The Lions will likely give rookie first round pick Javhid Best every chance to win the starting job in training camp over Kevin Smith who disappointed them last year.  Best has the speed to go the distance every time he touches the ball but the Lions should have a hit count for him do to his size and past problems with concussions.  Still, Best has by far the most upside over any of the other backs on the Lions’ roster.

23-year old Kevin Smith isn’t going to give up his starting job without a fight.  He played in 13 games (all starts) for the Lions last season in which he carried the ball 217 times for 747 yards (3.4 ypc) with 4 TD grabs and he also caught 41 passes for 415 yards (10.1 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Smith was playing through injuries last season but that was no excuse for his performance.  Smith has now played in 29 games (25 starts) for the Lions and he has carried the ball 455 times for 1,723 yards (3.8 ypc) with 12 TD runs.  He also has caught 80 passes for 701 yards (8.8 avg) with 1 TD grab with the Lions. 

30-year old Maurice Morris has always been a backup RB in the NFL and that will continue in 2010 for the Lions.  Morris played in 14 games (3 starts) for the Lions last season and he carried the ball 93 times for 384 yards (4.1 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  He also caught 26 passes for 210 yards (8.1 avg) last season.   Morris has now played in 115 games (25 starts) in his 8 years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 697 times for 2,996 yards (4.3 ypc) with 7 TD runs.  He has also caught 100 passes for 763 yards (7.6 avg) with 4 TD grabs in his NFL career.

24-year old Aaron Brown showed some promise as a rookie last year for the Lions.  Brown played in 15 games (2 starts) for the Lions last season and he carried the ball 27 times for 131 yards (4.9 ypc).  He also caught 9 passes for 84 yards (9.3 avg) with a TD grab and he returned 42 kickoffs for 951 yards (22.6 avg).  Look for Brown to help out in 2010 as a backup RB and special teams player.

25-year old De De Dorsey has signed on with the Lions.  He last played in a regular season game in 2008 with the Bengals.  Dorsey has played in 29 games (2 starts) in his three years in the NFL in which he has carried the ball 26 times for 191 yards (7.3 ypc).  He has also caught 6 passes for 68 yards (11.3 avg) in his NFL career.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE LIONS RBs in 2010:  C

22-year old Matt Stafford showed glimpses of huge potential last season when he wasn’t getting drilled in the backfield.  He also showed incredible toughness against the Browns going back in at the end of the game with a separated shoulder and then completing the game winning two point conversion with a pass.  Stafford played in 10 games as a rookie for the Lions last year and he completed 201 of 377 passes (53.3%) for 2,267 yards with 13 TD passes and 20 INTs (61.0 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 20 times for 108 yards (5.4 ypc) with 2 TD runs in his career.  Stafford was 2-8 (20%) last season as a starting QB for the Lions.  I don’t say this often about a player but Stafford reminded me a lot last season of a young John Elway.  Hopefully the Lions put a line around him to protect him so that his career isn’t cut short.

30-year old Shaun Hill was acquired from the Niners for a 7th round pick and he will be a huge upgrade behind Stafford.  Hill played in 6 games for the 49ers last season and he completed 87 of 155 passes (56.1%) for 943 yards with 5 TD passes and 2 INTs (79.6 QB Rating).  Hill also carried the ball 8 times for 70 yards (8.8 ypc) last season for the Niners.  Hill has now played in 19 games in his NFL career and he has completed 322 of 522 passes (61.7%) for 3,490 yards with 23 TD passes and 11 INTs (87.3 QB Rating).  Hill has also carried the ball 46 times for 197 yards (4.3 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  Hill might not have the strongest arm around but he knows how to win as evidenced by his 10-6 (62.5%) career record as a starting QB.

26-year old Drew Stanton is lucky that he went to Michigan State or the Lions would have gotten rid of him by now.  He played in 4 games for the Lions last season and he completed 26 of 51 passes (51%) for 259 yards with 0 TD passes and 6 INTs (26.1 QB Rating).  Stanton also carried the ball 9 times for 33 yards (3.7 ypc) with 1 TD run last season.  Stanton has now played in 7 games in his career with the Lions and he has completed 35 of 68 passes (51.5%) for 378 yards with 1 TD pass and 6 INTs (36.3 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 12 times for 53 yards (4.4 ypc) with 1 TD run in his career.  Stanton is 0-1 as the starting QB for the Lions.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE LIONS QBs in 2010:  B-

Daunte Culpepper will start the Lions’ third preseason game on Saturday against Indianapolis over first overall pick Matthew Stafford, Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz announced today.  He added that Culpepper will play into the second quarter before giving the ball up to Stafford.

Schwartz insists that competition for the starting job on September 13 at New Orleans is still wide open.

“I don’t want to handicap it one way or the other,” Schwartz said. “But the final decision has not been made.”

Stafford, a rocket-armed Georgia product, has looked shaky in two preseason efforts.  His poor accuracy through two exhibition contests has led to him completing only 12 of 27 passes with two interceptions. The young QB looked especially green in his first preseason start last week, during which his passer rating was a mere 14.6.

Culpepper, a 10-year veteran with Minnesota, Miami and Oakland, played five games for the Lions last season.  He threw for 4 touchdowns and six interceptions while contributing to the worst regular season record in NFL history.   But although he possesses a boatload of experience over Stafford along with two thirty touchdown seasons under his belt, Stafford’s raw talent is making this race tight. Jim Schwartz, welcome to the NFL.

“It’s going to be based on the information we have at hand,” he said, “not from wetting our finger and holding it up in the air, not from taking a poll and not from an ‘ask the audience’ lifeline or anything like that.”

He added, “We’re going to do what’s best for our club.  We’re going to do what’s best for the guy that we drafted, not what somebody outside of the building says and not what worked best for another player. Every player is different.”

Matthew Stafford is the QB of the future for the Detroit Lions but that future won’t likely be this September.  Daunte Culpepper will likely be the starting QB for the Lions when the 2009 season starts.  He still has a good arm and enough mobility to evade the rush buying time to pass or run.  But, he’s nowhere near the QB he was with the Vikings as he appears to be getting near the end of the line.  The Lions gave Matthew Stafford a ton of cash and he’s a smart cookie but the Lions would be smart to let him watch a few games from the sideline before throwing him into the fire.  Regardless, Stafford has all of the tools to be a impact performer in the very near future for the Lions.  The #3 QB will be Drew Stanton who has disappointed to this point in his NFL career.  Stanton doesn’t have a big time arm but he does have good mobility.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2009 SEASON:  D+

The Lions always seem to be looking to replace 38-year old Jason Hanson but he keeps beating out whoever they bring in.  Hanson played in all 16 games for the Lions last season and he made 29 of 35 field goals (82.9%).  He also connected on 35 of 36 extra points last year.  Look for Hanson to have another decent year in 2008 for the Lions as he always seems to do a decent job for them.  Hanson has now played in 255 games in his NFL career and he has made 385 of 472 field goals (81.6%).  Hanson has also connected on 504 of 511 extra points (98.6%) in his career.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C+

If the Lions are indeed going to shift to a more regular pro style offense then they are going to need some production in the passing game from the TEs.  32-year old Dan Campbell appears to be ahead at the start of training camp for the starting job at TE.  He only played in 2 games last season for the Lions and he caught 1 pass for 1 whole yard.  Campbell will need to catch a few passes if he wants to get any playing time in 2008 with the Lions.  Campbell has now played in 113 games in his NFL career and he has caught 90 passes for 913 yards (10.1 avg) with 11 TD grabs.

6’3″, 277 pound Michael Gaines was brought in as a free agent in the offseason from Buffalo and he will likely play a lot on running down for the Lions.  Gaines played in 15 games with the Bills last season and he caught 25 passes for 215 yards (8.6 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  Look for Gaines to probably also catch a few more passes this season for the Lions.  Gaines has now played in 57 games in his NFL career and he has caught 56 passes for 550 yards (9.8 avg) with 4 TD grabs.

27-year old Casey FitzSimmons will also have a legit chance to earn a lot of playing time this season for the Lions.  FitzSimmons played in all 16 games for the Lions last season and he caught 8 passes for 85 yards (10.6 avg) with 1 TD grab.  FitzSimmons should catch more passes in 2008 than he did in 2007.  He has now played in 73 games in his NFL career and he has caught 58 passes for 464 yards (8.0 ag) with 4 TD grabs.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  D

The Detroit Lions’ offense will be changing in 2008 without Mike Martz in charge so roles will be different in the upcoming season.  26-year old Roy Williams will likely again be the focal point in the passing game.  He has a great combo of size (6’2″, 220 pounds) and speed.  He also makes the acrobatic catch quite often putting himself on SportsCenter.  Williams played in 12 games for the Lions last season and he caught 63 passes for 836 yards (13.3 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  Look for Williams to still lead the Lions in receptions and yards in 2008 as long as he can stay healthy.  Williams has now played in 55 games in his NFL career and he has caught 244 passes for 3,650 yards (15.0 avg) with 28 TD grabs.  He has also carried the ball 5 times for 4 yards (0.8 ypc) in his career.

22-year old Calvin Johnson is a very physical receiver at 6’5″, 235 pounds and he has the speed to stretch the field.  Johnson played in 15 games as a rookie last season for the Lions and he caught 48 passes for 756 yards (15.8 avg) with 4 TD grabs.  Johnson also carried the ball 4 times for 52 yards (13.0 avg) with 1 TD run last season.  Look for big things in 2008 for Johnson.

27-year old Shaun McDonald was a Mike Martz favorite but he will have to battle Mike Furrey for the #3 job in 2008.  McDonald played in all 16 games for the Lions last season and he caught 79 passes for 943 yards (11.9 avg) with 6 TD grabs.  He also carried the football 4 times for 2 yards (0.5 ypc) last season.  Look for McDonald’s numbers to be cut in half in 2008 due to the change in offensive style for the Lions.  McDonald has now played in 72 games in his NFL career and he has caught 185 passes for 2,158 yards (11.7 avg) with 10 TD grabs.  He has also carried the football 11 times for 16 yards (1.5 ypc) in his career.

’31-year old Mike Furrey is around for another season with the Lions and he’s a pretty good player.  Furrey knows where the sticks are on third down and he goes all out to get there.  Furrey played in 16 games for the Lions last season and he caught 61 passes for 664 yards (10.9 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Look for his numbers to also take a tumble due to the change in offensive philosophy for the 2008 season by the Lions.  Furrey has now played in 53 games in his NFL career and he has caught 180 passes for 1,947 yards (10.8 avg) with 7 TD grabs.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  A

The Lions have a mish-mash of running backs competing for a starting job this season.  6’0″, 301 pound Jon Bradley appears to be the leader right now for the job.  He is like having an extra offensive tackle in the backfield.  Bradley has played in 15 games (6 starts) for the Lions last season and he carried the ball 5 times for 8 yards (1.6 ypc).  He also caught 2 passes for 10 yards (5.0 avg).  Bradley has now played in 41 games (9 starts) in his NFL career but last year was the only season he touched the football.

Jerome Felton might be able to win the starting job this season as a rookie.  He is 6’0″, 246 pounds so he should be able to handle the pounding in the NFL.  But, it’s a huge leap from playing at Furman to the NFL.

6’5″, 265 pound Sean McHugh is a converted TE who will add a threat out of the backfield in the passing game for the Lions.  He played in 15 games (12 starts) with the Lions last season and he caught 17 passes for 252 yards (14.8 avg).  McHugh is definately big enough to handle the fullback job and I wouldn’t be surprised if he won it.  McHugh has now played in 25 games (14 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 20 passes for 277 yards (13.9 avg).

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C-

The Lions will have five running backs competing for the open job as the feature back in 2008.  Tatum Bell appears to have the lead for the job despite being in the Lions’ Dog House last year.  Bell will need to hold onto the football to keep the starting job.  He is really fast but he’s not the toughest running back in the NFL.  Bell played in 5 games (all starts) for the Lions last year and he carried the ball 44 times for 182 yards (4.1 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also caught 14 passes for 63 yards (4.5 avg).  Bell has been productive in his career to date but his best times were in Denver where they can make any running back into a star.  Bell has now played in 47 games (19 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 525 times for 2,524 yards (4.8 ypc) with 14 TD runs.  He has also caught 61 passes for 362 yards (5.9 avg).

Brian Calhoun has talent but he’s always gets hurt and last season was no exception.  Calhoun played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Lions last season and he carried the ball 7 times for 35 yards (5.0 ypc).  He also caught 5 passes for 35 yards (7.0 avg).  It will be interesting to see if Calhoun can stay healthy enough in 2008 to show what he can do.  Calhoun has now played in 11 games (0 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 14 times for 54 yards (3.9 ypc).  He also caught 7 passes for 55 yards (7.9 avg).

Rookie 3rd round pick Kevin Smith has the skills to beat out the backs above him on the depth chart.  Smith had an incredible season at Central Florida last year and the Lions’ hope he can do half as good in the NFL.  Smith played in 14 games (all starts) at Central Florida last season and he carried the ball 450 times for 2,567 yards (5.7 ypc) with 29 TD runs.  He also caught 24 passes for 242 yards (10.1 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Look for Smith to win the starting job by mid-season for the Lions.

Aveion Cason is buried on the depth chart but he will still have a chance to earn a bigger role with the Lions in 2008.  Cason played in 12 games (0 starts) for the Lions last season and he carried the ball 11 times for 38 yards (3.5 ypc).  He also caught 14 passes for 129 yards (9.2 avg).  Look for Cason to add to his modest career numbers in 2008 as he might surprise.  Cason has now played in 49 games (5 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 122 times for 555 yards (4.5 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  He has also caught 60 passes for 628 yards (10.5 avg) with 2 TD grabs.

Artose Pinner didn’t get a lot of playing time with the Falcons last year but he will also have a big opportunity to move up the depth chart.  Pinner played in 7 games (0 starts) for the Falcons last season and he carried the ball 5 times for 46 yards (9.2 ypc).  Pinner has now played in 47 games (7 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 250 times for 858 yards (3.4 ypc) with 8 TD runs.  He also has caught 39 passes for 308 yards (7.9 avg).

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  D+

It will be interesting to see if the Lions will stick with Jon Kitna this whole season if he keeps turning the ball over at such an astounding rate.  He threw 20 pickoffs and fumbled 17 times (losing 6 of them) last season!  That can’t be tolerated again no matter how many yards Kitna is throwing for.  His problem is that his hands are really small and it doesn’t take much to jar the ball from his hands.  When he’s getting protection he is still a solid NFL QB but that can be said about most QBs in the NFL.  Kitna started all 16 games for the Lions last season and he completed 355 of 561 passes (63.3%) for 4,068 yards with 18 TD passes and 20 interceptions (80.9 QB Rating).  Kitna also carried the ball 25 times for 63 yards (2.5 ypc).  Don’t look for Kitna to throw for as many yards as he did last season as offensive co-ordinator Mike Martz is off to San Francisco.  That means that the Lions will try to go with a more balanced attack.  Kitna has now played in 124 games (111 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 2,394 of 3,994 passes (59.9%) for 26,535 yards with 147 TD passes and 146 interceptions (76.8 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 273 times for 777 yards (2.8 ypc) with 10 TD runs.  Kitna has also fumbled the ball an amazing 100 times in his NFL career, losing 43 of them.

Drew Stanton missed all of his rookie season due to knee surgery but he still projects as the Lions’ QB of the future and it could be soon.  He doesn’t have a great arm but it’s strong enough.  Stanton also is as tough as nails and he doesn’t hesitate to take off running if the opportunity presents itself.  He might get his first NFL action this season if Kitna keeps putting the ball on the ground or in the opposing defenses’ hands.

Dan Orlovsky is a limited player as he doesn’t have a big time arm to drive the ball down the field.  He didn’t get on the field last season for the Lions.  He has played in 2 games (0 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 7 of 17 passes (41.2%) for 63 yards with 0 TD passes and 0 interceptions (51.8 QB Rating).  He will be the #3 QB for the Lions this season.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C-