Marijuana Watch 2012

A quick tidbit before we get to the meat of my post here. I'm not going to be breaking any sort of news here at Ab(r)andon Inge. Like I said in my intro post, I work full time and also try to be a productive member of society outside of my work life. So the reason there wasn't anything about Marijuana Watch 2012 wasn't because I didn't know about it, it was because I didn't have the time to write about. The stories you'll see from me will be much more opinion based and how it affects the Lions, and not just me giving you updates. If you want a links post, or something like that regarding the Lions, check out everyone's favorite ginger, Sean Yuille, over at PrideofDetroit.

As I'm sure you all know, Mikel Leshoure and Nick Fairley both lost their collective minds in the past month. Leshoure has been cited for possession twice in the past month. Obviously, that's a not a good way for someone in rehab to work their way back into the good graces of the coaches. Along with his two citations, he missed his court appearance on Monday as well.

Fairley on the other hand, was pulled over twice in one day. The second occasion was when he was cited for possession. The real issue with Fairley was that he was let off the first time even though he had a suspended license. He was given the chance to walk away unscathed, but decided to tempt fate by adding drugs to the list. Not a good idea. Both players showed their immaturity in failing to learn their lesson the first time they screwed up.

So what does this mean for the Lions? The way I see it, it could change the way they approach the draft, the rest of free agency, and the first few weeks of the season.

1. The Draft

Defensive Tackle is still a position of strength regardless of whether or not Nick Fairley can play. That was shown the first half of last year when the Lions did just fine with him suffering from a foot injury.

Running back is a position the Lions could look at in the draft. Leshoure could very well be staring at a suspension to start the year (I'll delve into that here later) and the Lions already have had a revolving door at running back the past couple of seasons. I think regardless of what happens with Leshoure, the first two rounds will be earmarked for the defensive secondary and offensive line in some order. Other than that, Jahvid Best's concussion problems, Kevin Smith having the body of a 45 year old, and Leshoure coming back from injury/suspension leave Maurice Morris as the "sure thing" going into next season. That's something I'd rather not think about.

2. Free Agency

As stated previously, defensive tackle is a position with great depth. If I were a betting man, which I am, I would say the Lions are going to add another running back to compete for playing time either through a trade, the draft, or free agency. My money would be on a trade, but free agency is certainly a possibility. Be it a veteran that's cut during camp, or an undrafted rookie, don't be surprised if Mayhew adds another running back through this method.

3. The Season

The point to remember here is that Leshoure never failed a drug test. If he had, a 4 game suspension would be a given. He didn't fail a drug test, but showed immense immaturity and lack of respect towards the system by getting caught with a banned substance on the NFL's drug policy twice in less than a month. The commish has obviously been on a bit of a power trip recently (See Payton, Sean) and I could see him trying to make a statement here. Worst case scenario, I think he'd be looking at about 4 games. Best case scenario would be no suspension, but maybe some sort of probation? Time will tell....

With Fairley being only a one-time thing, I do not expect a suspension of any kind. He should be minding his p's and q's for the next couple months though.