After fifty years of futility, sixteen weeks of ridicule and who knows how long they will remain the brunt of jokes, the Lions approach the April draft having strung together a series of positive moves.  Since jettisoning Matt Millen, it may be that the William Clay Fords are starting to get some things right. 

This shouldn’t surprise people.  The Fords, despite not ever appearing in a Super Bowl, or playing in the playoffs since the nineties, aren’t as bad as they are currently portrayed. There’s a load of great players that have played there and they’ve mustered competitive teams in every decade.  Frustration has enabled the media and fans to pile on, but despite what buzz killers like Drew Sharp, Tony Reali and Jim Rome spew, the glass is starting to fill.  

Named Martin Mayhew General Manager.

Despite the party line that the Lions should have signed an outsider to completely overhaul the team, the Fords chose ex-player and attorney Mayhew.  They looked beyond the stigma of being Matt Millen’s assistant, the reverse-Rooney-Rule-influence, and his overall inexperience, to select the bright and likable former Redskin and Buc.  So far, he’s proving that good decision-making isn’t as tough as the Fords and Millen made it look.  Bringing in an outsider would have put the Lions into a more vulnerable hurry-up mode in selecting a coach and preparing for the draft. 

• Jim Schwartz named head coach.

They got an inexpensive defensive guy with years of experience from a stable franchise with a pedigree and an innovative statistical bent.  Resisting the urge to follow other teams’ models, especially in Atlanta and Miami, the Lions made their own plan: stabilize, coach, value players, draft and attract players.  Better yet, Schwartz is delighted to have the job, digging in for a long haul, and anxious to garner comparisons to his mentors Jeff Fisher and Bill Belichick.

• Picked proven coordinators. 

Gunther Cunningham for the defense and Scott Linehan for the offense bring comfort levels with them.  Cunningham, a former head coach and revered defensive whiz has a bit of a bromance with Schwartz.  Linehan, another former head coach and indoor guru at Minnesota and St. Louis, guided Daunte Culpepper during his best years.

• Picked a solid player evaluator.

James “Shack” Harris was the NFL’s first black quarterback of significance and a key player as VP of Pro Personnel in stocking the “no-name” Jacksonville Jaguars over the past six years.  He’ll contribute as a mentor to Martin Mayhew and as a talent evaluator.  During Harris’ time in Jacksonville, the Jags sandwiched 5-11 seasons around a 40-24 mark.  The Jags lost in the AFC wild card game after finishing 12-4 in 2005.    The Lions would kill for that.

•  Five picks in the top 83.

This includes the 1st, 20th and 33rd picks.  It’s like having three first round selections, and they have two (65th and 83rd) in the third.   This draft is strong through at least the third round.  On paper right now, they need “five or six” new starters.  A lineman and a wide receiver on offense and a defensive lineman, linebacker and possibly two corners.  Rookies aren’t  going to contribute much in 2009, but two to four of their total seven picks could see significant time and fill some now wide open spots.

• Taking a Sensible Approach to the Roster 

The Lions are talking up Matthew Stafford which is the sensible thing to do to increase demand for the number one pick.  Worse things could happen to a rebuilding team if Detroit decides to take a lower first round pick, a veteran starter and a low round draft selection to give someone else a shot at Stafford.  They’d also save the bundle that traditionally goes to the first overall. After two close looks by their coaches and Harris they could also easily take Stafford as a potential top-of-the-line quarterback.  That would be their first unless you count Bobby Layne in 1957 who also happened to graduate from Stafford’s high school in Texas. 

They’re perfectly willing to go with Culpepper and (take your pick) Drew Stanton or Drew Henson as backups in 2009 as Linehan and his quarterback guru,  Jeff Horton, develop a talented youngster.  They will likely bring in a veteran for depth and they’ve been rumored to have the value Denver is looking for to land disgruntled Jay Cutler. 

 They know they have many spots to fill, a learning curve to endure, and long-term depth and value to build on their roster.  They are not buying the media line that there is no talent on the roster.  They see Calvin Johnson on offense and Ernie Sims on defense as players to build around.  There is pressure to select real “lunch bucket” contributors on the offensive line and on defense.  They’ve added nearly a dozen re-signs and sensible free agents and traded for Pro Bowl LB Julian Peterson to anchor a spot opposite Sims on defense.

• Stocked approximately $35 million in cap room.

Trust that Tom Lewand will work this to position the Lions for the future.  He’ll also be cognizant of the new collective bargaining agreement on the near horizon and the recession. As much as they need, they aren’t going out and buying $35 million in free agents.  But they could afford a “Reggie White-type of deal” that could employ an instant “difference maker.” They seriously looked into Albert Haynesworth before Daniel Snyder threw in his stupid Six Flags and Tom Cruise money. The Lions seem committed to a steady build-out and loading up on one player isn’t in the forecast. More likely the Lions will continue to spend reasonably on some guys you’ve never heard of.

• Cut the dead weight.

CB Leigh Bodden and WR Mike Furrey are gone and complaining about how bad it was to play in Detroit, not how badly they played in Detroit.  These were no brainers.  Furrey was owed $1.85 million.  Bodden $2.5 million.  Dan Campbell $2.1 million.  Dwight Smith $2.25 .  They were old.  They were hurt.  They didn’t help.  Their team went 0-16.