Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell has a task ahead of him that has bent and broken so many men before him: turn the Lions into a winning football team. Detroit is coming off of a 7-9 finish under the since-fired Jim Schwartz, and looking for just its second 10-win season since 1995. Caldwell addressed the media at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday and mentioned a few ways he believes the team can do that.
NFL Combine 2014: Jim Caldwell says Lions need ‘championship’ QB
Caldwell addressed the media at the scouting combine, noting the team needs to improve at wide receiver and quarterback next season.
Our latest mock draft
Blake Bortles is back on top in our last mock draft before the start of the NFL Combine. One major area of need appears to be wide receiver. Despite the fact that the Lions already have Calvin Johnson, arguably the best receiver in the NFL, they have since released Nate Burleson and will be looking for someone to complement Johnson. Caldwell said adding a receiver is "something we'll have to take a strong look at," according to Mocking the Draft's Dan Kadar.
Johnson compiled nearly 1,500 yards in 2013, but no other receiver on the team topped 500.
Matthew Stafford: Lions GM says QB must be better
The guy who will be delivering those passes to the receivers, quarterback Matthew Stafford, has struggled to lead the team to wins over the past five seasons. Caldwell said it didn't matter whether Stafford was "elite," only that the Lions want "a championship QB."
If that's going to happen, they'll need to improve in nearly all of their units next season under Caldwell. He coached the Indianapolis Colts to the 2009 Super Bowl in his first year, but was fired two years later after going 2-14 without Peyton Manning. Can he get Detroit to the playoffs in his first year with Stafford and Johnson? That remains to be seen.
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