Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Posted on September 3, 2013 at 09:45 PM.
PRESEASON WEEK 2
Eagles defense shuts down Anderson, Panthers in 30-15 Victory
Eagles defense shuts down Anderson, Panthers in 30-15 Victory
Trent Cole said he had "a good feeling" about the Eagles defense heading into this preseason Week 2 battle against the Panthers. His gut would turn out to be true. The story of last night was the defense setting the offense up to score. Whether it was by forcing turnovers or simply setting up the offense with good field position, the defense was the reason the Eagles racked up 30 points. The offense played the role of the ultimate opportunists, taking advantage of the opportunities given to them.
The night started out well on the first drive when QB Michael Vick launched a 37-yard pass to tight end Zach Ertz on a third-and-long. Ertz, in his first year out of Stanford University, had a very productive evening, racking up 5 receptions for 78 yards. After fighting for a couple more first downs, the Eagles were able to strike first for an early field goal, giving them a 3-0 lead.
Cam Newton and the Panthers offense would be quick to respond, however. A harmless 3rd-and-10 turned disaster when the defense fell for a perfectly executed screen. The result? A DeAngelo Williams 76-yard reception that would set the Panthers up for a field goal of their own, making the game 3-3. The Panthers could've scored a touchdown had it not been for clutch sack by Trent Cole on third and goal.
Later in the first, Vick would march the Eagles down deep into Panthers territory. On first down from the Panther 23, Vick dropped back and fired to a wide open Jason Avant for what should've been the first TD of the game. Instead, he overthrew and received the first "boos" of the season. He redeemed himself on the next play, however, lofting a beautiful fade pass up to Avant for a touchdown. The quarter ended with the Eagles leading 10-3.
The next major play came in the 2nd quarter, where the defense first started showing their dominance. Cam Newton was forced out of the pocket by the defense, but was hit from behind as he ran across the line of scrimmage by none other than Trent Cole. Cole jarred the ball loose, and it was recovered by Mychal Kendricks on the Carolina 45. The offense would take advantage of the opportunity, now with QB Nick Foles in to run the offense. He slowly moved the Eagles closer and closer to the endzone, until finally a dump pass to LeSean McCoy scored the touchdown. The Eagles now had a commanding 17-3 lead midway through the 2nd.
Following a Panthers three-and-out, Foles showed the crowd that he can be a starting-caliber QB. He marched the Eagles down the field like a true field-general. Finally, the Panthers defense was able to stop the assault. Alex Henery lined up the 42yd FG to put the Eagles up by 17, but missed. The score remained 17-3.
By now, Cam Newton was long gone and Chris Anderson would be the Panthers QB for the rest of the game. He looked solid throughout the 2nd and 3rd quarters, but fell apart in the 4th. Midway through the 2nd, he launched a bomb that connected to TE Olsen that put the Panthers in prime position on the Eagles 18 yard line. A second completion to TE Rosalio would put them at first-and-goal on the one yard line. The Eagles defense would rally, however, and stuff Jonathon Stewart back to the four yard line. The Panthers attempted to score through the air on 2nd down, but a sack pushed them back even more. Finally on third down it appeared they caught their break; Anderson fired a perfect pass through a tight window and found TE Ben Hartsock in the endzone. Hartsock apparently had eaten two many butterfingers recently and could not hold on as DB's crashed into him. The Panthers would settle for a disappointing FG.
The Panthers would tack on one more FG following another successful screen, but other than that, the quarter ended calmly. At half, the Eagles led 17-9.
The third quarter started with a bang as Anderson led the fresly-rested Panthers offense down into Eagles territory. A third-down draw that caught the Eagles way off guard resulted in a touchdown for the Panthers. The clever run was pulled off by second-year RB Tauren Poole. It would coincidentally be his only carry of the game. The 6 TD points made the score 15-17, so the Panthers decided to go for two and tie the game up at 17 a piece. However, Brandon Graham had other ideas. The OLB was playing out of his mind on the pass rush, sacking Anderson multiple times and in this case, denying the 2-point conversion.
Matt Barkley was given the reigns to the Eagles' offense for the second half. Barkley's performance was mediocre compared to that of Vick or Foles. He had spots of greatness, and times when he looked terrible. For the most part, he was stifled by the Panthers defense. However, the defense was there for him, as they were all game. Brandon Boykin, 2nd-year man out of Georgia, intercepted a deep pass thrown by Anderson and returned it to the Panthers' 40 yd line. The run game forced the ball just outside of the redzone. At that point, Barkley hooked up with Damaris Johnson on a great lob pass for an Eagles TD. Damaris Johnson said after the game, "Those are the kind of throws you want your starting QB to make. Great pass."
Johnson would strike again later in the game, this time on special teams. He returned a punt 17 yards and into Panthers territory. Barkley and co. relied on the run game, led by backup RB Bryce Brown to get them into field goal range. This time, Henery did not miss. The Eagles were up 27-15 as the third quarter ended.
The fourth quarter, for the most part, was a defensive battle. Anderson got extremely cold, at one point throwing eight straight incompletions. As the clock dwindled, the Panthers, despite being deep in their own territory, started going for it on fourth down. Back-to-back failed attempts resulted in an easy FG for the Eagles to go up 30-15. The other failed attempt resulted in a Barkley INT after he tried to force a throw in the redzone. Overall, a good victory for Phili fans across the country.
| Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles | |||||
| Aug 17, 2013 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Carolina Panthers (1-0) | 3 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 15 |
| Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) | 10 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 30 |
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You will learn I don't record every stat in my tables. Just not enough time to get all the little ones. The major contributors for each team have their stats shown each week.
QB Competition
Vick probably had the best performance out of the three QB's. Other than his overthrown pass that would've been a touchdown, he was sharp all game. He had command over the offense and his decision making was on point, something Eagles fans didn't see last year. At this point, he is the expected starter.
Nick Foles was also sharp last night. His completion percentage was equal to Vick's. Overall, he looked like a true leader on the field. However, he was playing with the 2nd-string offense and against a 2nd-string defense. Expect him to get some snaps with the first team next week, but he isn't the favorite as of now.
TEAM REVIEW
The Good:-Dominated the trenches. The offensive line only allowed one sack and opened up a fair amount of running lanes. The defensive line harassed Newton and Anderson all night long. They recorded 5 total sacks.
-Vick showed he can still be a productive quarterback. Many were beginning to lose hope. Maybe the Chip Kelly offense will be a fresh start for him.
-The CBs played, for the most part, well. It is not a great secondary, that is glaringly apparent. However, if they can put this kind of play together, I'll take it.
The Bad:
-Recently drafted Matt Barkley made a poor debut. It's just one game. Maybe he will bounce back. He certainly doesn't look like a gem quite yet.
-LeSean McCoy didn't make the kind of impact he needs to make to win regular season games. He looked like an average running back last night, not the elusive superstar we all know he can be.
-DeSean Jackson and Jeremly Maclin played for a whole quarter, but both were extremely quiet. They need to work on gaining separation or the passing game will struggle.
Postgame Q&A With Chip Kelly: Sponsored by Gatorade
Q: What is your reaction to Matt Barkley's performance?
A: "He's a rookie. It takes time for these guys to adjust, especially QBs, to the NFL. I wouldn't count him out yet, but players can do a lot of improving even if they're not playing on Sunday. He'll get there."
Q: Have you and your staff made further progress in deciding who will be the starting quarterback?
A: "We're leaning toward Mike Vick. His style of play fits our offense the best, and he's looked good this preseason. The spot is still up for grabs, however."
Q: Enough with the quarterback position, how do you think the secondary played?
A: "I was pleasantly surprised with their play. Boykin made a couple nice plays including an interception. Cary Williams looked solid against Steve Smith. I'm excited for this group. I think they'll surprise people."
Next episode will be a midweek review. I will cover what has happened the past few days in practice, league transactions, injury reports, and more as we head into Preseason Week 3.
-S2J
Monday, September 2, 2013
PRESEASON WEEK 1
I would like to start off with an apology. I accidentally hit "x" over the game under the actions tab, which automatically dismissed the assignment and simmed the game. I will be sure to bring Pre Week 2 in good depth. Once again, sorry for the inconvenience.
Eagles Transactions
The following players have been cut from the roster:
FB Emil Igwenagu
QB G.J. Kinne
QB Dennis Dixon
Eagles Sign CB Ras-I Dowling
An overall weak secondary added another piece this Monday, as Jeffrey Lurie announced the signing of CB Ras-I Dowling for a 1 year, $670K contract. He is expected to compete for the slot position. Coach Chip Kelly had this to say of him: "A lot of raw talent comes with (Dowling's) signing. My job is to channel that raw potential into solid play on Sunday." Overall, very generic comments from the Head Coach.Injury Report:
The 49ers suffered a pair of crucial injuries, losing both starting tackles Anthony Davis and Joey Staley. Although they are both expected to miss at most two regular season games, we will have to see how the lack of practice throughout the next month effects the overall effectiveness of the San Fran offensive line.
Jets DE Muhammad Wilkerson dislocated his knee during the game Sunday. The Jets have declined to comment about the seriousness of the injury. Additionally, Jets MLB Demario Davis broke his wrist and will be out for at least two months, doctors estimate. Other major injuries include Vikings center John Sullivan and Cardinals LE Calias Campbell. Both are expected to play in their respective season openers, however.
Preseason Week 2 Preview:
The battle for the starting QB position will officially begin next week. We will also get our first look at recently signed Ras-I Dowling. Next edition will be much longer so stay tuned!
1) They have a QB needing replacement. I LOVE drafting QBs and other skill-position players. Michael Vick is old and inconsistent, and I can't wait to get my hands on Matt Barkley.
2) A 3-4 defense. I almost always run a 4-3, but decided this year that I would change things up.
The roster, although mostly depleted, has some bright spots. The offensive line seems like a solid group of veterans to support McCoy and whoever out QB ends up being. Speaking of McCoy, he is a great RB and extremely fun to use in Madden. DeSean Jackson provides a great deep threat. Overall, a fun team to use. Without further ado, let me introduce you to this franchise.
EAGLES DYNASTY
Game Settings:
CFM Type: Current Owner (JEFFREY LURIE)
Skill Level: All Madden
Quarter Length: 14 Minutes (Subject to change)
Acc Clock: 13 secs
Game Speed: Slow
Pre Existing Injury: OFF
Trade Deadline: ON
Relocation Settings: NORMAL
Number of Teams Controlled: 1 (not a 32 team franchise)
Fill Roster/Re-sign Players/Progress Players, Sign FAs: CPU Control OFF
Sliders: Blue Ninja's
Draft Classes: Will Be Importing from NCAA
CFM Type: Current Owner (JEFFREY LURIE)
Skill Level: All Madden
Quarter Length: 14 Minutes (Subject to change)
Acc Clock: 13 secs
Game Speed: Slow
Pre Existing Injury: OFF
Trade Deadline: ON
Relocation Settings: NORMAL
Number of Teams Controlled: 1 (not a 32 team franchise)
Fill Roster/Re-sign Players/Progress Players, Sign FAs: CPU Control OFF
Sliders: Blue Ninja's
Draft Classes: Will Be Importing from NCAA
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Posted on April 24, 2013 at 10:37 PM.
Both offenses came into Sunday's showdown with the same thought in mind: air it out. Only one team, however, would be successful in doing so.The Detroit Lions would win the coin toss and choose to receive. Stafford and the offense came out passing: but as like most teams in Week 1, were a little bit rusty. The offense punted to Oakland after picking up one or two first downs. Oakland responded with quick, short passes to their speedy wide receivers. It was clear they were trying to get yards after the catch. After back to back third down conversions, Palmer completed a deep slant to Greg Jennings, who had beat rookie Rashawn Norwood in coverage for a 25 yard gain. Continuing to advance on Detroit's goaline, the Raiders nearly turned it over on a McFadden fumble.
Luckily, the play was challenged by Oakland head coach Dennis Allen and the play was overturned: McFadden had his knee down by the time Tulloch forced it loose. The next play resulted in a clutch Lawrence Jackson sack which forced Oakland to settle for three. Jackson played extremely well in Week 1, racking up 2 sacks and proving he deserves the starting position.
Detroit decided not to switch up the gameplan despite punting on the next drive as well. After hooking up with Burleson on a streak and then a curl, Detroit found themselves within field goal range. A couple quick passes put them inside the 10. Then from six yards out, Stafford found rookie 3rd overall selection Anthony Jackson in traffic for a TD. The Lions would rely heavily on the Jackson / Burleson duo as Calvin Johnson was shut down completely by Michael Huff: an extremely rare occurance.
Oakland's next position started like their first drive: a lot of quick passes to speedy receivers. McFadden, who had nearly cost them points already, made a second key mistake in the run game.
Detroit wasted no time capitalizing on this crucial error. In many eyes, this was the turning point of the ballgame. Following a completion to Calvin Johnson, Detroit surprised Oakland by running a counter out of the shotgun. The result was another 6 points for the Lions in rookie Kian Minor's first NFL touchdown.
Oakland now found themselves down by two possessions and with no momentum in their favor. McFadden was not to be trusted, for no at least. Palmer put the team on his back, firing back to back 20+ yard completions to Denarius Moore. As they neared scoring range, McFadden again became an option. He broke off a couple nice runs which were followed by another first down, this time a completion to rookie TE Jermarcus Turner. On 2nd and Goal from the 5, FB Marcel Reece caught the lines off guard with a FB Dive and scored Oakland's first touchdown. The extra point made it a 14-10 game, and that is how the half would end.
Coming out of halftime, Schwartz was confident his defense would hold Palmer and the rest of the Oakland attack. He was right. After a quick three-and-out by Oakland, WR Mike Thomas made an electrifying return to regain momentum for the Detroit Lions.
The punt return for a touchdown gave Detroit their two-possession lead back. It was all they needed. Palmer's next drive would result in an interception by CB Jacob Lacey, who jumped a slant route perfectly to get the interception. Once again, Detroit played the role of the extreme opportunists, capitalizing off of Oakland's errors. Anthony Jackson, a name you should get familiar with by the looks of this game, completely destroyed Tyvon Branch on a deep route for his second touchdown of the game.
The rest of the game would be Oakland's frantic attempt to get back into the game. However, time was now working against them. Sometime near the beginning of the fourth quarter, Oakland found themselves in a difficult situation. They were in FG range, but knew they needed touchdowns to make it close again. Allen gave the call to go for it on fourth down, and the Lions stopped them. Once more the exact scenario above happened, this time in the red zone. Once again, the Detroit defense prevailed to clinch the victory for the Lions. Norwood's interception came on the last play of the game as Oakland tossed a hail mary, in case anyone cared.
Although Detroit's offense put up 31 points, it was truly a team effort to get the W. "The thing that separates good teams from bad ones is that the good ones take advantage of what they have. We saw a classic case of a team beating themselves this week", were ESPN's football guru Chris Berman's words.
"Everyone executed. Obviously there were little mistakes here and there, but as a whole we went out and executed our game plan, and anytime you can successfully do that, your gonna win." -Schwartz at the press conference after the game.
When rookie Anthony Jackson was asked about his player-of-the-game performance, he said, "It felt good to go out and play and get the first game jitters out of my stomach. I know I have what it takes and I'm ready to put up even better numbers next week." Calvin Johnson, on the other hand, only caught two passes for under twenty yards. Although he downplayed it at the post-game press conference, saying it's "all about the team", you could see he was a little disappointed about his performance.
That caps off Week 1. A lot of YT videos were in this episode, mainly because it was Week 1 and there were a lot of highlights. Don't expect this many in future weeks. Week 2 midweek news will be out soon. -S2J
BOX SCORE
| Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders | |||||
| Sep 18, | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Detroit Lions () | 0 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 31 |
| Oakland Raiders () | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Team Stats Comparison | ||
| DET | OAK | |
| Total Offense | 309 | 268 |
| Rushing Yards | 95 | 55 |
| Passing Yards | 214 | 213 |
| First Downs | 16 | 14 |
| Punt Return Yards | 71 | 19 |
| Kick Return Yards | 54 | 47 |
| Total Yards | 434 | 334 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 4 |
| 3rd Down Converstion | 8 | 5 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 0 | 0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 2/1 | 1/1 |
| Penalties | 1 | 1 |
| Posession Time | 26:41 | 21:19 |
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Monday, April 22, 2013
| Matchup Preview *|* September 9, 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Detroit Lions (0-0, 0-0 Away) | Oakland Raiders (0-0, 0-0 Home) | |||||||||||||||||
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NCAA NEWS:
-Florida Statue University QB Carl Elliott is projected as the top pick for next year's draft, but Notre Dame CB Michael Jones is close on his heels.
NFL NEWS:
-Jeremy Shockey was released from the Colts.
-Marques Colston is out with an injury. Estimated 1-2 months
-Shockey was immediately resigned by the Eagles for a 1YR, 1.9M deal.
-Bears and Falcons were the only two teams to finish preseason undefeated
Scouting News:
-The first scouts were sent out to review mostly skill-position players. Lions are predicted to draft TE, OL, FS, and SS next year but things could change. We are still a long ways away.
Week 1 recap should be out within a day or two.
-S2J
Sunday, April 21, 2013
After a surprising 10-6 record in the 2011-12 regular season, Lions fans around the nation were starting to come out of their caves. It was no longer an embarrassment to root for the team that for so long has stunk. Coming into 2012 with high hopes, the team crashed to 4-12. Critics everywhere roasted the Lions as being 'one-hit wonders' and calling their success in 2011 fraud. In just one year the signs in the stadium had gone from "Schwartz Nation" to "Fire Schwartz". Once again back on the hot seat, Jim Schwartz has to prove that his Lions have what it takes to be a playoff team in the NFL. I hope you join me in this Detroit Lions Dynasty.
Detroit Lions CCM
Mode: Coach (Jim Schwartz)
OFF Playbook- J. Schwartz
DEF Playbook- J. Schwartz
Quarter Length: 12 Min
Salary Cap: ON
Sliders: KB's Experimental Sliders [All-Madden Set]
Year Starting: '13-'14 (meaning I simmed Year 1 to catch up to real life)
Rosters: Post-SuperBowl MADDEN Roster Update
2012 Recap
Because I wanted to mimic real life, I simulated season one of the CCM. For this dynasty, I will refer to 2012 like in real life, not in the CCM sim. However, the simulation had us finishing the year 8-8 and getting the 14th overall selection. Again, all 2012 references including stats and more will refer to the Lions actual 2012 season.
Detroit Lions Resigning
Resigned Players
Chris Houston - CB - 5YR,27.5M
Louis Delmas - FS - 4YR, 9.04M
DeAndre Levy - ROLB - 4YR, 14.44M
Lawrence Jackson - LE - 3YR, 4.8M
Pat Lee - CB - 4YR, 5.2M
Corey Hilliard - RT - 2YR, 1.8M
Jerome Harrison - HB - 1YR, 850K
Dylan Gandy - C - 2YR, 1.8M
Jacob Lacey - CB - 1YR, 850K
Willie Young - RE - 4YR, 6.8M
Tyrell Johnson - SS - 3YR, 2.7M
Amari Spievey - SS - 3YR, 2.85M
Gosder Cherilus - RT - 5YR, 25M
Unsigned Players
LT Jason Fox (65)
HB Joique Bell (76)
HB Stephan Logan (66)
K Jason Hanson (Retired)
P Nick Harris (73)
DT Corey Williams (83)
LOLB Justin Durant (82)
LE Cliff Avril (90)
HB Kevin Smith (72)
DT Sammie Hill (71)
SS Don Carey (70)
MLB Ashley Palmer (69)
LG Bill Nagy (66)
The Lions managed to keep the majority of starters that threatened hitting free agency this offseason. Because of the roster I used, there will be no Reggie Bush at HB, and Cherilous and Peterman are still on the roster. Backus did not retire. I was not able to keep Avril. He demanded over 11M despite recording less than 10 sacks in 2012. He rejected Detroit's 5YR, 47.5M million offer. Detroit also lost both their kicker and punter, to retirement and free agency, respectfully.
Free Agency
Detroit Lions Signings:
Eric Foster 2YR, 1.6M
Top League Signing:
LT Brandon Albert (90) - Steelers
Hall of Famers '12 Season:
Peyton Manning
Tony Gonzalez
Notable Not Included:
Terrell Owens
London Fletcher
James Harrison
Randy Moss
Trade! In one of the best draft classes in the past decade, Detroit tries to get some picks by trading veteran LT Jeff Backus and a future 2nd Rounder to the Chargers for their 2nd and 4th round picks in the upcoming NFL draft. Both are 19th overall in their specific rounds. It appears as if Riley Reiff will start at LT this season for Detroit with the departure of Backus.
NFL DRAFT 2013
Top 5 Picks:
#1: Chiefs - HB Jerome Washington - 81
#2: Cardinals - QB Pooh Carlson - 79
#3: Lions - WR Anthony Jackson - 78
#4: Rams - LT Delino Calhoun - 83
#5: Colts - HB Andrew Niles - 78
Wait, what? Lions picking at #3!??!? That's right, in a flurry of activity Lions GM Martin Mayhew landed the team the third overall pick in the draft by trading San Diego's 2nd rounder which we had received just days earlier and our top CB, Chris Houston (88). Some critics such as Mel Kiper think it was a truly ingenious move to take advantage of Miami's desperate need for a CB. However, most others agree that Detroit did nothing but cripple their secondary for a chance at a Calvin counterpart. The trade certainly opens a gaping hole at CB for Detroit, their best rated now being Pat Lee at 75 OVR. In retrospect I will probably never make a trade like this ever again. I feel like I took too much from Miami without giving them enough in return, even if they get a top CB. People have different opinions on these sorts of trades with the CPU and I've decided I probably won't do anything like this again.
Rest of Draft:
R1, P3: WR Anthony Jackson
R1, P14: Trade to St. Louis Rams for their 1st Rounded (27th OVR) and their 3rd Rounder (also 27th)
R1, P27: ROLB Nate Wakeel
R2, P14: HB Kian Minor
R3, P14: K Sealii White
R3, P27: CB Rashawn Norwood
R4, P19: CB Gabriel Waters
R5, P14: DT Aaron Clay
R6, P14: LG D.T. Slaughter
R7, P14: LE Gary Davis
Prospect Breakdowns
Anthony Jackson [WR]: Jackson was touted as being the next Calvin Johnson by draft experts, and it appears Mayhew wasn't letting anyone get his hands on that kinds of talent. Jackson was known for freakish speed, great jumping ability, and a knack for holding onto the ball that made him an all-around threat: just like C.J. (98 SPD, 80 CAT, 90 CIT, 88 RTE, 80 RLSE)
Nate Wakeel [ROLB]: Wakeel had a breakout year his senior season at Texas. He was projected to be a third round pick at the beginning of his senior year but has climbed up and was ultimately drafted by the Lions in the late 1st round. Wakeel is known for his strong, hardhitting play style. He needs work in coverage but has a knack for reading the offense and making tackles in the run game. Was touted as one of the smartest LBs in the draft class by Todd McShay. (99 POW, 85 STR, 57 MCV, 90 PRC)
Kian Minor [HB]: Kian Minor is an underrated player considering that there were three HBs picked in the Top 10 of this year's draft. In past years he would've easily made the first round. He's considered special because he can run defenders over OR juke around them. He's not the fastest HB in the league but he does a good job of picking the right hole and not letting go of the football. The only cause for concern with Minor is that he had limited playing time at the University of Arizona due to a major injury in his Junior year. Although he has recovered, he is still somewhat injury prone, so look for him to be mixed in with other HBs in his rookie campaign. (90 SPD, 92 TRK, 86 ELU, 84 BCV, 96 CAR, 78 INJ)
Sealii White [K]: There are lots of mixed opinions on whether or not Detroit should've drafted a kicker so high, considering they are coming off of a 4-12 season. For over 20 years, the Lions have had the privelage of having All-Pro kicker Jason Hanson on their roster. He's proved his worth so much it appears the coaching staff is jumping all the way up to the third round to grab this year's top kicking prospect.
Rashawn Norwood [CB]: Rashawn Norwood will likely be given the chance to start on the outside right away by the Lions. Norwood is 6'1", 202 lbs so he has the size to play physical with most WRs. However he appears to be exclusively a man coverage defender. His zone coverage will need work. Also, despite being a lockdown corner in college he rarely picked passes off. This is not the guy to be leading the team in INTs. He's also been working on his ability to press WRs at the line of scrimmage the past couple years at Nevada and looks prepared to take his talents to the NFL. (90 MCV, 80 PRS, 94 SPD, 58 CTH)
Gabriel Waters [CB]: Waters was projected to be a 2nd rounder but is one of those players that kept getting passed up on. He's not great in coverage; and unlike Norwood he cannot press receivers at the line of scrimmage to save his life. He is a big, tough corner (6'0", 215 lbs) that will not get pushed around by receivers in coverage. If the Lions can teach him better technique at the LOS, he might become a better outside CB. Probably his biggest upside is his knack for making plays. He was third in the PAC-10 for INTs last year and always finds himself in positions to make plays. For now, he'll probably be fighting for a slot position. (74 MCV, 69 ZCV, 56 PRS, 72 STR, 97 JMP, 67 CTH)
Aaron Clay [DT]: Clay is big like Suh and Fairley, but lacks the same kind of power needed to break through the line. His tackling and hit power are also sub-par and a common criticism is that he relied on his size to dominate offensive lines. (77 STR, 70 TAK, 71 POW, 6'4" 297 lbs)
D.T. Slaughter [LG]: Experts see this pick as an attempt to start coaching a youngster to fill the role of Peterman or Sims after they retire or leave. Both Peterman and Sims are above 30, so it would make sense to draft a player like this now. Chances are he won't turn out but you never know.
Gary Davis [LE]: A shot in the dark that turned out great. Davis is a pure speed rusher with a true talent for beating tackles off the snap. Detroit will likely use him on third downs in an attempt to create quick pressure on the QB. If he wasn't so injury prone, he might have been drafted much higher. (85 FMV, 84 SPD, 90 ACC, 65 INJ)
That concludes season 1. I will be playing all of my season 2 games but I don't plan on playing pre-season. I know I rushed Season 1, but believe me, it was only because I simmed the season. Season 2 will be a much more immersed experience with much more depth. I hope you stick around!
EDIT: Just sorta thought of this as I was thinking about the somewhat cheesy trade I made to get the #3 pick: the real life Lions are picking 5th throughout the draft and I got to pick 14th. So boosting up to 3rd for one round doesn't do much hurt.
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