Detroit Lays Sr. to Rest
Byron Lambert, Rosterwatch.com

One of our favorite running jokes of the 2012 NFL Season on the RW airwaves was the hilarious suffix added to the jersey of Lions WR Titus Young this year. There was a lot of sarcasm surrounding the new moniker, “Young Sr.”, that appeared on the back of the very youthful second year-player’s jersey.

Mikel Leshoure, Sr. will now be carrying the flag for Lions “senior citizens” on his own.

Simply put, Young, Sr. was a cancer. The Lions wasted no time amputating Senior from the roster, dropping him as fast as humanly possible once Super Bowl XLVII concluded. Apparently, Young, Sr. never realized he was playing with the same Calvin Johnson the rest of the world has to come to know. Young, Sr. actually believes he is better than Megatron.

How that happens is anyone’s guess. Just further evidence of character outweighing potential in NFL evaluation.

While the Lions can ill-afford to make WR a priority in the 2013 NFL draft, they are likely to replace one senior with another. A Senior Bowler. The same place the Lions franchise fell in love with Young Sr. in 2011.

Expect Coach Schwartz to exercise the advantage his staff earned by coaching in Mobile this year. He should be able to pluck some middle-late round value out of this year’s Senior Bowl crop, just like other coaches have in recent years. There weren’t any truly elite pass-catchers in Alabama this year, but the receivers were a deep group, chalk-full of potential and intrigue.

Logic dictates the Lions will lean towards fellas from the South squad that they coached. Remember, though, Mike Shanahan drafted Kirk Cousins last year from the opposing Senior Bowl squad, so everybody should be on the table for Detroit. Here are some likely candidates whose names Lions fans may hear called in April.

South Squad:

Terrance Williams 6’2″ 201 – Not a speed guy who struggled in Mobile. His college film shows a playmaker that would add some size on the opposite side of the field from Megatron. This would be a nice fit with Broyles in the slot. Would remind me of the Bengals Mohammed Sanu pick last year.

Quinton Patton 6’0″ 202 – Quick and agile, he doesn’t look to have elite speed but the guy makes big plays. He had a nice week in Mobile.

Russell Shepard 6’1″ 195 – A late-add to the Senior Bowl roster, Shephard transitioned to WR at LSU and is still a bit raw. He had a good week of practice and showed some real talent in Mobile.

Cobi Hamilton 6’1″ 199 – A much bigger WR than Titus Young, Sr. that plays very physical. Drops a few too many balls but could be a scary #2/#3.

North Squad:

Aaron Dobson 6’2″ 203 lb – He struggled early in the week but really came on as practices progressed. Good size and speed, he looks like a player that can stretch the field while also providing some size on the outside. His attitude was very impressive.

Markus Wheaton 5’11” 183 – Could be an ideal replacement for Senior. Very similar in size, stature, and skills but much better character. Wheaton is great at tracking the deep ball.