Another fantasy bit from Draft Sharks…

The Lions have claimed RB Keiland Williams off waivers from Washington. HC Jim Schwartz told Mlive.com: “We like his skill set. I think we were very lucky to get him.” Williams’ arrival casts Jerome Harrison’s fantasy-handcuff status into doubt. Williams emerged as a quality receiver out of the backfield in Washington last year, pulling in 39 catches to just 65 rushing attempts. His skill set doesn’t seem all that different from Harrison’s, but the team’s move puts them at least on the same level. Schwartz also mentioned Williams as a possible candidate for goal line carries. “(He’s) a little bigger runner,” Schwartz said, “very productive in a role last year for the Redskins. He scored some touchdowns.” That could put a dent in RB Jahvid Best’s upside. We’ll be keeping a close eye on Detroit’s RB situation early this year.

My View: Williams looks like he could quickly turn into part of the rotation at running back. He’s a bigger back and could help make the loss of Leshoure less painful.

MLive.com

By Alek Frost
Senior Writer

With all the great things that went on this weekend for the Detroit Lions, Monday opened on a somber note, as it was announced that seasoned Lions beat writer Tom Kowalski had passed away.

“Killer” as he was fondly known, was pronounced dead after being taken to DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in Commerce Township in Oakland County; he was 51-years old. Kowalski was known as a straight shooter, a consummate professional and a man who always found the humor in life—no matter how hard it was to find.

He started his career at the Oakland Press and was a big presence when Detroit (Pontiac) hosted the Super Bowl in 1982. He has been with Booth Newspapers since 1997 and in recent years became a contributor for MLive.com.

The loss was felt today at Allen Park, as the team had a moment of silence and prayer for the late sports writer. Head Coach Jim Schwartz has only been with the Lions for three years but Tom’s professionalism and knowledge of the game made him a respected man throughout the organization.

“I got the word on the practice field a while ago about Tom’s news and we just brought the team up and had a moment of silence and a prayer,” Schwartz said. “Obviously, our condolences go out to his friends and his family, of which we consider ourselves both here. I’ll just say this about Tom—the one thing he always tried to do was get it right. He knew football and he always wanted to get it right and we had a lot of respect for that. I think what we’ll do is let the first question go unasked today and when we’re ready we’ll go second question.”

No player knew Kowalski longer than 20-year veteran Jason Hanson. Hanson could not believe, like many, that the news about Kowalski was true and when it was confirmed, he and others were devastated.

“I have too many (memories),” said Hanson. “It is one of those things, just like with everybody, takes you by surprise. It kind of knocks the wind out of you. You don’t know what to say or think yet. It is just amazing. Of all the reporters, I think he was the one that got it right most of the time and really had the insight.

“Beyond that, regardless of any of that, he will be missed by all of us. And everyone in this locker room, their condolences and their prayers and their thoughts go to his family and friends. I am just at a loss of words. I don’t know what to think. We all are like ‘Is it true?’ We are devastated.”

Kowalski was an old school sports writer who made an easy transition to the demands of new media. He embraced his interactions with fans and left a deep and lasting impact on his readers. His life and his work, will be remembered and celebrated for a long time to come.

And just as Tom would want, Lions coverage must continue, the right way. Here are some tidbits from camp and afterthoughts from Saturday’s game:

—With all the positives from the 34-10 win over the Patriots, Schwartz found plenty of things the Lions need to work on heading into the season. After watching tape Schwartz said the Lions left points on the field and had obvious difficulties on third downs.

On the Patriots first scoring drive the Lions allowed Tom Brady and company to convert their first four third-down attempts. Screen passes and passes to the flat on third downs killed Detroit after they were able to stop the Pats highly touted offensive on the first two downs.

“Well we left points on the field. We had two dropped touchdown passes, a missed field goal, (and) gave up a blown coverage for a touchdown,” Schwartz said. “There’s 14 points that the offense left on the field, missed seven on one with the turnover, missed four points after we kicked the field goal, three points, obviously, on the field goal, and then gave away just one play for a touchdown, so those are big.

“(We) had a long punt return; (we) gave up a couple third-down conversions that in the coverage we were in, we should not have given up. I think those were probably the big things. When you have a game like that, a win like that, there were a lot of opportunities for us to play even better and I think that’s the way we, rather than looking at the scoreboard, we look at ways that we can play better. I think those things can come out of a game like that.”

—The Lions cut seven players today: wide receivers Demario Ballard and Marcus Harris, running back Mike Bell, linebacker DeJuan Fulghum, safety Michael Johnson, kicker Dave Rayner and defensive tackle Montavious Stanley.

The release of Rayner and Bell were obviously the most noticeable of the cuts. As I said in my last report, Hanson, despite being 41-years old and coming of knee issues in 2010, looks better than ever. So Rayner’s release wasn’t a surprise but I doubt Rayner will remain unemployed for the entire 2011 season.

Bell was signed after Mikel LeShoure tore his Achilles tendon, in the hopes that he would be the big power back the Lions lost in LeShoure. Bell was inconsistent; and after missing Saturday’s game due to an illness, in which third-year halfback Aaron Brown had an impressive outing, it was obvious that Bell would be the odd man out.

See my last Lions Report for who I believe will make the final cuts at halfback and wide receiver.

—Quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Calvin Johnson and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh are three of the most popular players on the Lions roster. But right there with the young stars is the 41-year old kicker who has sported the No. 4 jersey for the Lions for the better part of three decades.

So Hanson’s return and success thus far in the preseason is a welcomed sight for Lions fans. And while Rayner is a good young kicker, if Hanson’s healthy, he’ll always be the man in Detroit. As far as Schwartz is concerned, he’s as good as he’s ever been.

—Nate Burleson missed practice Monday and likely won’t see any action in the Lions preseason finale against Buffalo. Don’t worry too much though, the move is simply precautionary after Burleson needed stitches to close a cut on his arm after Saturday’s game.

“Nate had stitches in his arm. He landed and broke open a spot on his elbow and he had to have stitches,” Schwartz said. “Again, we’re just cutting him down; he had had a little procedure back in the summer on that and it’s a little bit different. It’s just a superficial wound, but you also have infection and things like that. We’ll just cool our jets a little bit with him and, again, get him back as quick as (we) can, but most likely he won’t play (at Buffalo) just from a standpoint of not wanting to break it open again.”

Burleson has been Stafford’s favorite target this preseason, catching six passes for 97 yards and three touchdowns. His 16.2 YPC average is an indicator of how explosive he’s been this preseason, hopefully for the Lions, this combo starts where they left off when the season opens against Tampa Bay.

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More stories featuring the Detroit Lions:

Lions Report: Matthew Stafford Near “Perfect” in Win

Lions Report: Stafford’s Pocket Presence, DT Corey Williams’ Importance and CB Alphonso Smith’s Lesson Learned

Detroit Lions 2011 Season Preview: Can Matthew Stafford Stay Healthy in 2011?

For more great articles, be sure to visit National Football Authority.

DetroitLions.com

By Alek Frost
Senior Writer 


Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had a perfect half against the New England Patriots, in a 34-10 win.

Stafford finished the night with a 158.3 quarterback rating, after completing 12-of-14 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. The former No. 1 pick took a few licks but his surgically repaired shoulder looked just fine. He made the Patriots defense look dazed and confused as he averaged a hearty 14.3 yards per completion.

“I think we’re playing pretty much mistake-free football the last couple games as far as turnovers go,” Stafford said. “I think as an offense, we’re doing a good job of not turning the ball over and when you do that you’re going to have a chance to be in some games. If we can do that, we have enough talent on the outside – explosive guys all over the field –that (if) we can just get them the ball we’ve got a chance to be pretty explosive.”

While Stafford played well, it is important to remember that not all of the Patriots big contributors on defense made the trip to Detroit and New England wasn’t running all of the elaborate schemes they would have, if this had been the regular season.

With that being said, the Lions offense didn’t run a lot of elaborate plays either and simply executed better, playing up-tempo and working the intermediate passing game throughout the first half.

Here are some notes from the Lions impressive outing against the Patriots:

- Stafford looked completely in-sync with his receivers and tight ends, worked through his progressions quickly and looked off safeties like a polished veteran. He had four completions of 20-plus yards on the night and was throwing crisply throughout the first half. It’s obvious he will be looking for Nate Burleson more often this year, who he’s already connected with three times for touchdowns this preseason.

“Teams are trying to make adjustments. They’re trying to sub guys in. If we keep them on there heels and also have the ability to pass, run, and screen, at any given time, it’s tough to game plan for,” Burleson said. “You can game plan for traditional offenses that huddle up, and get back out, because you can make adjustments. When you’re on the ball, moving fast like that, it’s almost like a controlled two-minute drill. It keeps defenses very cautious in their play calling.”

- Brandon Pettigrew had a great 2010 season, even if no one noticed, catching 71 passes for 722 yards and four touchdowns. He missed the first preseason game against Cincy, but caught a 27-yard pass last week against Cleveland and had three passes thrown his way this week for 23 yards.

He looks healthy and should be in-line for another big year for Detroit in 2011, catching all the underneath passes he can handle.

- Jason Hanson is back. The 41-year old showed off his leg on two kicks, the first for 33 yards, which he vaulted through the uprights and high into the back netting. The second was on a 46-yarder that once again proved that age is just a number, at least for NFL kickers.

Dave Rayner would have been looking for work elsewhere, even if he had made the 49-yard attempt that he missed wide left. He should find work at some point this season, especially considering the 13-for-16 year he had in 2010 for Detroit.

- Cliff Avril was an absolute force off the edge Saturday night, sacking Tom Brady twice and forcing a fumble that led to a Patriots punt. Avril was looking for a long term deal this offseason but had to settle for a one-year tender. If his preseason is any indication as to how his 2011 season will turn out, he shouldn’t have any trouble getting a new deal.

“We did a good job, all around I think,” Avril said. “The biggest thing for us was we were feeding off each other. Once one guy made a play, the other guy felt like he needed to make a play. We all just fed into each other and were making plays together.”

The four-year veteran had 8.5 sacks last season and looks like he’s starting where he left off, making life hell for right tackles across the league.

- The screen game for Detroit was spectacular, especially on a great end around play action fake by Stafford, who then dumped the ball off to Jerome Harrison, who gained 52 yards on the play. While screen passes were a positive on offense, they were a negative on defense.

While the starting front four produced plenty of pressure Saturday, sacking Brady twice, hurrying him seven times and hitting him five times, it was a double-edged sword for Detroit. The aggressive nature of Detroit’s defense led to a lot of success on screen passes and passes in the flat for the Pats. While you don’t want to get beaten deep, a defense has to limit yards after the catch after short completions, a New England specialty.

- Halfback Aaron Brown likely made the team Saturday, something that was anything but a certainty for the former TCU Horned Frog. Brown only rushed for 30 yards on nine carries, but was explosive in the passing game, catching four passes for 48 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown catch from Shaun Hill.

Brown was looking like the odd man out coming into the preseason as Jahvid Best, Mikel LeShoure, Maurice Morris and Jerome Felton were expected to take the bulk of snaps in 2011. But after Leshoure’s season ending injury, Morris suffering a fractured hand and both recently signed backs Harrison and Mike Bell getting off to slow starts, Brown sneaked back into the race.

Harrison didn’t put up great numbers Saturday but did look good in the open field and shifty when a rare hole opened up along the offensive line.

The running game took a big hit when LeShoure went down and no one looks to be the sure fire No. 2 option behind Best. But after tonight, it looks like Brown’s versatility may indeed land him a spot amongst the five likely backs to make the roster.

- If I were muster a guest as to who would make the roster at both halfback and wide receiver after three weeks, it would look a little something like this:

1. Jahvid Best 
2. Maurice Morris 
3. Aaron Brown 
4. Jerome Harrison 
5. Jerome Felton (FB)

1. Calvin Johnson
2. Nate Burleson
3. Titus Young
4. Rashied Davis
5. Maurice Stovall
6. Stefan Logan (KR/PR)

Obviously Logan is a tweener between halfback and wide receiver but he’s listed as a wideout pretty much everywhere. His returning abilities make him a lock to make the roster, no matter who else makes it at either position. Maurice Stovall has been the surprise of camp and both he and Rashied Davis are special team aces, so in my mind they both make the roster without much issue.

- The Lions opened the game with three cornerbacks, Chris Houston, Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald against New England and two linebackers, DeAndre Levy and Stephen Tulloch, who lined up both in the middle and on the outside.

Tulloch looked great against the pass and the run, living up to the billing he set last year as the second leading tackler in the NFL. Once Tulloch gets more comfortable, he should be the primary middle linebacker and Levy will move outside with Justin Durant.

- Ndamukong Suh set the tone early with big hits on Brady, but got into it with guard Logan Mankins and was lucky he didn’t get penalized along with Mankins who was grabbing another Lions player’s face mask. Suh is passionate and a force but he has to learn to control his emotions on the football field from time-to-time, to avoid penalties on the field and fines off it.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t pay attention to his emotions,” Suh said of Brady. “My job is to continue to rattle him, get after him, and be in his face. When he starts yelling at me like ‘leave me alone’, that is when I know I have completed my job….he didn’t talk too much today.

“He is a good player and I respect him a lot. Ever since we played against him last Thanksgiving and I had a conversation (with him) after the game, I have a lot more respect for him. He is a great player and he keeps it in house with whatever is going wrong with him, if anything.”

The Lions and Patriots both got into it quite a bit in the first half and things got chippy. It was obvious that to the Lions, this was more than a preseason game and the Patriots weren’t going to back down from the fight either.

- As mentioned before, the Lions front four got a lot of pressure on Brady and it resulted in an off-night by last year’s MVP. Brady played into the third quarter due to the lack of production by the starting offense in the first half. He finished the night with 12-of-22 passing for 144 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

“They’re a good team; they were a good team when we played them last year—it was a close game until the fourth quarter,” Brady said. “When we made a few plays in the fourth quarter, we showed some resiliency, but they’re a good team. They’re good on defense, they play well offensively, they’re very well coached—they’re tough.”

After a while, he began to short arm a lot of throws and on at least one occasion threw the ball far too quickly before the pressure even got to him. Brady and the Pats will be just fine come Week 1 but you better believe Head Coach Bill Belichick will have plenty to say about their performance Saturday.

- Rookie wide receiver Titus Young saw his first action of the preseason and caught one pass for 19 yards. Not much can be gathered by one catch but Young did do a nice job finding the soft spot in zone coverage and made a nice grab. Whether Young will see more significant action next week against the Bills, will be determined later next week as he tries to get closer to 100 percent.

- As far as the third stringers go, Drew Stanton is the third quarterback by a mile. He played well completing 9-of-14 passes for 93 yards, throwing for one touchdown and one interception. He also showed off his wheels, something he did plenty of last year. Zac Robinson is going to be a good backup in this league but it probably won’t be in Detroit.

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Detroit Lions 2011 Season Preview: Can Matthew Stafford Stay Healthy in 2011?

For more great articles, be sure to visit National Football Authority.

The Detroit Lions found all the right cracks in the invincibility cloak of the New England Patriots Saturday. The Lions piled on the punishment with a winning 34-10 pre-season performance against the Pats, proving they may be the most improved team going into this season. The team many NFL fans typically wonder why they have to watch every Thanksgiving is transforming quickly into a formidable force on the field. Even with New England keeping the team’s starters in late into the game, the Lions took advantage of every mistake made by the Patriots and made few of their own. 

Considering all the offensive and defensive drops, it could have been much closer if the Patriots were more focused, but this was no lucky win for the Lions. They shut the Patriots out completely in three out of four quarters and only gave up one touchdown on a completely blown coverage of Wes Welker. Brady connected on 12 out of 22 attempts for 145 yards and Welker’s lone touchdown of the game. Welker’s 44-yard scoring grab was one of three catches he made to lead his team in receiving with 71 total yards before he left the game injured. The latest Patriots deep threat, Chad Ochocinco, went without a single catch despite getting a few balls thrown his way, one of which bounced right off his outstretched hands.

The Lions defense smothered Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady, causing a costly interception by Ricardo Silva that forced Welker out of the game with a neck injury he sustained on the resulting tackle. At that point it was obvious the Patriots were just trying way too hard to win this game. The blowout was uncharacteristic in a week of close shaves in the NFL. Eight out of the 14 games in the league were decided by four points or less leading into the last two games of the week. The Patriots will have a long flight back home to a region rocked by Hurricane Irene, but next week they will face a much more figurative storm at practice when the team’s coaches try to put the pieces back together. Hurricane Bill is sure to be blowing full force in Foxboro this coming week.  

Patriots Coach Bill Belichick didn’t shy away from blaming himself after the game. He chalked up the loss to a systematic failure of the entire squad in his post-game assessment of the team’s poor play. ”We didn’t do anything very well,” Belichick said. “We didn’t throw it, didn’t catch it, didn’t block, didn’t tackle, didn’t cover, didn’t return. It’s a long list. Didn’t coach.”

The Lions, on the other hand, didn’t have much to complain about at all. Starting Quarterback Matthew Stafford connected on just a dozen passes to accumulate an impressive 200 yards and two touchdowns to set the tone of the game early.  Stafford only suffered two incompletions and a sack he quickly shook off, continuing a trend of masterful pre-season play for the quarterback selected as the very first pick int he 2009 draft. The Lions earned that pick after suffering the only 0-16 season ever recorded in the NFL back in 2008, so Stafford leading the team’s metamorphosis is fitting. Backups Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton each threw touchdown passes of their own to follow up Stafford’s great start. The Lions defense also performed very well against an offense that took this game much more seriously than a typical pre-season affair, especially after the Lions built a solid lead. 

The only saving grace for the Patriots is the fact that this was just a preseason game, and they left many of their big named starters at home for this game. Detroit will take home a humble sense of achievement, always mindful that the 2008 preseason featured the only four wins that team experienced that whole year. The Lions finished 6-10 last year, leaving Jim Schwartz with an 8-24 record as a head coach going into his third season at the helm. There is the sense that this year is going to be very different for the Lions, though, even when the games begin to count. Look for the Lions to be the sleeper hit of the year in the NFL, and this win will help buoy them to believe they can battle with any team out there and come out on top when they’re at their best. The Patriots, meanwhile, will spend the rest of the pre-season patching up the holes in their game that came to light Saturday. Though suffering this loss must hurt in many ways, the team may actually benefit from the knowledge that they aren’t as perfect as they might have thought they were before this game. 

DraftSharks.com reports…

** Lions RB Mikel Leshoure will miss the entire 2011 season after tearing his Achilles tendon in Monday’s practice. He’s expected to undergo surgery, possibly as early as tomorrow. Achilles injuries are often a kiss of death for RBs, and there’s no guarantee that Leshoure regains pre-injury form. It’s an extremely tough break for a talented guy who appeared to have a bright NFL future. Meanwhile, Jahvid Best is now locked-in as Detroit’s feature back. If he can stay healthy, he could approach 300 total touches. That gives him huge upside on this explosive Lions offense. Maurice Morris is expected to step in as the team’s #2 back. Draft Sharks members can head over to the site right now to check out our updated projections for the Lions backfield.

WOW! Talk about bad news. Morris is a capable backup, but the one-two punch of Best and Leshoure was going to be fun to watch. Here’s hoping he recovers and has a football career after this injury!

From DraftSharks (love this site!)…

Rookie DT Nick Fairley will reportedly miss 3-4 weeks after undergoing surgery Wednesday on a stress fracture in his left foot. The upside is that timetable wouldn’t cost him any regular-season games. It certainly should keep DT Corey Williams in the starting lineup, though. Williams registered just 37 tackles and 2 sacks in his 1st year with the Lions but had a pair of 7-sack seasons in Green Bay. Fairley remains a high-ceiling, low-risk option late in IDP drafts that carry a DT requirement.

Not the start to his NFL career Fairley wanted I’m sure. It’s probably a little more never-wracking for the Lions organization as well. The strongest unit on the team takes a bit of a hit, but Fairley should still be ready for the regular season. Let’s hope he stays in shape and can pick up the schemes from the sidelines!

From Draft Sharks…

Lions beat writer Chris McCosky speculates that rookie RB Mikel Leshoure could see 40-45% of the reps this season. We currently have the Lions backfield projected at a 55-45 split in favor of RB Jahvid Best, although we’re thinking Best will see closer to 60% of the carries as long as he’s healthy. This will be a situation to monitor closely this summer.

My View: Something to definitely keep your eye as the possiblity of Fantasy Football is looking up again. The biggest thing is keeping Best healthy and a split in the backfield will definitely do that.

Here’s a take on the NFL Lockout from Funny or Die…

Was reading Hawks assess trade interest in Smith at Yahoo! Sports and found this buried near the end…

Houston continues to offer the 14th and 23rd picks in the draft to move into the top 10, and could have a willing partner with the Detroit Pistons at No. 8. The Pistons have told teams they won’t trade down until they see who drops to them on draft night, sources said. In what could be an interesting window into the Pistons’ preferences, San Diego State forward Kawhi Leonard worked out for Detroit on Monday, and shortly thereafter cancelled his Wednesday workout with the Milwaukee Bucks, who have the 10th pick. Several executives believe Leonard may have left Auburn Hills with a guarantee.

My View: Just who is Kawhi Leonard? Well, he’s a 6’7″ forward who averaged over 15.5 points per game and 10.6 rebounds per game and left San Diego State after his sophomore season. Leonard’s numbers show him as being consistent throughout the season, but no real big games (a high of 23 points), with only two games failing to score double figures. He looks like a solid player, but not sure if he has that superstar game.

A couple of more updates from Draft Sharks…

Lions TE Brandon Pettigrew has dropped about 10 pounds this offseason. He’s back down to the 255 he played at in college. “I like the 255, being able to move,” Pettigrew said. “Strength thrills, but speed kills, and I still think I can get it done in the blocking game as well.” After his yards-per-catch average dropped to 10.2 this past year, look for that to jump back up towards the 11.4 mark he posted in his rookie season.

Lions WR Nate Burleson recently underwent elbow surgery to have fluid drained and a bursa sac removed. He injured the elbow last November and was hoping it’d heal on its own. It’s continued to swell though, so Burleson will undergo what the Detroit Free Press calls a “minor” procedure. It sounds like Burleson will be fine for the start of training camp, but we’ll continue to monitor his progress.

My View: I’d love to see Pettigrew pick up that yard-per-catch and in particular that yard-after-catch. He’s a big target for Stafford and can continue to develop into a Pro Bowl caliber tight end in my option. Burleson’s surgery sounds minor, so that’s a good thing. The Lions finely found a receiver who could take some pressure off of Calvin Johnson. Big things could be coming from the Lions receiving corps with the addition of rookie Titus Young in the slot.

Draft Sharks (one of my favorite fantasy football sites) reports that Detroit Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz has settled on a role for rookie running back Mikel Leshoure…

Lions HC Jim Schwartz confirmed that rookie RB Mikel Leshoure will handle the team’s short-yardage duties. “Jahvid Best, when healthy, proved that he can be an explosive playmaker,” Schwartz explained. “But he isn’t built to be a short-yardage back when there’s three minutes left in the game and you’re protecting a seven-point lead, but Leshoure is.” We figured the bull-dozing Leshoure would fill this role for Detroit. The real question is how much action he’ll see between the 20s. We should get a better idea throughout this summer.

My View: You don’t draft a guy that high and sit him on the bench. This makes perfect sense and if it can help keep Best healthy as well, then you might have a nice backfield duo to provide the “Thunder and Lightning” that gives defenses fits.

The New York Times has a nice breakdown of the Crossover Dribble. It features among others Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson and Tim Hardaway.

Not the kind of highlight you want to see if you are Ryan Raburn or a Tigers fan today…

Opening Day. Those two words are enough to excite baseball fans around the world and particularly the state of Michigan. It’s another day the Detroit Tigers are tied for first place and the talk of division titles and World Series Championships rings in the air. Trying to predict where the Tigers will finish is anyone’s guess, and you can see some of the experts predictions here. I’ll post mine as number five.

1. Starting Pitching – The Tigers will only go as far as the starting pitching takes them. Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Ryan Porcello are the big guns, but Brad Penny and Phil Coke will need to pitch well for the Tigers to have a chance. In my opinion, Porcello is the key. If he can rebound from last season and pitch better on the road, the Tigers will have a chance.

2. Miguel Cabrera – How much is the offseason troubles Cabrera got in going to linger into the season. If he gets off to a good start, all will be well in the Motor City. The one position player the Tigers need more than any other to stay healthy and produce.

3. The Bullpen – I was very excited when the Tigers signed Joaquin Benoit as a set-up man to closer Jose Valverde. Benoit was very good last year for the Tampa Bay Rays posting a 1.34 ERA in 63 innings of work. He’s basically been perfect in 9 innings of work this spring for the Tigers. Benoit and Valverde finishing games could give the Tigers a big edge in tight games.

4. Victor Martinez – Lost in the shuffle of spring training talk (at least to me) was the addition of catcher and DH, Victor Martinez. A big bat in the lineup to help protect Cabrera will also make all the Tigers hitters better. Martinez can be that bat, plus add some offense to the catching position, something the Tigers haven’t had in a while, no offense Gerald Laird.

5. My Prediction – Although the Tigers will be improved over last year in my opinion. It’s hard to predict a division title for them with the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox both to contend with. I can see the Tigers finishing over .500, but will it be enough to win the division or clinch a wild card. Probably not. I think the Wild Card will come out of the East, so that leaves only one spot for the playoffs between the Tigers, White Sox, and Twins. I’m guessing 88 wins tops for the Tigers, which would be 7 more than last year, but still 6 less than the Twins 94 which won the division last year. I will add this, if the Tigers pitching holds up and Porcello bounces back, and Coke and Penny can be solid, they’ll have a shot at 90+ wins and the division crown. My prediction is 88-74, and second place to the Twins. I’m hoping for more, hey, it is opening day after all!

The Traverse City Wolves announced their 2011 schedule today as they for their first season in the Great Midwest Football League. You can view the schedule below…

6/4 – Home – Lakeshore Cougars

6/11 – Away – Southwest Michigan Punishers

6/18 – Home – Grand Rapids Thunder

6/25 – Away – West Michigan Tigers

7/9 – Away – London Silverbacks

7/16 – Home – Southwest Michigan Punishers

7/23 – Away – Lakeshore Cougars

7/30 – Home – Metro Detroit Wolverines

8/6 – Away – Grand Rapids Thunder

8/13 – Home – West Michigan Tigers

All TC Wolves Home Games will start at 7:00 PM, with gates opening at 5:00PM.

Tickets will go on Sale Monday March 28th. Ticket prices will remain the same for the 2011 season. Adult tickets are $8, and students are $5. Tickets can be purchased online at www.tcwolves.com or by calling the TC Wolves offices at 231-947-1937.

Don’t forget if you can’t make a game, all Wolves games will be broadcast on 1310 ESPN Radio and also available live online! Go Wolves!