Don't stop yet!

Please don't stop now. Come on Mr. Millen and Mr. Mariucci, there are still some free agents out there to pick up. Let's fill some holes and get some more players for the 2004-05 Detroit Lions. Maybe it's just me, but I think the Lions have not improved all that much from last year, yet.

So, here are some of the players the Detroit Lions have signed for next year.

First, Steve Mariucci and Matt Millen started off with a bang, inking offensive lineman Damien Woody from the New England Patriots and defensive back Fernando Bryant from the Jacksonville Jaguars. These two players are much needed parts to the puzzle for the Lions and good signings. Keeping James Hall in the fold and getting Robert Porcher at a reduced price were two nice moves also. I think Lions fans have no real complaints about any of these moves.

However, the Lions have lost some players too. Linebacker Barrett Green was signed by the New York Giants. Offensive lineman Eric Beverly agreed to a contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Finally, linebacker and special teams player Jeff Gooch is moving to Tampa to join the Buccaneers. Although these were players the Lions could afford to lose, they still filled needs on the team.

What have the Lions done lately? Well, they did sign former San Francisco 49er Tai Streets to help out in the wide receiver position. The Lions really did not have to pay that much for Streets, so it was not a real risky move. However, he is a player who has been plagued with injuries throughout his career. Streets has a rod in his leg and practiced very little last year because of knee problems. Last year, he caught 47 balls for 595 yards and seven touchdowns. With these statistics, Streets would have led the Lions' receivers in yardage and touchdowns last year. This could turn out to be a great move if he stays healthy, but that is a big "if".

The question remains, who is going to be the running back for the Lions? Will it be Shawn Bryson or Artose Pinner? I hope not. After all, Bryson had all of 606 yards rushing in 16 games last year which averages out to 37.9 yards per game that led the team. This should tell you what a major problem on the offense was last year and still is this year.

The Lions need a running back desperately. Why aren't they going after guys like Charlie Garner who signed with the Bucs or Duce Staley who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers? Why don't they try to trade for a player like Corey Dillon who wants out of Cincinnati? Maybe Millen has tried, but I sure have not heard anything about it.

Quality free agents are still out there. Hopefully, the Lions are not done signing some of them. Mariucci has said he is still considering drafting a wide receiver. This would be a mistake. When you have two high picks in the first round two years in a row, and you pick a wide receiver in both drafts, your team is not getting that much better.

Let's look at New England. The Patriots have a good wide receiving corps, but not exceptional, yet they win Super Bowls. The Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowls with just good receivers too. The common denominator in these Super Bowl champions is their defense. Sure, this year's championship game may have been high scoring, but both teams got there because of their defense, not their offense.

The Lions did improve their defense somewhat by signing Bryant, but losing Green left them with another hole to fill. Hopefully, Millen has his sights set on a big name free agent that he is keeping a secret.

Mariucci seems to be enamored with wide receivers in the draft. Charles Rogers has yet to prove he deserved to be a number two pick in the draft. Lower wide receiver draft picks had much better years that Rogers. Wide receivers do not win Super Bowls. Efficient offenses and good defenses do.

The Lions are moving in the right direction, and Mariucci is a good coach, but if they continue to pursue wide receivers in the draft instead of building their defense, a Super Bowl for the Lions will be difficult.