2013 Record: 7-9
Notable Losses: Nate Burleson, Willie Young, Louis Delmas, Chris Houston
Notable Gains: Golden Tate, James Ihedigbo, Jed Collins, Cassius Vaughn, Dan Orlovsky,
Draft Class: Eric Ebron, Kyle Van Noy, Travis Swanson, Nevin Lawson, Larry Webster III, Caraun Reid, T.J. Jones, Nate Freese
The Facts: The Lions, at one point, were leading the NFC North, with Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler injured, and the Vikings starting Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel at quarterback. They blew it with losses against the Ravens, Vikings and Giants.
The Lions fired Jim Schwartz and hired Jim Caldwell in the hopes of bringing in more discipline to Detroit. Offensively, this is a very talented team. They have Matthew Stafford, the best wide receiver in football, a viable No. 2 in Golden Tate, and a No. 3 in Kris Durham. At tight end, they have Brandon Pettigrew, Joseph Fauria, who scored seven touchdowns last season, and talented rookie Eric Ebron.
At running back the Lions have Joique Bell, Reggie Bush, Mikel Leshoure, and Jed Collins at fullback. Theo Riddick has even gained some buzz at the position. There's no workhorse,but there is a lot of talent there.
The Lions drafted Nate Freese in the seventh round with the hopes that he becomes an answer for the kicking game after the retirement of Chris Hanson However the secondary is a concern.
The Lions lost the talented safety Louis Delmas in free agency and Chris Houston was cut due to his injury-prone nature. That secondary is a weak link in the Detroit team and that's why I have them here.
Predicted Record: 8-8. Wins against the Vikings, Jets, Dolphins, Bears, Buccaneers, Cardinals, Packer and Falcons.
If you disagree with my assessment and ranking remember: Unless it's something crazy, your guess is as good as mine.