The 2009 NFL Draft will remain in Lions fan memories for many years, since this was the year they drafted their oft-injured and gutsy leader – Matthew Stafford. Brandon Pettigrew and Louis Delmas came next for the team by pick 33, and the Lions went to sleep after day one with a number of future starters in the fold. The nice thing about that Pettigrew pick was that it came as part of a trade with the Cowboys for WR Roy Williams – how’s that working for them now?
Now that the Lions had the evening to think of their pick to start the third round, Lions fans were drooling over the idea of a starting DT or adding a RB like Shonn Greene into the fold. It was not to be for Detroit – they traded it away for draft picks that ended up including Sammie Hill and DeAndre Levy. At the time it seemed like another mess for the Lions front office, a minor discontent hidden within the excitement behind getting a number one quarterback. Now, Lions fans have reason to believe that the move they made was the right one.
Greene has racked up roughly 1,000 yards in a span of 1.5 seasons. He was a major contributor in their playoff win last season against the Chargers, and also showed spurts throughout the season. His 46 yards against the Lions represent his usual output, and the Jets clearly recognized this in the off-season by acquiring LaDainian Tomlinson. In a league where average running backs are available on the cheap, Greene’s NFL career fuel light is on.
In the pre-Jahvid Best 2009 season, the Lions got nearly a combined 800 yards from Maurice Morris, Kevin Smith and Aaron Brown. While that didn’t pose a great threat to opposing defenses, it was a fine bridge to get to Best. This season, with Best and Smith working as a tandem, the Lions have opened up a running game that has made a lot of fans forget about Greene.