NFL: Rice a good side dish for Lions

The Detroit Lions need to shake up the dismal team they put on the field last year. The front office has seen some firings and also the hiring of Matt Millen as General Manager and Marty Mornhinweg as coach. Now the M & M boys need to start working on the athletes playing the game.

The addition of a Jerry Rice to this team is very intriguing. I realize his best days are past him, but he still seems to have the desire to play and win games. If Herman Moore doesn't accept a lower salary, Rice would become a crucial player at the wide receiver position. The Lions need more players who have won and know what it takes mentally and physically to win. Moore was a great receiver years ago, but his lack of concentration caused many dropped balls over the last couple of seasons.

One thing that may keep Rice from coming to Detroit is their lack of a strong quarterback to get him the ball. Mornhinweg and Millen keep insisting that Charlie Batch is their starter. This really confuses me. When Batch first played as a starter, he showed signs of possibly becoming a decent quarterback in the NFL. But as injuries plague him every year and never completing a full year in the NFL, he has regressed. Batch is hurt most of the time, so he can never compete at his best. He gets "happy feet" and hurries his throws causing under and over throwing. I don't believe Batch will ever be the quarterback the Lions need to get to the playoffs and the Super Bowl. I think Rice knows this, but hopefully will still play for the Lions. Rice can make Batch a better quarterback by catching short throws and getting those important "yards after the catch."

Millen has admitted that he went after Mark Brunell of the Jacksonville Jaguars, but would not pay the Jag's price of Batch and the Lions two top draft picks. This could prove to be a mistake. Getting a proven quarterback like Brunell could have been a huge jump start for the Lions to become the contending team Millen and the Lion fans want. High draft choices are great if they turn into impact players, but if they don't, you are left second guessing yourself on the guy you missed. After all, the last impact player the Lions drafted was Barry Sanders over a decade ago.

Hopefully, I am wrong about Charlie Batch, and he will come back healthy and stronger than he ever was. But with reports that his knee is still hurting and he can't really work out, it appears it will be another long year for those people rooting for the Detroit Lions. Having Jim Harbaugh as a back up will help, but he is getting older and injury prone also. The bottom line is Rice will help this Lions team more than Herman Moore. Convincing Rice to come to the Lions might be tougher than it seems with the quarterback situation in Detroit. Millen needs to play it smart and get at least one of these receivers. Then next year, when he sees that Batch can't do the job, M & M will go after a proven quarterback.