Every football fan has heard the mantra, “football games are won in the trenches,” the 2010 Lions can only hope that is true. The defensive front was given a facelift in the offseason and no position group faces higher expectations than the defensive line. The Lions cut Grady Jackson and Dewayne White and repalced them with Corey Williams, Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch.
The Lions finished 32nd in total yards allowed on defense last year and the defensive line’s inability to pressure the quarterback and stop the run were largely to blame. Opponents were able to pick up solid yardage on first and second downs, rarely leaving them in third and long situations.
Third and medium or third and short situations are difficult for a defense to defend because the offense can run almost any play in their playbook. The coaches faced a real dilemma because the line couldn’t generate pressure on their own, but if they blitzed, the secondary couldn’t hold up behind the blitz.
There are two schools of thought on the Lions’ defense going into the 2010 Season. Some believe the defensive line upgrades will help a weak secondary by generating a strong pass rush. Others belive that the same dynamic from 2009 will plague the Lions this year. The pass rush will be better, but the secondary won’t be able to hold coverage long enough for the rush to get there.
However, last season the four defensive lineman couldn’t get pressure consistently, when the Lions blitzed they brought one or two extra defenders along with the four lineman. That meant that of the five or six rushers, four weren’t capable of consistantly getting to the QB. This year, the Lions should be able to get a rush with four lineman, so when you bring extra rushers they will be more effective because all five or six rushers should be more capable of getting to the QB.
Ndamukong Suh was the consensus crown jewel of the offseason acquisitions, but people will need to temper their expectations of Suh. Suh has all the physical and mental tools to succeed, but he still needs to learn how to harness them at the NFL level. Suh’s greatest trait is his explosiveness, he has better acceleration than most tight ends despite weighing 295 lbs. He uses his hands well for an incoming rookie, but he will have to improve as well as develop better pass rushing moves.
Corey Williams is the most underrated of the acquistions, and he may be th emost impactful. Williams was a dominant pass rusher in his time with the Packers as he racked up 14 sacks in his last two seasons there. The Packers traded him to the Browns where they asked him to convert to a 3-4 defensive end. Willaims went from attacking gaps to get penetration to occupying blocks to allow other players to make the plays. His performance suffered and as it became obvious he wasn’t cut out to play that role the Browns sent him to the Lions. Willaims will get back to what he’s best at this season and I expect big things from him.
Kyle Vanden Bosch was another headline-grabbing acquistion, but there are some areas of concern. KVB has struggled through injuries the last two seasons and hasn’t put up the numbers he did in 2005-2007 when he recorded 31 sacks. He also will turn 32 in November which puts him closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Despite those question marks, Vanden Bosch brings a relentless motor, veteran presence and a legitimate threat off the edge.
Cliff Avril is expected to win the other starting defensive end position and big things are expected of him in his third season. Avril has the tall frame, the explosion and the raw talent to be a pass rushing nightmare but he hasn’t been able to develop the intensity and demeanor to become an elite pass rusher. Gunther Cunningham believes that Avril is starting to understand the level of intensity he needs to take the next step and having additional talent and veteran leadership won’t hurt either.
Last year’s rookie surprise, Sammie Lee Hill will play fewer snaps, but he will play a more important role than last year. Last year Hill’s play was a bonus, as the coaches expected him to be a project rather than instant contributor. This year there are expectations that he takes the next step and can avoid a significant dropoff in production when Suh or Williams need a breather. The coaching staff has also hinted that they plan on moving Suh around, including some snaps at defensive end, so Hill would replace Suh at tackle in those situations.
Jared DeVries is a fan favorite, locker room presence and one of the highest motor guys in the NFL, but he may find himself on the bubble. There are a lot of players on the roster competing for three or four roster spots after the four starters and Hill. DeVries was a starter when he ruptured his Achilles last year in training camp, but he most likely won’t be this year. DeVries can play tackle and end and he doesn’t make assignment mistakes, but he also needs to contribute on special teams if he is a backup.
Andre Fluellen, Joe Cohen and Landon Cohen are competing for the final defensive tackle spot and I believe Fluellen has the edge. Fluellen has more natural talent than the other two as well as position versatility. Fluellen has played both tackle positions and spent time at defensive end, but he will need to outshine the other two in the preseason. Landon Cohen has made the roster the last two years because of his strong preseason play and Joe Cohen was a pleasant surprise when the Lions picked him up off of waivers last season.
Jason Hunter, Turk McBride and Willie Young are the favorites for landing the remaining roster spot at defensive end.
Hunter had a solid year last year when he was pressed into a starting role after DeVries went down. Hunter was a slightly below average starter, but he is a very good rotational player at defensive end.
McBride was a midseason pick up, but he wasn’t as effective as he could have been due to his size. McBride was asked to drop weight and play linebacker for the Chiefs before getting cut and signing with the Lions. He has gained some of that weight back and he has a history with Gunther Cunningham.
Young has the most potential of the three, but he also has the farthest to go to reach it. He actually shares a lot of similarities with Cliff Avril. He was highly productive college pass rusher, he has a tall and long frame with great athleticism and explosion. He needs to bulk up and work on technique to stand a chance. He may force the Lions to carry 11 defensve lineman if he shines in the preseason, the Lions would rather carry 11 players than lose a talented prospect.
The Lions’ defensive line was lacking starting caliber talent in 2009, but had a number of solid rotational type players. The starting talent has been added in the form of KVB, Suh and Williams, but the play of holdovers like Hill and Avril will go a long way towards legitmizing this unit as one of the better groups in the league.
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