MIKE O'HARA SPORTS

Monday Countdown: Mayhew an Action Man — Backs, LBs and Haynesworth in Draft Focus

NFL Countdown | by Mike O'Hara | 04.19.2010/2:32PM

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Note: My Mock Draft will be posted at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Monday Countdown
Five things to consider with countdown clock ticking faster toward Thursday’s NFL Draft:

1. Don’t get comfortable: GM Martin Mayhew’s management style should be clear to everyone by now. He doesn’t talk a good game. He plays the talk.
Monday’s three-cornered trade that sent linebacker Ernie Sims to Philadelphia and brought tight end Tony Scheffler to Detroit was an example of how Mayhew doesn’t cross his fingers and hope for the best.
Tight end is a question mark because of the knee injury to Brandon Pettigrew late last season and the recent retirement of Casey FitzSimmons because of effects related to concussions.
Sims, going into his fifth season and the last year of his contract, doesn’t really fit Detroit’s defensive system.
Scheffler, also going into his fifth season and out of favor in Denver, was expendable. The Eagles, needing a linebacker, were the conduit of a trade – sending to Denver a fifth-round draft pick that the Lions lacked. The Lions also get a seventh-round pick from the Broncos.
Two weeks ago, Mayhew acquired Rob Sims from Seattle to play left guard, a long-time trouble spot on the offensive line. Previously, he acquired defensive tackle Corey Williams and cornerback Chris Houston and signed two quality free agents – defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and wide receiver Nate Burleson.

2. More co come: It’s hard to discount the possibility that Mayhew will make more deals, including through the three days of the draft – Thursday (first round), Friday (second and third) and Saturday (four through seven).
The second and third rounds, where the Lions pick second overall on both, are fertile trading territory.
On the second round, the Patriots have three picks. On the third round, the Browns have three picks.
That’s enough ammo to move up on the second round, if the Lions are willing to make a deal to move down a few picks and add a draft pick.

3. Add a runner: Running back is the biggest void on the Lions’ roster, with linebacker a close second.
The Lions should look hard at Ben Tate, a 5-11, 220-pounder from Auburn with 4.34 speed in the 40. He runs tough inside, has a stock build with lower-body strength that allows him to remain on the field as a pass-blocker.
And “breaking tackles” is considered his strength.
Adding a power-runner with speed makes an impact. It’s almost like adding an offensive lineman because of the positive impact it has on the running game.
And it would have an immense impact on Matthew Stafford. Imagine being able to run play-action on first down inside your 20-yard line – with Calvin Johnson getting single coverage on the outside in a double tight-end set.

4. Linebacker: One draft analyst calls the position the weakest in several years. There are some prospects who project as outside rushers in a 3-4 scheme. The Lions run a standard 4-3.
The bottom line is that the Lions could not have valued Ernie Sims very highly if they were willing to trade him in a year when the draft offers little help.

5. What is Haynesworth? If the Redskins are serious about dealing defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, the Lions cannot make a serious pitch that includes giving up the second pick overall.
Ndamukong Suh, an elite defensive tackle prospect, is gift-wrapped to them with the second pick overall.
Maybe Haynesworth will be motivated in Detroit to play for head coach Jim Schwartz, his defensive coordinator in Tennessee. And maybe Haynesworth feels he’s had enough success and made enough money to be comfortable for life.
Haynesworth at his best in a rotation with Corey Williams and Suh would be an imposing interior force.
The risk is that Haynesworth has had his day – and the Lions are best served to see who’s left on the board for their second-round pick before pulling the trigger on a deal.

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