Millen's Worst Blunders

[A.E]

Read a FoxSports.com article today that pointed out Matt Millen's worst blunders during his time spent as Detroit Lions' President and CEO.

The Worst Moves of the Millen Era

8. Calvin Johnson
No, we're not ready to say Johnson is going to be the latest in a LONG line of wide receiver busts in Detroit. But, we are willing to say that selecting Johnson (instead of trading the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 draft for a bushel of picks) was not the way to go. Which, of course, explains why Millen went that way.

7. Steve Marucci
Even Mariucci's coaching godfather (the late, great Bill Walsh) was telling Millen that Mooch wasn't cut out to be an NFL head man. But for some reason, Millen didn't listen. The result? A 15-28 record in two-plus years in Detroit.

6. Az-Zahir Hakim
Matt Millen didn't just screw up the draft in Detroit (although it was what he was best at). He made a few questionable free-agent decisions as well. Like giving Hakim a five-year $16 million deal without taking into consideration the slight possibility Hakim's numbers might have been inflated by that whole Greatest Show on Turf thing in St. Louis.

5. Charles Rogers
Maybe if Charles Rogers hadn't broken his collarbone five games into his rookie season, things would have worked out differently for the Michigan State wideout. Or maybe if he hadn't been suspended for four games in 2005 for his third violation of the NFL drug policy, he wouldn't be widely seen as a colossal bust. Or maybe (just maybe), Millen shouldn't have taken him with the second pick of the 2003 NFL Draft.

4. Marty Mornhinweg
When you win the coin toss prior to the start of overtime, yet inexplicably choose to kick the ball away, that's a sign that maybe you aren't cut out to be an NFL head coach. But perhaps it's also a sign that you're a tailor-made Matt Millen coaching hire.

3. The Draft Picks that got away
Only five of Millen's nine first-round picks are still with the team. And those picks have combined for just one Pro Bowl appearance (thank you, Roy Williams). But it's not like Millen passed on anyone good to get those players, right? So what if the Lions could have had Shawne Merriman, Bob Sanders, Brian Westbrook, Ben Roethlisberger, Dwight Freeney, Clinton Portis or Andre Johnson? Or that 40 Pro Bowlers accounting for 75 Pro Bowl seasons were taken in the first round after Millen was done picking? It's not like we're counting or anything.

2. Joey Harrington
In four years in Detroit, Harrington never had a QB rating better than 77.5, only managed one season in which he threw more TDs than interceptions and ranked at the bottom of the league in yards-per-passing-attempt (a stat in which he ranks among the worst ... in NFL history). Not bad for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.

1. Mike Williams
Another year, another wide receiver, another mistake. In 2005, Mike Williams became the third WR selected by Millen in the first round in as many years. And he may have had the worst career of the lot (although that's a really tough competition). Williams' stay in Detroit lasted just two seasons, during which he made 37 catches and scored two touchdowns.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/pgStory?conte...p;photo=8602364

Pretty interesting. I'm sure some of you Detroit fans have some of your own to add to the list. -AE

 

[.GR]

4. Marty Mornhinweg
When you win the coin toss prior to the start of overtime, yet inexplicably choose to kick the ball away, that's a sign that maybe you aren't cut out to be an NFL head coach. But perhaps it's also a sign that you're a tailor-made Matt Millen coaching hire.

When the hell did that happen? Lmao

 

[eLeMeNOhPe]

i dunno, this list if kind of iffy

Joey Harrington? i think EVERY GM would have picked him if they were in charge of the Lions, they needed a franchise QB, and they had the 3rd pick, and Harrington was suppose to be the real deal. Just like Carr. Just like Couch, just like _______.

Now that i think of it, this list is dumb, well the draft picks part. Yes, they could have had those players, but you don't know whats going to happen when you pick someone. You can't blame that on Millen. Except for Mike Williams. THAT was a bad pick, because they didn't need him.

 

[A.E]

When the hell did that happen? Lmao

2001 versus the Chicago Bears

Mornhinweg won the toss, but felt that having the wind in his favor was more important for his Lions to win the game against the Chicago Bears, despite having as his kicker Jason Hanson. He elected to kick and on the Bears opening drive, Chicago scored a field goal and won the game.