Well, suffice it to say that I am not thrilled with the trade between Detroit and Denver. For those that have not heard, it has been reported that the Lions have traded Pro Bowl Cornerback Dre’ Bly to the Broncos for dadadada drum roll please……George Foster, Tatum Bell and a 5th Round pick. At first glance, you may think it was a GREAT trade for both teams. But I am here to say that Matt Millen has once again displayed his knack for finishing last as a GM.

Let’s dissect the trade.

Dre’ Bly had a sub par year, but it is the system to blame and not a sign of diminishing skills. Prior to the defensive scheme change, he posted Pro Bowl numbers for interceptions and TD returns. Arguably, Detroit’s best Defensive player next to Shaun Rogers.

What did Millen get in return? An injury proned RB that can’t figure out how to hold on to the ball and a second-tier, at best, Offensive Tackle. Hmmm. I don’t get paid the big bucks, but the fact that the Denver “Run First, Run Second, Run Third” Broncos would be willing to give up a 1000 yard back and an offensive lineman would raise red flags. Dre’s Bly is very good, but would they really be willing to scrap their running game to get him? Did Mike Bell play that well? Didn’t they give Tatum the keys to the car by trading Portis for Champ. Why would they give up on him after one year as a starter?

I’ll tell you why. Because Mike Shanahan saw blood and attacked like a wild dog. Look at the deal from his eyes. Dre’ Bly is in the last year of his contract. There is no way that he was going to re-sign with the Lions. So Detroit is desperate.

The timing is right for Denver to pull off this deal. Darrent Williams rest in peace, but I can see this deal being worked out even if he was with the team. So obviously Bly fits a need. And the draft is just around the corner so, a token draft pick can be thrown into the deal.

Most importantly, Shanahan knows that Millen is on the hot seat. He can’t let Dre’ get away for free and the Lions have more needs than a crackhead going through withdrawal.

Shanahan: “Matt, I’ll help you out. Take Tatum Bell and George Foster for Bly.”

Millen: “I don’t know Mike. Bly is pretty good.”

Shanahan: “Alright. You twisted my arm. I’ll throw in a 5th round pick.”

Millen: “You’ve got a deal.” Hangs up the phone.

Shanahan: “Hehehehehehehe”. Champ and Bly. Blitz, Blitz, Blitz, Blitz. Now I don’t have to worry about cutting Foster. But I still need to find a starting RB. Just like I planned before the trade.  Maybe I can trade Plummer or sign Ahman Green.

A 5th round pick? Foster? Bell? Foster was demoted during the season. And Bell played soooo well that he lost his starting job and had to share carries with an undrafted free agent. So, is Kevin Jones done in Detroit? If not, this deal was worse than I think. Both have similar styles, so this isn’t like a change of pace type of scenario. And both are injury proned. I would have rather gambled and taken Adrian Peterson. Guess that is out of the question.

Matt, you really don’t get it. This isn’t your Fantasy Football team that you are managing. Hell, if it was, you would be at the bottom of my league. Easy.

Believe it or not. The only thing that would make me become a little more comfortable with this deal is if Millen decides to take Calvin Johnson in the draft. He is too good to be true. Millen has his RB and OT. I can live with drafting Johnson, but I doubt he would do that because he would probably get this draft thing right for once.

5th round? We can’t even seem to tackle drafting in the 1st round. Oh well. That’s the life and times of being a Detroit Lions fan.