Official JIM CALDWELL/new staff thread

[gandydancer]

I've been poished before. In fact, I'm a little poished right now. Believe me when I tell you, you don't want Stafford to be poished.

His frame can handle the munchies for sure.

 

[Tigertowner68]

I have nothing against Jim Caldwell. He is the unfortunate victim of the venomous hatred I have for Millenhew and LewanDUI. I think it's entirely possible they are ranked first and second on the list of dumbest mf'ers working in the NFL, and that includes one helluva list of really fucking stupid players.

Barnum & Bailey have nothing on the clown show in Allen Park, MI. I'm a diehard fan whose addiction to this shitty team isn't something I can rehab away. So I'll be rooting for them and for Jim Caldwell to succeed. But I will NEVER back off of Millenhew and LewanDUI. Fuck both of them. They are incompetent idiots who have done nothing but disgrace the franchise and fail to deliver any results.

I have nobody to blame but myself for not being happy over this hiring. When you have a drunk and a Millen trained jackass leading the way my expectation from the start should have been very low. Somehow I underestimated the true level of their ignorance and stupidity thinking they couldn't possibly mess up finding a coach for what is easily the most talented team of those with openings. I was wrong.

YEP

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I only felt Lombardi to be a puppet not the other hires

Agree with Gandy. Caldwell said he'd like to handle the play calling on offense. When they hire a guy whose only experience as an OC is at Mercyhurst College. I'm guessing he main responsibility is to take care of Mathew Stafford.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

the support staff that he is putting around stafford is what I like. The staff he is hiring are masters at what our weaknesses are ( if that makes any sense). The offensive coordinator was a QB Coach, and a good one at that. And the DC that he hired was a Secondary Coach, and from what i've read, a good one as well.

I agree -- I like the coaching hires because of their areas of expertise address our weaknesses. I really like the Teryl Austin hire. Austin was the DB coach of the Seahawks when they went to the Super Bowl in 2006, he was the DB coach of the Cardinals when they went to the Super Bowl in 2009 and he was the DB coach of the Ravens when they went to the Super Bowl. He has worked under quite a few different coaches and schemes.

Lombardi's hire is questionable to me, but at least we can say Jim Caldwell has already delivered a Lombardi without ever taking the field yet. LOL. Plus, as I said, I think Caldwell is going to be calling the plays and Lombardi will be responsible for developing Stafford.

 

[lionstop1]

Whats with the experience or lack thereof when speaking about the OC? I think he'll have multiple purposes and I think they willmdecide who the play caller is throughout the process.

 

[jdwills126]

I have a problem with the way Caldwell is putting his staff together, or better yet the hires are not what you would expect from the direction Mayhew stated the Lions were going to go.

1. You hire a Head Coach that has prior HC experience. A win now mantra as the Lions have the talent and it's assumed Mayhew's job is on the line.

2. The new Head Coach promptly hires two Coordinators that have never been coordinators in the NFL. I get the Lombardi hire as Caldwell was a OC and can cover that side of the ball. But Austin is expected to carry the load on the defensive side of the ball.

If the Lions were going to win now wouldn't getting some experienced guys as coordinators matter? Thats what Mayhew wanted.

Austin and Lombardi may end up as a good Coordinators but if the Lions can't tolerate growing pains I don't get these hires.

 

[jdwills126]

I hope Caldwell succeeds. It means the Lions get to the playoffs. His presser was pointless to me because talk is cheap and he said exactly what he should have. It's as if the collective masses forget all the previous feel good press conferences from Bobby Ross to Jim Schwartz.

This whole process was a turd from the moment Mayhew decided how he was going to run it. Now everything is resting on Caldwell's shoulders and it's a shame. Like it or not he gets a short window to be successful were others would have had a chance to grow and build a team in their image.

The Lions have to win now and thats a heavy lift for any hire.

 

[jdwills126]

That's why Terryl Austin can be a good DC pick. If he brings Sheriden from TB as an assistant/LB coach we would actually have some pretty good defensive minds at each level. Austin for the DBs and Sheriden for the LBs alonf with Washburn have all had success in those areas.

Still not a fan of the wide 9. On 3rd and long its fine.

It doesn't matter what scheme is ran if the lions can't get off the field. The defense did a much better job last year but still needs that big stop when it's needed mentality. And the fact we are talking about a CB in the first round is a shame since Mayhew drafted so many CBs the last 2 years you would think he would have gotten that spot covered, Bentley, Greenwood, Green, Slay, and FA Matthias. Same could be said of WR but thats beating a dead horse.

 

[lionstop1]

I'm not sure why some think "experience" means automatic success or "better odds"? Is Caldwell really supposed to pick guys that have experience only, even if he doesn't care for them? I think Caldwell, Mayhew and company understand the situation at hand and will do their best. Everything is all speculation right now and it still would've been for me with any other coach. Becoming coordinator isnt all about experience and such-much of it is football IQ and a job within the system.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I'm not sure why some think "experience" means automatic success or "better odds"?

No one is saying experience means automatic success. With anything you do -- experience, most definitely, gives you a better chance at being successful. I'm not trying to sound derogatory, but that is just common sense.

With the Lions having a team who is built to win 'right now'. I think most fans, myself included, had hoped they would bring in a proven OC to handle the position.

In the end -- it isn't a big deal though, as I think Caldwell is really going to be handling the offense and I like the DC hire. I believe Lombardi is going to have the same type of position he held in NO, where he was responsible for the QB. Only difference is -- he will have the OC title after his name.

 

[Old Lion]

Austin and Sheriden will get the back 7 in playing form. No more just relying on their natural abilty. Hopefully no more of this just stay with the WR crap. Maybe someone other than Levy will actually make a play on the ball. I think a kid like Slay could really step up with these guys.

 

[Lions=TeHsUcKs]

I have a problem with the way Caldwell is putting his staff together, or better yet the hires are not what you would expect from the direction Mayhew stated the Lions were going to go.

1. You hire a Head Coach that has prior HC experience. A win now mantra as the Lions have the talent and it's assumed Mayhew's job is on the line.

2. The new Head Coach promptly hires two Coordinators that have never been coordinators in the NFL. I get the Lombardi hire as Caldwell was a OC and can cover that side of the ball. But Austin is expected to carry the load on the defensive side of the ball.

If the Lions were going to win now wouldn't getting some experienced guys as coordinators matter? Thats what Mayhew wanted.

Austin and Lombardi may end up as a good Coordinators but if the Lions can't tolerate growing pains I don't get these hires.

I agree 100%.. Atleast we know the two guys without head coordinator experience seem quite qualified.. The only issue I really have is Lombardi.. Did he really have much input in NO? They were a well oiled machine with Peyton and Brees, but maybe he had enough of an idea of how the Lions offense could be directed as a result.. Lots of questions with the offense, granted Caldwell has experience in the area..

 

[Thruthefog]

I'll take ability over experience any day of the week.

 

[TBBishop]

Agree with Gandy. Caldwell said he'd like to handle the play calling on offense. When they hire a guy whose only experience as an OC is at Mercyhurst College. I'm guessing he main responsibility is to take care of Mathew Stafford.

When did Caldwell say he would like to handle the playcalling? I would guess if Caldwell had said that we wouldn't be discussing this. All I recall him saying was they had not figured that out.

 

[tpaulus_2]

When did Caldwell say he would like to handle the playcalling? I would guess if Caldwell had said that we wouldn't be discussing this. All I recall him saying was they had not figured that out.

Exactly. He never said that he wanted to call the plays, he just didn't say that he wouldn't be calling the plays when asked by a reporter. People seem to forget that all these quotes and whatnot that we read from coaches have to be taken in context. Caldwell didn't call a press conference to announce that he'd be the play-caller on offense- he answered a question about it when asked. Problem is that when you take away that context and just circulate the quotes people start running with it and pretty soon you wind up with exactly what we have going on here- people giving life to half-true statements that really don't hold water...

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I'll take ability over experience any day of the week.

I'm not discounting that Lombardi could be successful as an OC -- my problem with his hiring is -- no one knows what his ability is as an OC, as his only job at the post was at Mercyhurst College.

And if I was hiring someone -- I'd take ability AND experience any day of the week, which Detroit could have easily done when hiring the OC. That is why I think his main responsibility is going to be working with Stafford.

 

[TBBishop]

I have a problem with the way Caldwell is putting his staff together, or better yet the hires are not what you would expect from the direction Mayhew stated the Lions were going to go.

1. You hire a Head Coach that has prior HC experience. A win now mantra as the Lions have the talent and it's assumed Mayhew's job is on the line.

2. The new Head Coach promptly hires two Coordinators that have never been coordinators in the NFL. I get the Lombardi hire as Caldwell was a OC and can cover that side of the ball. But Austin is expected to carry the load on the defensive side of the ball.

If the Lions were going to win now wouldn't getting some experienced guys as coordinators matter? Thats what Mayhew wanted.

Austin and Lombardi may end up as a good Coordinators but if the Lions can't tolerate growing pains I don't get these hires.

Inexperienced head coaches like Schwartz tend to hire experienced coordinators. An experienced head coach you would expect would know how to spot talent and groom their coaches. Plus everyone keeps dismissing the fact that both of these guys have college coordinating experience. Of course it's not the same but they have both been responsible for devising and implementing a gameplan. They aren't completely green. Caldwell put himself on the hotseat before he coached a game by saying this team has the talent to win now and he expects to win now. I have to think that he believes these guys are ready for the challenge.

 

[broncosmitty]

So, what we have is a head coach who called plays for a disappointing offense and a guy who didn't call plays but worked underneath another guy who also didnt call plays for a successful offense.

 

[tpaulus_2]

I'm not discounting that Lombardi could be successful as an OC -- my problem with his hiring is -- no one knows what his ability is as an OC, as his only job at the post was at Mercyhurst College.

And if I was hiring someone -- I'd take ability AND experience any day of the week, which Detroit could have easily done when hiring the OC. That is why I think his main responsibility is going to be working with Stafford.

Who? Who were we supposed to hire at OC that was experienced and had shown enough ability to not get fired? Most "experienced" coordinators looking for a job this time of year are available because they got fired for poor performance. Sure, there's the odd Norv Turner out there who is available because an inept organization like Cleveland cut him loose, but on the whole there's not exactly a bevy of available coordinators who meet your standards.

Most teams with good coaches (HC, DC, OC) didn't hire them once they were already established as "good." Instead they did their homework and found the next good coach, rather than sorting through the January left-over coaches bin, as you seem to be championing...

 

[Thruthefog]

Exactly. He never said that he wanted to call the plays, he just didn't say that he wouldn't be calling the plays when asked by a reporter. People seem to forget that all these quotes and whatnot that we read from coaches have to be taken in context. Caldwell didn't call a press conference to announce that he'd be the play-caller on offense- he answered a question about it when asked. Problem is that when you take away that context and just circulate the quotes people start running with it and pretty soon you wind up with exactly what we have going on here- people giving life to half-true statements that really don't hold water...

Message Board Composition

60% - people giving life to half-true statements that really don't hold water
25% - crazy shit that may or may not have to do with football
10% - funny shit about the Bears that is true
3% - knowledgeable football discussion that is based on facts devoid of meaningless stats
2% - the uneasy references to the coming squirrel takeover

That looks about right.