[vincesanity82]

Jon Kitna was part of one of the NFL's most dramatic turnarounds four years ago when his Cincinnati Bengals won eight games a season after going 2-14.

The key, Kitna said Friday, was a locker room reclamation project spearheaded by new Bengals coach Marvin Lewis - a cleansing similar to the one the Lions underwent this offseason. "Last year I felt good about the locker room, but there was an undertow that you couldn't necessarily put your finger on," Kitna said Friday after the Lions concluded their spring workouts with an open practice at Detroit Renaissance High. "I think we've rid ourselves of that, of the undertow."
The Lions spent the winter shedding themselves of veterans like Dre Bly, James Hall and Mike Williams. In their place, second-year coach Rod Marinelli targeted high-character acquisitions that Kitna said have made the locker room a better place.
Good attendance ruled the voluntary offseason practices - Organized Team Activities in NFL-speak - and Marinelli even arranged a team bowling tournament Thursday to help build unity. (Kitna won with a score of 235.)
"The credit goes to Marinelli," said receiver Mike Furrey, the NFC's catch leader of a year ago. "I think what he did last year was he was going to take everybody in this locker room and he was going to challenge them to the deepest that they could get to and if you were going to survive you were going to be here and if you didn't survive you weren't going to be here. You were messing up the chemistry of this team.
"There's a trust factor in this locker room now that was not here at all last year. There was different segments and groups all around the locker room and now it's one group and one team. It all looks good right now."
Kitna, who earlier this offseason predicted a 10-win 2007, said the Lions have everything the Bengals had going for them in 2003 and more.
"It was different in Cincinnati because you just felt like it was a whole organizational thing," he said. "Here you just feel like, for whatever reason, it's been kind of in the locker room, and now the consistency we're getting from the top down here, that's great.
"From ownership on down, I think the organization here is much more solid and sound than what was going on with Cincinnati."


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[Michigan Man]

I've heard this every year and still nothing ever changes. It means nothing to me.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by Michigan Man

I've heard this every year and still nothing ever changes. It means nothing to me.

Yeah, that's how I feel after picking these guys to be a surprise team for the past few seasons. Now it's time to put up or shut up.

[azrael492]

There are several teams that say the same things every year, Lions, Browns, Cardinals. I think it is just a ploy to sell tickets. They get the fans excited about their chances and they sell more tickets. It is a shameless act, but I always buy into it....at least until game 2

[Michigan Man]

Originally Posted by azrael492

There are several teams that say the same things every year, Lions, Browns, Cardinals. I think it is just a ploy to sell tickets. They get the fans excited about their chances and they sell more tickets. It is a shameless act, but I always buy into it....at least until game 2

Well I think Lions fans have had enough. You watch, this year Ford Field will struggle to be half full with Lions fans. And half of those fans will have "Fire Millen" signs or paper bags over their heads. I think Detroit has finally had enough.