down the seam untouched for a 23 yard touchdown with less than a minute left.  The Lions were deflated, but their coach would not let them go silently into that good night.  Abusing Philly's bend but not break, they drove down and kicked a 52 yrd FG as the half expired

Lions 15 Eagles 14   

3rd qtr-Philly learned the hard way about kicking to Brandon Banks, as he returned the opening KO 107 yards to the house.  Philly started to recognize Def Coord Woodenhoffer's schemes, and drove down with ease, hitting a wide open Desean Jackson out of the snugs formation on a seam route to keep the game close.  This led to Megatron, usually quiet and reserved, walking to Stafford saying "Give me the ball."  A few catches later, Stafford found Johnson on a 6 yd slant for the TD. 

Lions 29 Eagles 21

4th qtr-This is the quarter that puts hair on your chest, that shatters the weak-kneed, and tests the ice cold temperature in your veins.  The beginning of the quarter seemed to have both teams nervous, as the pressure was mounting.  With 3 minutes left, the Lions had the Eagles 4th and 4 on the 7, and came out in a heavy blitz package vs. the Philly snug set.  Vick didn't like what he saw, and flipped the set.  MLB S Tulloch recognized the play clock dwindling, and audibled his defense.  Vick couldn't mentally react in time, and a delay of game penalty changed the teams mind to go for it, and resulted in a 28 yrd FG.  The Lions got the ball, and tried to drain as much clock as possible.  Philly new this, and brought the house each play.  On 3rd and 14, Detroit gambled on a pass to the TE Dickerson, but he couldn't get both feet down, and not only was it 4th and 14, but the clock had stopped, saving Philly's last timeout.  Detroit punted, and Philly started their final drive.  It didn't take long.  An in route to Desean Jackson for 20 yards seemed to be the extent of the damage, but a great block by Maclin and Jackson's speed resulted in that simple play turning into a 64 yard TD with 1 minute left, and gave Philly the lead 32-29.  Detroit had all 3 time outs, and Megatron.  Philly took away the deep pass, so Stafford used Bush on angle routes, and his TE's on drags to drive down the field using TO's and hurry up offense.  Driving to the 14 yard line, the Lions were in position to kick the game tying FG.  Coach Anna was confident in his offense, and knew he had Megatron on his squad.  Lions came out in a 3 wide set, and Stafford saw again that the Eagles DB's were pressing, and the safeties were brought up showing blitz.  Stafford audibled Johnson to the go route, and Megatron shook the DB like a Polaroid picture.  Stafford zoomed the ball into the leaping Johnson's hands, and Detroit had a 36-32 lead with 20 seconds.  A touchback, 20 yard Vick scramble and a pass to McCoy got the Eagles into midfield, but Vicks Hail Mary to a quadruple teamed Desean Jackson was not answered. 

Final-Detroit Lions 36 Philly 32

After the game Coach Anna was all smiles, and said even with a few defensive lapses, the game ball went to Coach Woodenhoffer, for limiting Vick's scrambling, forcing 4 sacks, and sealing the win for the Lions.  "We also had a little bulletin board material from Philly, when we heard him say on the radio "No 1 man is going to beat us, Calvin isn't going to beat us. "  9 catches, 157 yards, 2 td's including the game winner with 20 seconds left.  Nuff said. 

#7 - Jamarious Venable - 1st rd prospect - more of a bruiser, short yardage back. 

#6 - Clayton Mills - 2nd rd - a faster version of Venable, with more promise.  Great GL TD Vulture

#5 - Deshawn Culliver - 2nd rd - average speed back, could turn into a great change of pace back

#4 - Rasean Lunsford - 5th rd - darkhorse of the group, good project back for Year 2.

#3 - Phillip Asante - 1st rd - superstar in the making, all around athlete

#2 - Basmine Hooker - 3rd rd - a bit of an underdog, has above average speed.  Many have him #1 on their boards. 

#1 - Julliam Boswell - 1st rd - one of the fastest backs in the draft.  Needs a little seasoning but speed kills, and Julliam has it.

All due respect to TRCownage's report, this is just another view (think Mel Kiper vs Todd McShay).

#10 - Keegan Carmichael - 5th rd prospect, has great speed for a QB, but the weakest arm in the draft.  Has great potential however, if you have a spot for a backup QB to learn, maybe run some Read Option, this is a good pick.  Otherwise avoid.

#9 - Tony Gardea - 4th rd prospect, fastest QB in the combine, but also has weak arm.  Change of pace QB at best.

#8 - Jessie Lindsay - 3rd rd prospect, above avg arm, slowest QB, projected clipboard holder, but can make all the NFL throws

#7 - Skylar Luc - 4th rd prospect, avg arm, avg speed.  One of the most intelligent of QB's, has the potential to be a #1 QB with some seasoning.

#6 - Khary Barber - 2nd rd prospect, NFL arm, not the best speed in the world.  Can start in a pinch, but best situation to backup a year. 

#5 - Glenn McCadden - 1st rd prospect, Can make the throws, can scramble if needed.  Won't make it out of the first round.

#4 - Max Hendrix  - 1st rd prospect, best QB in draft that can start right now.  Might have peaked in college, but it was a great peak.

#3 - Damon Banks - 1st rd prospect, Consensus #1 QB. Strongest arm I've seen in a few years.

#2 - Quentin Latta - 3rd rd prospect, excellent arm strength, and the fastest QB in the draft.  Can do it all.  Steal in the draft

#1 - Munchie McLendon - 2nd rd prospect, superb arm strength, needs to work on accuracy, but has best upside of all QB's in the draft.

#10 Cecil Cline-Projected 2nd round pick, I don't see more than a special teams player, as he does not have the speed to cover anyone.

#9 Avery Cross-3rd rd prospect, ran the 3rd fastest 40 time for DB's.  Good slot DB, not sure if he has the stuff to be a #1, 2 or 3 DB

#8 Bola Olamfortone-3rd rd prospect, was a hair slower than Cross.  Fits the same needs as cross, but a bit better in coverage

#7 Thurman Douglas-4th rd prospect, average speed, needs a lot of work, but had the best work ethic of all prospects at the combine.  If you have time to develop, this young man has potential to be great.

#6 Avius Grandon-3rd rd pick, average speed as well, a decent Dime DB and special teamer.

#5 Taviouzie Metoyer-2nd rd pick, above avg speed, can put in as a #3 DB right away, perhaps #2.

#4 Jovanta Quarles-1st rd, below avg speed, physical coverage guy, but once the WR gets separation, does not have the closeout speed to compete

#3 Brieon Francois-1st rd, excellent speed, immediate impact player that can start for most teams day 1.

#2 Davion Scott-1st rd, fastest 40 time for DB's at the combine, has great coverage skills.  #1 DB waiting to be selected. Some experts say he has peaked, and not much room for improvement.

#1 Archie Goltry-1st rd, above avg speed, excellent coverage skills.  Cream of the crop of DB's, would be surprised if he wasn't the #1 CB selected. 

Coach Herb Anna was in less of a ferver this time after the Lions won a divisional game, 34-15 over the Chicago Bears.  “Our defense did a great job today.  Holding them to 4 yards rushing, 6 sacks, and an INT, that is a professional job, and 1 we demand in Motown every week.”  The question was brought up about Stanford Routt, who was burnt in the 1^st game in Minnesota, and was again burned today as he went for an INT that went thru his hands to Alshon Jeffries for a 74 yard TD that breathed life into the Bears for a moment.  “All of our DB’s play aggressively, I’m not upset about trying to make a play.”  With the defensive domination, the offense was next on the list of topics.  Unfortunately for the Honolulu Blue crew, their fearless leader’s wrath was not spared on them.  “I liked our running game, 6 yards a carry is great.  1 sack, our OL did their job, earned the buffet we provide post game.”  The venom was first directed at the teams QB, and some argue well deserved.  “You look at our QB, our field general.  3 INT’s.  THREE!!!  Unacceptable at every level.  I don’t know how he can make the great throw, and then make the worst throw.  I promise you, this will be addressed in practice.”  The topic of dropped passes was brought up, as the Lions WR corps dropped a total of 11 balls.  “I’m severely disappointed in our newest Lion, Lance Moore.  6 drops is unfathomable.  He keeps this up, he will remember what being a free agent is like.”  And with that, the press conference was over.  The Lions have the Green Bay Packers next week, who are coming off hiring a new coach this past week.   

A fired up and passionate Coach Anna took the podium after the Lions won 24-21 in the desert Sunday evening.  "We knew this game was going to be close.  That is a talented team, and we respect them greatly.  But we read the papers, we check the Net.  We saw you media folks drooling over this new coach, with his college offense coming to the NFL.  You've got them crowned NFC West champs.  You got them crowned NFC divisional champs.  You've got them crowned Super Bowl champs.  Well I got news for you, we saw that all week.  Posted it on our bulletin boards.  Challenged our team.  'Palmer to Fitzgerald is one of the most lethal connections in the game.'  Our secondary took that challenge, and Fitz had 0 receiving TD's, and we forced 3 interceptions.  'Patrick Peterson will hold Megatron in check and be his Optimus Prime.'  Calvin didn't have game of Calvin status, but 80 yards and 1 TD is nothing to sneeze at.  'This new coach will be fundamentally sound.'  Missed FG at the end of the half, and some bad clock mismanagement at the end of the game.  The Cardinals are what we thought they were. They're what we thought they were.  The Cards are who we THOUGHT they were! That's why we took the damn field. Now if you want to crown them, then crown their ass! But they are who we THOUGHT they were."

And with that the press conference was over.  This Lions team is loving the underdog role, and seems that their rageaholic coach has now used it to fire up his team. 

Great came from both opponents as the Detroit Lions defeat the Minnesota Vikings week 1.  Minnesota got the opening kick and drove down thanks to a jump ball to Greg Jennings where Lions DB Stanford Routt didn't attempt a pass breakup.  A swing pass to AP and 7-0 Vikes.  2nd qtr had more activity as the Lions got the ball and drove down the field culminating with a Megatron TD.  Vikings hit a deep ball again on Toutt,this time for a TD.  Lions drove back and tied the game on a sweep to Reggie Bush.  With precious seconds left in the half, Stafford threw a deep ball to Megatron, and the home team went into the locker room up 21-14.  The Lions took the opening ko and again moved down the field, punching it in to go up 28-14.  A FG got the home team up 31-14, but credit to the Vikings for not giving up and scoring in the 4th to pull within 10.  Joique Bell's 63 yard scamper was the nail in the coffin, and the game ended 38-21.  After the game coach Anna said he was happy with the defense, holding AP to 56 yards on 13 carries.  "A lot of credit goes to our dline, our objective was to stop their vaunted run game, and we feel we succeeded in that area."  When asked about the deep ball, Anna was quoted as saying "we just have to get our awareness and play recognition up, nothing a few practices won't fix.."  They'll need that when they play Larry Fitzgerald and the Arizona Cardinals next week.

Expectiations are high in the Motor City this year, as talent is abound on the roster.  New head coach Herb Anna has the fanbase foaming at the mouth, with promises of high octane offense and points on the board.  "We have the best WR in the game, a great QB, lightning quick RB-Greatest Show on Turf got nothing on us."  Some concern remains on the OL running the ball, but that hasn't quelled the talk of best offense in the league.  On defense, coordinator Woody Woodenhoffer was excited but a bit more reserved in his defensive assessment.  "Our DL has some strengths, but our LB corps needs some work.  They are going to have to answer the bell."  With two other great coaches in the NFC Norris, the Lions have their work cut out for them.