New Look, New Faces, Same problem.

Nearly everything has changed for the Detroit Lions, since the final seconds counted off of the clock in late December at Lambeau Field. While 0-16 will forever be associated with the franchise, the uniforms and most of the players correlated with making that nightmare a reality are gone. The linebackers are definitely improved, at least on paper. Also, even without an outside pass rush the defensive line gained a little bit talent with the addition of Grady Jackson. Take a look at the secondary and you may not be able to recognize one player who played in that spot for the Honolulu Blue last year. Whether that unit as a whole has gotten better remains a question mark as the coaches' draw up battle plans for New Orleans. The offense should see better days as well. Whether it is Stafford or Culpepper under center this year, the play should improve there. Kevin Smith and his cast of characters in the back field will take a step up as well. Depth was added behind Calvin Johnson on the outside. Yet with all this improvement on paper and literally nowhere to go but up some fans remain spectacle. The one unit that stayed almost stagnant from last year could arguably be the most important. Every ESPN analyst and play-by-play announcer says the same thing, "The game is won in the trenches." Detroit management obviously does not feel that way as pretty much the same offensive line from a year ago will take the field September 13. The one new addition is Mr. Daniel Loper. Loper spent three seasons in Tennessee before joining Detroit. Not bad at all. Except for the fact that he never started a game while he was there. Adding a backup player to a team of reserve players is not the best way to spend money. As he takes the Left Guard position, flanking him is veteran Jeff Backus. Backus is an eight year veteran who hasn't missed a game since he arrived via the draft. In those eight years the Lions haven't played in late January. The reasons don't fall solely on Backus but he is part of the problem as he isn't exactly setting the world on fire either. He is yet to make a Pro Bowl and was still a part of a unit that was 30th in rushing yards and 31st in sacks given up. On the other hand, Backus' counterpart on the other side of the line is the future. The future's name is Gosder Cherilus. As a first round pick of a year ago he should make at least a minimal improvement to the offensive line. He fought his way into the starting job at the end of the season last year, beating out the immortal George Foster and if he can continue to progress the line could have an anchor to lean on in the coming years. The outside may be in good hands but Mark Schlereth is always telling the viewers that the offensive line is about being a unit, in a word: togetherness. That togetherness needs some time to grow. The inside Stephen Peterman, Dominic Raiola pu-pu platter has had some time to gel along with the rest of the offensive line. What they are missing is talent. Give me five strangers who can move their feet and stick their hands in a guy's chest and I will give you guys who have been playing together since high school but can't keep people in front of them. The worst offensive line in the league on the worst team in history returns four out of five players for the following season. A season that is probably going to start a rookie quarterback who could lose a whole career from laying on his back so much in his first year. Look at David Carr. Whether there were rookies on the unit or not a year ago, when a team changes it's uniforms to get fiercer and it's defense to get tougher it seems ironic that they go into war with their weakest point on the front line.