>we actually have to give Mayhew & Lewand some credit as
>well.. lol



I've felt the last couple of years that Mayhew wasn't given his due credit. I know he was part of the Millen regime and that gave people doubts about him. But dude has put in solid work since he became the man to call all the shots. Here's a swipe saying the same thing.


http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2014/11/10/katzenstein-lions-thrive-mayhews-masterful-moves/18819153/


Katzenstein: Lions thrive with Mayhew's masterful moves
Josh Katzenstein, The Detroit News 9:23 p.m. EST November 10, 2014


If any of the emails I've received about Lions general manager Martin Mayhew the past two years were fit for print, I'd gladly share them.

When the Lions fired coach Jim Schwartz after collapsing to finish 7-9 last year, many fans wanted Mayhew gone, too. It didn't matter that he'd just drafted an incredible rookie class that featured a first-round pick with eight sacks (Ezekiel Ansah), a third-round pick who was immediately the team's best offensive lineman (Larry Warford), a fourth-round pick who was a solid situational pass rusher (Devin Taylor), a fifth-round pick who quickly became a top-10 punter (Sam Martin), a sixth-round pick who was a special teams monster (Theo Riddick) and two undrafted guys (tight end Joseph Fauria and offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle) who were big-time contributors.

Mayhew was tied to Matt Millen, and because the Lions had just one winning season since Mayhew fully took over in 2009, he had to go.

Luckily for the Lions, they kept Mayhew, and his decisions in free agency and the draft the past two years have as much to do with this year's 7-2 start as anything else happening in the franchise.

Golden Tate has undeniably been the best free-agent signing this year. Just nine games into the season, he's already set career highs with 66 catches for 909 yards. He's fourth in the NFL in receiving yards and fifth in catches, and even though his five-year, $31 million deal looked expensive in March, it's proven to be quite shrewd.

Mayhew also has an argument for the best bargain in strong safety James Ihedigbo, whose deal is worth just $3.15 million over two years. Since missing the first three games with a nerve injury in his neck, Ihedigbo has been one of the best safeties in the NFL.

In six games, Ihedigbo has 36 tackles, five for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles. In Sunday's win over the Miami Dolphins, he caught an interception and nearly returned it for a touchdown, but his other pass defensed might've been the biggest play of the game.

On third-and-goal at the 2, Ihedigbo closed about a 4-yard gap to break up what would've been a touchdown pass to tight end Charles Clay. Instead, the Dolphins settled for a 20-yard field goal with 4:19 left in regulation, allowing the Lions to win the game with a touchdown instead of sending it to overtime.

The addition of Ihedigbo impacts the defense much more than statistics show. By adding a strong safety with a run-stopping focus, the Lions moved Glover Quin to free safety, where he can let his coverage skills shine.

Now that Quin is healthy, he looks well worth the five-year, $23.5 million contract Mayhew gave him last year. The decision to cut Louis Delmas now looks like a brilliant move instead of a cold-blooded business decision.

Reggie Bush's four-year, $16 million deal was too much, but opposing coaches have said Bush made the Lions offense scarier last year. Having Joique Bell, who Mayhew signed off the Saints practice squad in December 2011, and Riddick has helped mitigate that contract.

Coordinator Teryl Austin is receiving a ton of credit nationally because his defense is best in the NFL with mostly the same personnel as 2013, but the players are vastly different from last year. Quin isn't playing through a torn ligament in his ankle. Second-year cornerback Darius Slay is living up to his second-round selection, another point for Mayhew's draft class that year. Ansah has become a more complete player, and defensive end Jason Jones is healthy. Plus, stars Ndamukong Suh and DeAndre Levy have elevated their games to new heights.

But Mayhew deserves credit for several under-the-radar signings that have the Lions in their current position. They could've signed any number of defensive ends in April to take practice reps for the recovering Ansah and Jones, but choosing George Johnson was a crucial decision as he's played inspired this year with four sacks.

Fellow end Darryl Tapp has made some splash plays as a minimum-salary guy. Safety Isa Abdul-Quddus, whom the Lions signed off waivers from the Saints in February, played well in three starts for Ihedigbo and has been key on special teams.

Last year, the Lions found two other key contributors on defense. They signed Rashean Mathis in August, and by giving him a chance when few other teams would, they had a chance to bring him back this year. In addition to having a great season at age 34, Mathis' tutoring of Slay has helped him succeed.

The other standout bargain in 2013 was defensive tackle C.J. Mosley, whom the Lions gave a two-year deal for just $2.75 million days after Jacksonville cut him. Mosley is capable of starting, but has been a great No. 3 tackle when Nick Fairley has been healthy.

It's far too early to judge the 2014 draft class, besides the failure of kicker Nate Freese. Injuries have limited first- and second-round picks Eric Ebron and Kyle Van Noy, and kept third-round cornerback Nevin Lawson and sixth-round receiver TJ Jones out. But if Travis Swanson plays well in Warford's place while he's injured, the rookie group should be considered successful.

At 7-2, Mayhew's Lions have a chance to make this one of the most successful seasons in franchise history, and the man who put the team together deserves a ton of credit.

Around the NFC North

* Aaron Rodgers is very good at football. The best quarterback on the planet threw for 315 yards and six first-half touchdowns to carry the Green Bay Packers (6-3) to a 55-14 win over the Chicago Bears.

* Meanwhile, the Bears (3-6) look like a mess. As bad as the defense has been all year, Matt Forte's longest run of the season is 19 yards. The team still has talent, but it's hard to see the Bears digging out of this hole.

* The Minnesota Vikings (4-5) were on bye, but go to Chicago on Sunday.

Around the NFL

* I try to highlight good things, but at 0-9, the Oakland Raiders deserve a mention. They're more than halfway to 0-16 and don't really have any easy matchups left on the schedule. Somehow, that might add to the Lions' magical season.

* Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s rookie season didn't have an ideal start as he missed four games with a hamstring injury, but the 12th overall pick has been sensational for the Giants (3-6) so far. He caught three touchdowns in his first three games and had eight catches for 156 yards in Week 9 and seven catches for 108 yards in Week 10 against the Seahawks and Richard Sherman, proving a bright spot for an otherwise bad team.

* Speaking of bad teams, the Cleveland Browns (6-3) are in first place in the AFC North and don't look Brownsy at all under first-year coach Mike Pettine.