Offensive Prospect of the Week: LaMichael James (Sophomore)

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LaMichael James has been one of the hottest names in college football over the past two seasons. Last year he set a freshmen rushing record racking up 230 carries for 1546 yards (6.7 ypc), and this year he is out to crush those stats. He is on pace for 1815 yards and 21 touchdowns. Despite playing in Oregon's dynamic offense, these numbers are still very impressive. James is very, very fast and his quickness and agility are exceptional. His ability to make people miss is as good as it gets on the college  level and his production cannot be denied. However, he is very small. He stands 5'9 and weights in around 185. James needs to put on some serious weight, while maintaining his speed in order to become a top prospect. His small stature does not mean he is not strong though. James is a very strong runner to compliment his speed and his leg drive is impressive, he simply needs to add weight so he can stand up to the beating he will receive in the NFL. He does have another year or two to do this as he is only a sophomore and he probably will not declare for the draft this year. I think he can bulk up and that is why I have him at #4 in my NFL Draft Rankings. James has the natural rushing ability that reminds me of some of the greats, and I do not believe he will let his small stature stop him. Around this time next year, people will be talking about James as a first-round draft pick. The NFL success of Chris Johnson, Jahvid Best, and Maurice Jones-Drew only help the case of James. James could lead Oregon to a national championship this season and everyone will see his exceptional ability. Next year, James will likely be my #1 rated running back.

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The Detroit Lions-Finally a Glimpse of Hope

For the past decade, the Detroit Lions have been the laughing stock of the National Football League.  Since 2001 the Lions have posted a 33-111 record. That is good for a winning percentage of 29.7%. Of course, they also posted the infamous 0-16 season, a feat likely to go unmatched for a long time. Not only have they lost, they have been beaten badly, being outscored by 1225 points. If you do the math, you discover that over the last nine years the Lions have been outscored by 136 points per season. The Lions have been destroyed on the field for the past nine years. In addition to being easily defeated on the field, the Lions have been the butt of many jokes for their off the field activities. The famous general manager, Matt Millen, was to blame for many of these. He drafted a wide receiver in the first round for three straight drafts, when a team was desperate for talent at all positions. Millen failed on nearly all his draft picks and of the 39 players he selected, 1 remains with the Lions today (Calvin Johnson). The management of Matt Millen cost the Lions five years that they will never get back. The Lions of the past nine years have gone through very hard times. They were awful both on the field and off it, and the city of Detroit was going through a hard time also. With the automobile business hurting and the economy plummeting, supporting the Lions was the last thing on many fan's minds. The Lions had trouble selling out Ford Field, their new stadium, and faced many area blackouts. Things could not have gotten much worse for the Lions, but then the Lions received a glimmer of hope.

In 2008, Martin Mayhew was promoted to the position of general manager for the Lions. Since that time he has begun to build the Lions back into a respectable team. He has drafted potential stars in Matthew Stafford, Jahvid Best, Brandon Pettigrew, Deandre Levy, Louis Delmas, and of course Ndamukong Suh. He has also made some other key moves to acquire Corey Williams, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Chris Houston, and Alphonso Smith. These players may not be elite, but they are definite upgrades over the Lion's players of the past. Detroit started off the 2010 season with four straight losses, after losing their quarterback, Stafford, to injury in the opener. Three of the four were close games, that the Lions could have won. One of these games, the opener against the bears, should have been a win, but was not due to this. It looked as if the season was going to resemble the Lions of old, but enter week 5. The Lions absolutely disassembled the St. Louis Rams, dominating all aspects of the game for a 44-6 victory. With Matthew Stafford returning soon, and the young talent of the Lions finally beginning to mesh, things are finally looking up in Detroit. It has been a long time, and the fans, players, and coaches definitely deserve it. Congrats Detroit and Good Luck!