The Pressbox

Perhaps I was a bit optimistic, but I picked an 8-8 record for the Detroit Lions in my column Thursday:

http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/KRUGERSPTSCOL/109049966/-1/COLUMNISTS

I just have a feeling that the defense might be a little better than people expect and Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson are going to present some real problems for opposing defenses. Rod Marinelli likes to run, but it’s hard to do that on second-and-nine or third-and-eight. Williams and Johnson will get plenty of chances to shine.

The Detroit Lions open the exhibition season tonight and frankly I am baffled.

I have no idea what to expect.

Granted, exhibition games are meaningless and nearly unwatchable, but I am intrigued about the changes that will be made now that it appears that coach Rod Marinelli is firmly in control.

Will his running scheme work? Is the Tampa Two defense finally taking root?

The talent level does not appear to be great, but the Lions seem to have added some character to the roster. The question is whether that will make any difference.

I feel bad for Caleb Campbell.

The young man was all set to begin his first NFL training camp. He agreed to contract terms with the Detroit Lions earlier this week. He was supposed to start practice today.

But the Army pulled the rug out from under him.

After giving Campbell a special waver to entry the NFL Draft and pursue a career as a professional football player, the Army informed the Lions at the last moment that a change in Department of Defense policy required Campbell to report for regular duty.

The Lions had to break the bad news to him. Team officials said he took it like a good soldier. He signed up to serve his country. He is ready to fulfill his commitment.

Still, you have to feel bad for him.

There must have been a lot of complaining behind the scenes that led to this about face at the last moment.

I think the decision is short-sighted by the Department of Defense. Campbell, the Lions and the Army all suffer.

In all honesty, Campbell was a longshot to make the team. He was a seventh-round draft choice. Guys drafted that low rarely make the team. But he was denied his shot. He will never know whether he could have made it or not.

The Lions have wasted a draft choice. Of course they have done plenty of that in the past, but it would have been nice if they had known before the draft that something like this might happen.

And the Army missed a great opportunity. Campbell could have done a lot more good for the Army as an NFL player than he will in active service. The Army would have gotten loads of free publicity as the media followed Campbell’s bid to make the team. And, if he had made it, he would have been invaluable as an Army recruiter.

This is a case where everyone loses.

Does anyone have a clue how the Detroit Lions operate?

Running back is one of the team’s weakest positions, so Thursday they release their most talented player at that position. That’s Lion logic.

Yes, Kevin Jones has been injury prone during his career. But what would it have hurt to keep him on the roster to see if he can recover from his current problem?

The move probably has something to do with cap space, but there is other dead weight on the roster that they could have sliced off.