Drinking the Kool-Aid

Spring. The best time of the year. Opening day, flowers, the NCAA tournament, short-sleeve shirts, day drinking on the porch. But the best part about spring is that it brings new life–especially for Lions fans.

It’s the time when we can wear our Honolulu blue and silver with some pride. Every year when free agency starts and the draft rolls around, there is that sense of hope where we usually say “Hey, you know, we made some pretty goods moves this off-season…I think this is finally gonna be the year we start to turn it around.”

And every year, we always seem to get conned by the Lions into thinking they made some positive additions to the team. For some reason, we always find ourselves saying “How about that Marcus Pollard signing…Finally got a good pass-catching tight end that will be here for awhile,” or “Grady Jackson is definitely gonna fill that hole on the D-line.” And us hopeless Lions romantics always end up looking like suckers in the end.

So once again, I am taking a 32 oz. beer mug, filling it to the brim with grape Kool-Aid and slamming it! I know, I know, like I said, I drink the Lion’s Kool-Aid every year. But this year feels different for some reason–and we haven’t even had the draft yet.

I don’t love the Kyle Vanden Bosch move, but I definitely like it a lot. He’s a Schwartz guy–talented and hard working, and already the best D end the Lions have had since, dare I say it, Robert Porcher? Everyone knows the “Schwartz wooing KVB in Nashville with a bottle of Chiante” story, but that fact is he truly wants to be in Detroit, and his leadership, knowledge of the defense and tenacity will prove to be invaluable. And yes, we made have overpaid the 31 year old, but in an uncapped year, who cares? It’s not like we are going to have a season in 2011 anyway.

Nate Burleson, aside from Megatron, is the best wide receiver the Lions have had since…wait for it…Mike Furrey! Yikes. He comes from Linehan’s offense in 2004 with Minnesota, and is a SIGNIFICANT upgrade over Bryant Johnson (still a mind-boggling sign) and Dennis Northcutt. He doesn’t have to be great, or even good…just serviceable. He will be able to do exactly what the Lions need him to do–draw an extra defender or two so Calvin doesn’t get quadruple teamed every play.

The trade for Corey Williams at DL for a fifth-round pick is a perfect fit in Gunther Cunningham’s 4-3 defense. He was once regarded as an “up-and-coming” D lineman, but was a poor fit with the Browns (hence us getting him for a fifth). Put him with KVB and Sammie Lee Hill, and suddenly the D line goes from a weakness to strength, giving them lot of flexibility with the number two draft pick.

An under the radar move by Detroit was trading a sixth-round pick and swapping fifth-round picks with Atlanta for third-year cornerback Chris Houston. He was drafted in the second-round three years ago and still has the potential to develop into a great cornerback. So potentially, we could be getting a second-round cornerback at a sixth-round cost. Not to mention any cornerback at this point is an upgrade over the revolving door the Lions had at the position last year.

Damn it feels good to be a Lion.