Sunday, April 25, 2004
ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions usually need help, and rarely receive it.
Not so on this first day of the NFL draft. Help arrived like the way doom often does on game day -- in waves.
The Eli Manning soap opera that set up a trade early Saturday between the San Diego Chargers and the New York Giants helped keep Roy Williams of Texas on the board.
The way other teams picked in the top five helped, too.
The fact that many teams were talking with the Lions about trading their pick for a shot at Williams or Kellen Winslow of Miami didn't hurt.
The Cleveland Browns brain trust, picking at No. 7 behind Detroit's No. 6, for some reason felt it had to make a move or watch Winslow go to Detroit, or elsewhere if a trade happened just ahead of them.
They really wanted Winslow, so they sought help from Detroit.
Coach Butch Davis recruited Winslow to Miami, and he wanted to bring the big, talented tight end to Cleveland. He offered a second-round pick if the Lions would swap spots.
Detroit, truth be told, would have taken Winslow if Williams was off the board. But Williams was still on the board.
Cleveland, of course, didn't know that. Cleveland only knew Detroit had other suitors. The Browns offered the extra pick. The Lions gave them No. 6 and their Winslow shot, and then picked Williams at No. 7.
It was win-win situation for Detroit, especially when later in the first round the Lions helped themselves to more talent. They swapped one of their two second-round picks, along with a fourth-round pick this year and a fifth-round pick next year, to Kansas City for pick No. 30.
With that pick they selected the No. 1 running back on their draft board, Kevin Jones of Virginia Tech.
It gave them two first-round picks, two likely future starters and two strong offensive weapons to help quarterback Joey Harrington.
"We're pumped," general manager Matt Millen said.
"It turned out very well," head coach Steve Mariucci said.
They were being honest. It wasn't contrived happy like when Marty Mornhinweg and Millen were forced by ownership to draft Harrington first a few years back.
The Lions were honestly happy, lucky and looking smart for having tagged two first-round talents. Yes, we're talking about the Lions.
"A lot of things happening in this draft," Mariucci said. "We were talking about how crazy this draft season has been."
The Lions look crazy like a fox. Their top six players in the draft were Manning, Robert Gallery, Larry Fitzgerald, Winslow, Williams and Sean Taylor.
Manning, Gallery, Fitzgerald and Taylor were gone when it came to the Lions at No. 6.
Philip Rivers in the San Diego-New York trade was simply a wild card that came up aces for the Lions, too.
The Lions were then able to choose between two of the draft's top players, which meant for once they almost couldn't lose. Enter Cleveland.
Sure, it's the second straight year they have taken a wide receiver with their first pick. And yes, it works. Ever noticed every team plays with two or more wide receivers? Ever noticed the NFL is a passing league? Ever noticed the West Coast offense run correctly uses the pass to set up the run?
Ever watch the Lions?
Dropped passes led to more dropped passes, which led to even more dropped passes a year ago, and it was clear even a healthy Charles Rogers was not going to be enough.
Oh, and they had average running backs at best. Jones looks better than average, he looks like he might be special.
Harrington, the harried young quarterback, is happy.
"We had to get more help for Joey," Mariucci said. "We're really pleased it came together like this."
Imagine, the Lions getting lucky, catching a break, catching anything.
What do you know? Maybe next, it starts to happen some on game days.
RESTORE THE ROAR IN 2004
