Analyzing the 2013 Detroit Lions roster: Linebackers

For the first time over the last few seasons it is not the defensive secondary that concerns me most about the Detroit Lions defense. For 2013 it would seem that the Linebacking corps is thew weakest link in the D. There is jot not a lot of talent here past starting MLB Stephen Tulloch and OLB DeAndre Levy. Those two are good, maybe even very good linebackers. However, the other OLB starting spot goes to Ashlee Palmer and I am nowhere near as high on him as the Lions coaches seem to be. I really wonder if he won the job, or there is simply no one else on the roster capable. It is long past the time some draft picks got invested here.

Of course to be far, Gunther Cunningham is one hell of a football coach and he gets the most out of what he is given each and every time. Maybe under his tutelage and that of linebackers coach Matt Burke they will get the most out of this group. They have looked awful in the pre-season, and at some points looked ok. They seem to be more ball hawky this year, and the defense as a whole as worked hard to generate turnovers. That could be a very encouraging sign.

Behind the three starters the most intriguing guy to make the initial 53 man roster is Tahir Whitehead. Many Lions feel like he performed well enough to have earned a starting spot, but I am a lot more higher on Rocky McIntosh who of course is like the 53rd guy on the roster and was initially released to make room for a wavier wire addition to the secondary but was quickly resigned.

After four pre-season games it really seems like we do not know what this unit is yet. We have no idea what they are capable of, and we are all hoping they are better than what they look like on paper. Better than what we saw in Cleveland two weeks o so ago, and good enough to help the defense stop drives and generate turnovers. We shall see.

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