Empty the Bench

Contrary to the optimistic claims during the intro on his official website, it doesn’t look like Detroit Lions WR “Big” Mike Williams is going to be a “Future Hall of Famer” anytime soon… at least not as a member of the team that took him tenth overall in the 2005 draft.

Tom Kowalski breaks the story today in his Lions Insider blog that head coach Rod Marinelli has had enough of Williams’ laissez-faire attitude, and that the team will sever their ties with the former USC standout by either trading or releasing him outright. He’d probably already be gone if not for salary-cap complications:

Williams was a no-show for the team’s first Organized Team Activity, a decision that will likely result in Williams being cut at some point before the start of the regular season. At this point, it’s too late for Williams to have second thoughts or even try to make amends.

Don’t look for Williams to get broomed immediately, though. The Lions will continue to try to trade him — and they’ve had a few calls — but the Lions have to find a deal that is good enough to offset the huge salary cap hit the team will take this season ($5.7 million). If the Lions wait until after June 1, they’ll absorb only a $1.9 million hit this season with the remaining balance hitting the cap next year.

And so yet another first-round pick is added to Matt Millen’s Draft Day Blunders Club (it should also be noted that ESPN’s “NFL draft guru” Mel Kiper, Jr. had Williams rated #1 on his Big Board on draft day). With this year’s draft going down in just a few short weeks, speculation has been rampant about what the Lions will do with the second-overall pick behind the Oakland Raiders. If LSU QB JaMarcus Russell is selected by the Raiders, as is widely assumed, Millen will be faced with a major dilemma (and no, it’s not whether to visit the pizza or the seafood buffet for dinner that night).

Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson is being called the best prospect at his position since, I don’t know, Jesus of Nazareth. Yes, yes, I know, Millen has already wasted three of his high first-rounders on wide receivers, one of which has definitely worked out (Roy Williams), one of which enjoys smoking tons of marijuana and is currently out of football (Charles “Smoky” Rogers), and, of course, Big Bust Mike. Even though it makes 100% sense to draft Johnson if they don’t trade down, Millen will still be panned for drafting yet another wideout in the first. Well, ya know what, big f’in deal. If he’s there, you take him. Done deal. Easy. Next. You wanted to stock your team with talent at WR, then by God you better finish the job. But don’t take my word for it: The Smittblog makes an incredibly compelling argument why Johnson is the no-brainer pick.

Over the first (last?) two years of his professional career, Big Bust has compiled a whopping 37 receptions, 449 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 fumbles, and 348 crumpled up Big Mac wrappers in the backseat of his car.