All assistant coaches are signed for Lions

The Lions have confirmed the signing of all of their assistant coaches for the 2012 season.

Defensive backs coach Tim Walton and receivers coach Shawn Jefferson were the last to sign on the dotted line.

Walton interviewed with the Rams for their assistant defensive coordinator position last week, but ultimately decided to rejoin the Lions.

The Lions announced the signing of coordinators Gunther Cunningham (defense), Scott Linehan (offense) and Danny Crossman (special teams) earlier this month.

“I think we have a good group of coaches mixed with experience and younger guys, some former players, some guys that never played, but I like that dynamic and I like the consistency,” Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said after the season. “We were consistent from a preparation standpoint, from a game plan standpoint, from week-to-week.”

The Lions coaching staff has remained one of the most consistent since Schwartz took over in 2009.

Stafford and Raiola named to USA TODAY All-Joe Team

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford isn’t an All-Pro, but he can be proud of the fact that he’s an All-Joe.

Stafford was named to the USA TODAY All-Joe Team on Friday.

The All-Joe team was created in 1992 by longtime USA Today NFL writer Larry Weisman as a tribute to Joe Phillips, a 14-year defensive lineman who did yeoman’s work for the Chiefs that season. His effort in the trenches didn’t lead to much glory. USA Today has honored the unsung Joes of the NFL ever since. Only players who have never been named to the Pro Bowl during their careers are eligible.

That may mean this turns out to be Stafford’s one-and-only nomination.

“The last time the All-Joe team selected a player who passed for more than 5,000 yards and 40 TDs was never,” the paper wrote of Stafford. “Despite posting such numbers and leading Detroit into postseason for the first time this century, Stafford could not snap the Lions’ 40-year streak of failing to send a quarterback to the Pro Bowl. But he’ll fix that soon enough.”

Center Dominic Raiola, who played in his first playoffs this season after 11 years in the league, was also named to the team.

“Consider this a lifetime achievement award for a fiery team captain who endured so many losses in his first 10 seasons before enjoying his first postseason trip,” the paper wrote of Raiola.

Schwartz says there are many Pro Bowls in Stafford’s future

The NFL’s biggest stars are gathered in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl but Lions head coach Jim Schwartz can’t help but feel one player is missing: Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

“I made one of my five-minute trips on the treadmill today and I had the TV on and I saw the Pro Bowl from Hawaii. I was a little bit disappointed for him and for us that (after) the great year he had, and all the things he did, he’s here at a Pistons game rather than being at the Pro Bowl,” Schwartz said in an interview on 97.1 Thursday night when host Bob Wojnowski informed Schwartz that Stafford was at the Pistons vs. Heat game at the Palace of Auburn Hills Wednesday night.

“But there’s going to be a lot of (Pro Bowls) in his future.”

Schwartz then pointed out an interesting fact about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who is playing in his fifth Super Bowl next weekend.

“Matt is 23 years old, getting ready to turn 24 in a couple months, and Tom Brady, when he turned 24, had never completed a pass in the NFL,” Schwartz said.

“It gives you a little perspective about what Matt has ahead of him and what the Lions have ahead of them. He’s 23 and he’s experienced an awful lot.”

The experts have spoken on the top draft prospects

There are still three months to go until April’s NFL Draft, but the experts are in full swing with their analysis.

Wes Bunting of the National Football Post released his top five prospects from the Senior Bowl via Twitter on Wednesday:

1). North Carolina DE Quinton Coples: “Makes it look easy, combo size, power, length and quicks are “plus.”

2.). Ohio State OT Mike Adams: “Has an NFL LT build, good feet, gets hands on you its over.”

3). North Alabama CB Janoris Jenkins: “Toughest guy to separate from all week, fluid, “plus” closing speed.”

4). Alabama DE Courtney Upshaw: “Impressive strength on contact, can turn speed into power off edge.”

5). South Carolina DE Melvin Ingram: “Thick, compact, can reach QB in a number of ways, sudden, versatile.”

NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock put out his list of the top five prospects from each position heading into the draft.

The one surprise from Mayock’s list is that he has Iowa’s Riley Rieff rated ahead of USC’s Matt Kalil as the best offensive tackle available. Most have Kalil as the best tackle prospect.

Here are the best, according to Mayock:

Quarterback

1. Andrew Luck, Stanford

2. Robert Griffin III, Baylor

3. Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M

4 and 5 not specified.

Running Back

1. Trent Richardson, Alabama

2. David Wilson, Virginia Tech

3. Lamar Miller, Miami (FL)

4. Doug Martin, Boise State

5. LaMichael James, Oregon

Wide Receiver

1. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

2. Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

3. Kendall Wright, Baylor

4. Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

5. Chris Givens, Wake Forest

Tight End

1. Dwayne Allen, Clemson

2. Coby Fleener, Stanford

3. Orson Charles, Georgia

4. Ladarius Green, Louisiana-Lafayette

5. Michael Egnew, Missouri

Tackle

1. Riley Reiff, Iowa

2. Matt Kalil, USC

3. Jonathan Martin, Stanford

4. Mike Adams, Ohio State

T-5. James Brown, Troy

T-5. Zebrie Sanders, Florida State

Interior Offensive Lineman

1. David DeCastro, Stanford

2. Peter Konz, Wisconsin

3. Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin

4. Cordy Glenn, Georgia

5. Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State

Defensive End

1. Quinton Coples, North Carolina

2. Melvin Ingram, South Carolina

3. Whitney Mercilus, Illinois

4. Nick Perry, USC

T-5. Chandler Jones, Syracuse

T-5. Andre Branch, Clemson

Defensive Tackle

1. Devon Still, Penn State

2. Jerel Worthy, Michigan State

3. Michael Brockers, LSU

4. Brandon Thompson, Clemson

T-5. Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State

T-5. Dontari Poe, Memphis

Linebacker

1. Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

2. Luke Kuechly, Boston College

3. Dont’a Hightower, Alabama

4. Zach Brown, North Carolina

5. Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State

Cornerback

1. Morris Claiborne, LSU

2. Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama

3. Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska

4. Leonard Johnson, Iowa State

5. Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

Safety

1. Mark Barron, Alabama

2. Harrison Smith, Notre Dame

3. George Iloka, Boise State

4. Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State

T-5. Janzen Jackson, McNeese State

T-5. Antonio Allen, South Carolina

There’s still a lot that can happen at the combine in Indianapolis next month and during individual workouts around college campuses, but the experts have their lists and we’ll start to see if the team’s agree.

Lions OT Johnny Culbreath arrested for marijuana possession

Detroit Lions rookie offensive tackle Johnny Culbreath was arrested on a drug possession charge in a South Carolina motel room Monday, according to the Orangeburg County, S.C., sheriff’s department.

Culbreath, a seventh-round pick in last year’s draft, was charged with simple possession of marijuana after officers responded to a complaint of drug use Monday morning at the Country Inn.

According to the Times and Democrat, Culbreath appeared in front of county magistrate Richard Murray later Monday and paid a $412 fine.

The Lions, in a statement, said, “We are aware of the very disappointing reports involving Johnny Culbreath. This matter has been referred to the National Football League. Further comments will be made when appropriate.”

According to the report, Culbreath was arrested shortly after 10 a.m. Monday when he left his hotel room and an officer “smelled a strong odor of what appeared to be marijuana.”

When an officer entered the room, Culbreath was caught on video surveillance placing an object in a table drawer in a hallway. When Culbreath was asked what he placed in the table, he told the officer “two blunts,” according to the report.

Culbreath is now subject to penalty under the league’s personal conduct policy.

Evaluations continue for Lions at Senior Bowl

Lions president Tom Lewand told me today that the team is getting a lot done down at the Senior Bowl. The Lions have been busy interviewing prospects and are doing a lot of off-the-field work as well as evaluating players on the practice field.

Here are a few tidbits from some of the national draft writers on how Day 2 of  Senior Bowl practices went.

–Sports Illustrated’s Tony Pauline wrote that the most impressive players to come out of the morning practice on Tuesday was Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin and UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes.

“(They) were both impossible to stop and set up shop behind the line of scrimmage,” Pauline wrote on sportsillustrated.com.

–The National Football Post’s Wes Bunting remains impressed with Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams.

“What’s so impressive about Adams is the way he easily moves his 330-pound frame around the field,” Bunting wrote. “Even this morning, when asked to block in motion, Adams quickly gets out to the second level and is able to adjust and block linebackers thanks to his agility.”

NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan had this to say about Adams:

“Adams passes the eyeball test for certain and has the feet to be a fine left tackle,” he wrote. “He clearly demonstrated an ability to roll off the line of scrimmage and run block at the line of scrimmage or at the linebacker level in the 9-on-7 drills. Simply stated, he likes to finish a defender in the run game.

“His pass blocking has some issues when it comes to having the punch to neutralize a rusher. He is patient and disciplined enough to not go chasing a wide defender but he is inconsistent in re-routing a rusher. Adams often has his arms fully extended with little pop, which in turn causes some waist bending. It is all correctable and he is a fine athlete.”

–Bunting wasn’t as impressed with cornerbacks Alfonzo Dennard (Nebraska) or Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama), two players who the Lions could be interested in at pick No. 23.

“He allows his cushion to be eaten up far too much in his drop and lacks much of a burst/second gear when asked to turn and run,” Bunting wrote of Dennard.

As for Jenkins: “Jenkins looks rusty,” Bunting tweeted Tuesday. “Letting receivers get too far into his cushion, allowing receivers behind him.”

All of this is a matter of opinion and perception, though. There were others who thought Jenkins showed well, Tuesday.

“Jenkins has looked good,” Pauline wrote. “He’s fast, easily stays downfield with opponents and, despite playing at a low level of competition last year, looks as though his ball skills have improved. Scouts have to be thinking first round for Jenkins after his performance.”

In the end, the only evaluation that really matters will be those of Lewand, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew, coach Jim Schwartz and the rest of their staffs.

Suh could play in any era according to NFL Hall of Famers

Imagine Hall-of-Fame running back Jim Brown meeting current Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis in the hole at the line of scrimmage?

How about Hall-of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders matching up one-on-one with Lions receiver Calvin Johnson?

ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine sought the help of a 20-member Pro Football Hall of Fame panel to choose 20 current players who could play in any era.

No. 18 on the list is Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Suh is unblockable at times and has a mean streak that would have fit in nicely back in the day when pro football was a nastier game than it is today.

Here’s what some of the panelists had to say about Suh:

Jim Brown: “I love Ndamukong Suh. I would take him and mold him and create a Frankenstein monster. I would want him on my defense, but I would mold him. He is a throwback because they are trying to determine so many things about the physical part of the game right now and I don’t know if they can do it. You want guys who will mix it up, but you don’t want stupidity. You are looking for monsters who are going to bring it, and that is who Suh is. He’s feared and respected in the league.”

Larry Csonka: “You could put Ndamukong Suh next to Mean Joe Greene or Bubba Smith or back with some of those devastating D-linemen from the ’70s and he’d fit right in. Suh’s mean enough to land on his feet wherever you put him. He is a classic tough guy. He belongs back with us. Dick Butkus could tackle our quarterback, Bob Griese, back behind the bench and not be penalized. That’s where he belonged, and Suh would have loved our era.”

Mike Singletary: “Ndamukong Suh is just nasty. He is just a nasty guy. I love his mentality. He can rip your face off. That’s the kind of guy he is. He’s a young guy, but he sets the tempo for that team. If they didn’t have him, they’d be a totally different team. He is the mindset of that whole team.”

James Lofton: “I think the other thing that jumps out about guys we’ve picked is that they’re physical marvels. They’re bigger. They’re stronger. They’re a little faster than their predecessors. Suh’s a little quicker, a little stronger. Perhaps it’s because that’s what you’re looking for with defensive tackles today. But the nastiness that he plays with is a nastiness that you see when you see a Dick Butkus or a Ray Nitschke highlight. Yeah, he is trying to twist the guy’s head off, but from that standpoint, his attitude goes well with the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s. You had a complaint about a guy, you paid him back on the next play.”

Calvin Johnson voted Lions Bobby Layne Offensive MVP

Lions receiver Calvin Johnson just finished one of the greatest seasons by a wide receiver in NFL history.

He recorded 96 catches for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns – all career highs – becoming only the third player in league history with at least 95 catches, 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season.

His receiving yards are the seventh-highest total in NFL history and the most since Rams receiver Torry Holt had 1,696 in 2003.

Johnson finished with three 200-yard receiving games in the Lions’ last four games, including a 211-yard, two-touchdown performance in the playoff loss to the Saints.

He made his second straight Pro Bowl, though he isn’t playing because of injury, and was nearly unanimously named All-Pro.

Johnson’s numbers made him an easy vote by his teammates for the Bobby Layne Offensive MVP Award.

“This kid has an affection and a deep love for wanting to be the best,” said Lions receivers coach Shawn Jefferson. “He’s the first one in the classroom, the first one to ask questions, he’s one of the last guys to leave off the field and he’s first in every drill at practice. He sets the tempo each and every day and when the rest of the guys see that from a Pro Bowl player, they fall into line.”

Only Johnson and former Vikings receiver Randy Moss have ever registered 1,600-plus yards and 16-plus touchdowns in a single season.

“Here’s the deal,” Jefferson said. “Calvin is just entering into the prime of his career. The things you saw Calvin do this year, the next five years, you’re going to see even better things coming. You are going to see even more explosion out of this guy and it’s going to be scary. I think this guy is rewriting the books.”

This wasn’t just one of those breakout seasons for Johnson, either. He’s just the sixth player in league history with 45 touchdowns and 5,500 yards through his first five seasons.

The Lions won 10 games for the first time since 1995 and advanced to their first playoffs since 1999, in part, because of a 5-0 record to begin the season. During that stretch, Johnson had nine total touchdowns – two each in the first four games.

The offensive MVP award is given in memory of quarterback Bobby Layne, who sparked the Lions to three NFL Championships and four Western Division titles during the 1950s, including back-to-back championships in 1952 and 1953. He established virtually every career passing record, including attempts (2,193), completions (1,074), yardage (15,710) and touchdown passes (118). Layne was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967.

Report: Lions defensive backs coach Tim Walton interviews with Rams

Lions defensive backs coach Tim Walton, whose contract expired after the season, interviewed with the St. Louis Rams on Saturday, according to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Walton is a candidate to be the Rams’ assistant defensive coordinator for the passing game, according to the report.

Walton has coached the Lions defensive backs the last three seasons. The Lions announced the re-signings of coordinators Gunther Cunningham (defense), Scott Linehan (offense) and Danny Crossman (special teams). They have extended offers to their assistant coaches, too, but have not announced any signings.

The Rams recently hired former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher to be their new head coach. Gregg Williams, who was the Saints’ defensive coordinator this past season, is their new defensive coordinator and Brian Schottenheimer, who was most recently with the Jets, has been hired as their offensive coordinator.

Cliff Avril voted Lions Lem Barney Defensive MVP

No Lions player had more of an impact on defense this season than Cliff Avril.

His 11 sacks led the team and his six forced fumbles were second most in the NFL to only the Ravens’ Terrell Suggs (7). Avril also recovered three fumbles, the second most in the league.

Avril became the first Lions player to register 10 sacks and have at least one fumble return touchdown and one interception return touchdown in the same season. He’s only the sixth player since the NFL started registering sacks as a statistic in 1982 to accomplish that feat, and the first since 2006 (DeMarcus Ware).

Avril’s monster season earned him the Lem Barney Defensive MVP Award, as voted by his teammates.

“He’s a young player just coming into his prime,” said Lions defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. “Each year he’s gotten better and each year he’s having a bigger impact and making bigger plays. It’s not just the sacks and the fumbles, either, it’s also the plays Cliff makes down the field.”

Avril has improved his sack total in each of his first four seasons since being drafted by the Lions in the third round out of Purdue in 2008. In 47 career games (44 starts), Avril has 30 sacks, 129 tackles, 14 forced fumbles, 12 passes defended and two touchdowns.

“It’s one thing to have double-digit sacks, but Cliff had more of an impact than just that because of the forced fumbles,” said Lions head coach Jim Schwartz. “It goes hand-in-hand with getting sacks a lot of times, but Cliff has a knack for it and that gave us a big push.

“We didn’t finish the way we wanted to defensively, but we got a lot of turnovers and Cliff was a big part of that. Cliff is also a guy that was drafted before I got here, but we’ve developed him. He’s developed with us, he’s become a better player every year, he’s added to his arsenal every year and he’s been a hard worker.”

Avril was voted the NFL Defensive Player of the Week after a Week 8 victory over the Broncos that saw Avril record two sacks, two forced fumbles and returned a fumble for a touchdown.

Avril is a free agent this offseason and Lions general manager Martin Mayhew says he’s planning on offering him a long-term contract.

The defensive MVP award is given in honor of Lem Barney, one of the premiere defensive backs in the history of the league. As a rookie, Barney intercepted 10 passes ­ returning three for touchdowns ­ and was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Barney played in seven Pro Bowls and had 56 interceptions in 140 career games. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.