Mayhew Says Lions Do Not Expect To Be Active At Trade Deadline, Gives Insight On Season
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew held court on a number of topics Thursday, declining to answer questions about free agency and Jameis Winston while giving his insight on the impact of new head coach Jim Caldwell and the situation of now-released rookie kicker Nate Freese.
The kicker situation of the Lions has dominated headlines most of the season. Detroit spent a draft pick on Freese, who made just three of seven attempts before he was released. The next kicker, Alex Henery, struggled even more, hitting on just one of five tries before the Lions cut ties with him. The addition of Pro Bowler Matt Prater has calmed the waters at kicker, though Prater has also looked shaky at times.
Mayhew would not concede that the Lions failed in evaluating Freese, saying he might have worked out if Detroit's situation was different.
"He's very talented," Mayhew said. "I think he'll be a kicker in the NFL at some point, but we're not in a situation where we can wait on him. If it had been maybe 2009, when I first got this job, we might have been able to be a little bit more patient because we were still building our team. We were still adding young guys and dealt with some growing pains in other spots, but we're not in that position right now."
Before the kicker carousel commanded the spotlight, defensive tackle Nick Fairley was an early object of scrutiny after the Lions declined to pick up his fifth-year option amid uncertainties about his motivation and ability to maintain an acceptable weight. After briefly being demoted to the second team in the preseason, Fairley has played well. Pro Football Focus ranks him in the top 10 at the position, just two spots below his teammate Ndamukong Suh, a perennial Pro Bowl selection.
"The coaching staff did a great job of working with him, teaching him the right way to go," Mayhew said. "His linemates, his teammates have had high expectations for him. He's obviously taken a lead on getting his weight down and getting into better condition and hired a chef to help him with that process, so I think Nick gets a lot of credit for that. I think it's great what he's doing, I'm glad he's doing that, and I want him to keep doing it."
Fairley, Suh and the entire Lions defense has carried the team so far this season, keeping them in games and making game-changing plays that provide momentum. Largely because of how well the defense has performed, Detroit has a record of 5-2. With as well as the season has gone to this point, it does not come as a surprise that Mayhew said he does not expect the Lions to be active at the trade deadline.
A surprising footnote to Detroit's record of 5-2 is that the Lions are 2-0 without superstar wide receiver Calvin Johnson, whose injured ankle has already caused him to miss a pair of games after being limited in two earlier games. Johnson's injury has been a source of anxiety for fans, but Mayhew said he is not concerned that Johnson's health will be a long-term issue.
"It's the NFL, man," Mayhew said. "Guys get hurt.
"It's like every other player," Mayhew added. "There's always a risk of injury when you play in this league and sometimes you have guys that get a couple and then they stay healthy for a long time. Go look at Matthew Stafford. His first year and second year he was injured and then, knock on wood, he's been healthy. So I think Calvin will be fine."
Speaking of Stafford, Mayhew had only positive notes on the sixth-year quarterback, who learned a new offense for the first time in his career with the arrival of the new coaching staff this offseason.
"I think his game is becoming much more cerebral," Mayhew said. "I think he's a very smart guy, but I think in the past a lot of times it was just about his arm, just about making that throw. I think he's becoming, if it's possible to become a smarter quarterback, I think he's becoming that. Again, hats off to our coaching staff and Jim Bob [Cooter] and what he's done with him and Joe Lombardi and Coach Caldwell working with him and getting him better.
"I think that goes for a lot of positions," Mayhew continued. "You could say the same thing about our defensive line and the way those guys are playing. They understand their job a lot more, and they trust the scheme a lot more when you watch them play. I think it's pretty much across the board; our team is playing more team football now. I think that makes a big difference."
On a number of other topics - free agency; reports the team talked to longtime kicker Jason Hanson about returning; what factors should be considered by teams interested in Jameis Winston; whether anything would prevent Johnson from finishing his career in Detroit - Mayhew went the route of Cam Newton, deflecting the inquiries by repeating the same response, that his only concern is defeating the Falcons on Sunday.
