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Dominic Raiola On Lions: 'I'm Sick And Tired Of Seeing Total Revamps In This Organization'

By: Evan Jankens
@kingofthekc

Always outspoken former Detroit Lions' center Dominic Raiola joined Terry Foster on the Valenti and Foster show Friday afternoon on the heels of the Lions firing Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand.

Here's the Q&A between Foster and Raiola:

How much interaction has he had with Martha Ford in the past?

"Not a lot of interaction, but I got enough, the hi's and the bye's walking by. I do know one thing, have we ever had an incidence like this, it's pretty ground breaking in the middle of the season. I know we have fired coaches before and got rid of Millen, that ran it's course, as far as firing a President and a GM, I don't think anyone has put their foot down and done this in our organization."

Were you stunned by this move?

"Um, you know nothing really shakes me anymore in the NFL, I was more stunned in the 1-7 start and how this team should have gone from what I would like to call it, should have been in the second round of the playoffs to where they are now, I'm more stunned by that to be honest with you."

Why the 1-7 start?

"I see a quarterback that's unsettled, you know back there, I was at the Minnesota game and it seemed like they did nothing to adjust to what Minnesota is doing, nothing to change the tempo of that game. I saw an Arizona game that got out of hand, there is too much talent on the team, it just added up and it's kinda a snowball effect, that's where we are at now, we're at avalanche status I guess."

Is it common to know what's coming up with the Lions plays?

"Its pretty common to know tendencies, you know I see different things, as far as knowing what exactly is coming that's pretty uncommon, tendencies are common. As far as knowing exactly of what the other team is doing, I'll give you a good example from that Kansas City game in London. You saw Marcus Peters, I guess kinda waiving his hand saying Calvin's coming across the field, I rewound it and I said this guy is telling them exactly what they are doing. I don't know what the tip is, maybe shifts in tendency and maybe they are leaning on it, it's happened more than once this year, that's for sure.

Are Stafford's days numbered?

"I wouldn't say it has sailed on him, I'm gonna tell you one thing, I hear a lot of things in the past couple days how he needs to be on his way and people are running him out of town. Let me remind everybody in Detroit that if you want to do a total rebuild and find another quarterback, it doesn't happen overnight. I think it's easier to go find a coordinator or have a coordinator in place that plays to his strengths. and his strength is letting the ball fly. That's kinda what [Scott] Linehan did. The guy broke a lot of records with Linehan, a lot of the play calling was geared for that. When he can run his show and pick the different spots down the field he's very successful. Slinging the ball is his game. I think whenever he is not in a groove or a rhythm, shoot I would put in 2-minute offense, I'd put him in no huddle."

"I do think you have to be careful what you wish for, if you want to start all over, there are going to be people turning in their tickets, were going to have to start all over with a brand new quarterback. Personally I'm sick and tired of total revamps of this organization. I'm not interested in seeing a total rebuild."

What do you need for the culture to change.

"I think you bring in a guy who takes no bs. The culture I'm talking about, a guy comes in and takes no bs and has a vision and follows that vision and there's no people squabbling about contracts. It's this way or the highway."

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What do you make of Raiola's comments? What other Lions' player, current or former, would you want to hear talk about the current situation with the team?

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