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Jeff Pasquino asked for this thread to be rebooted, as the information was posted in a 2009 topic
http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2010/...urn_of_the.html
Lions anticipate return of the Brandon Pettigrew they saw in November
By Tom Kowalski
June 08, 2010, 6:29AM
ALLEN PARK - There are certain Detroit Lions draft picks who get forever linked to other players who were selected just behind them. Terry Fair and Randy Moss. Kalimba Edwards and Clinton Portis.
More often than not, the Lions come out on the short end of the stick. And now we have Brandon Pettigrew and Michael Oher. The Lions took Matthew Stafford with their first overall pick last season and they also had the 20th overall pick. While there were a lot of folks who wanted Detroit to take Mississippi tackle Michael Oher - he of "The Blind Side'' fame - the Lions surprised many by selecting Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew.
After one year, the Lions are on the short end of the stick again. But this battle isn't over yet.
Oher went 23rd overall to the Baltimore Ravens, where he was a starter at right tackle and is being groomed to be the starter on the left side. (Interestingly, not many people beefed about Detroit passing on Florida receiver Percy Harvin. Drafted 22nd by the Vikings, Harvin was the Offensive Rookie of the Year but nobody's going to complain about NOT taking a receiver).
Pettigrew missed a lot of training camp with leg and groin injuries, but returned to start the first 11 games. He was lost for the season with a knee injury during the Thanksgiving Day game - just four days after making the game-winning touchdown catch in the thriller against the Cleveland Browns.
Pettigrew started the season slowly and didn't look comfortable in the passing game. While his blocking was good, he wasn't making himself a target for Stafford. It hit a low point in the middle of the season when, in a three-game span, Pettigrew had just four catches for 38 yards.
In the next three games, though, Pettigrew's production spiked. He had 15 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns and was clearly a growing force in the passing game. And then Thanksgiving arrived and his development has been sidetracked until August. Or September.
Pettigrew has looked good in off-season workouts but isn't close to being cleared for contact. The Lions will likely put him on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the start of training camp and then assess his rehab before activating him. The addition of veteran Tony Scheffler gives the Lions a little cushion, but they're planning to run a lot of two-tight end formations in their offense so they'll want Pettigrew back as soon as possible.
Blocking was the one part of Pettigrew's game that was unquestioned coming out of college. He has the size, the feet and the attitude needed to be effective in the running game. The issue is going to be whether the knee injury robbed him of any speed and how long it'll take to get back where he was in November of last year.
http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2010/...urn_of_the.html
Lions anticipate return of the Brandon Pettigrew they saw in November
By Tom Kowalski
June 08, 2010, 6:29AM
ALLEN PARK - There are certain Detroit Lions draft picks who get forever linked to other players who were selected just behind them. Terry Fair and Randy Moss. Kalimba Edwards and Clinton Portis.
More often than not, the Lions come out on the short end of the stick. And now we have Brandon Pettigrew and Michael Oher. The Lions took Matthew Stafford with their first overall pick last season and they also had the 20th overall pick. While there were a lot of folks who wanted Detroit to take Mississippi tackle Michael Oher - he of "The Blind Side'' fame - the Lions surprised many by selecting Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew.
After one year, the Lions are on the short end of the stick again. But this battle isn't over yet.
Oher went 23rd overall to the Baltimore Ravens, where he was a starter at right tackle and is being groomed to be the starter on the left side. (Interestingly, not many people beefed about Detroit passing on Florida receiver Percy Harvin. Drafted 22nd by the Vikings, Harvin was the Offensive Rookie of the Year but nobody's going to complain about NOT taking a receiver).
Pettigrew missed a lot of training camp with leg and groin injuries, but returned to start the first 11 games. He was lost for the season with a knee injury during the Thanksgiving Day game - just four days after making the game-winning touchdown catch in the thriller against the Cleveland Browns.
Pettigrew started the season slowly and didn't look comfortable in the passing game. While his blocking was good, he wasn't making himself a target for Stafford. It hit a low point in the middle of the season when, in a three-game span, Pettigrew had just four catches for 38 yards.
In the next three games, though, Pettigrew's production spiked. He had 15 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns and was clearly a growing force in the passing game. And then Thanksgiving arrived and his development has been sidetracked until August. Or September.
Pettigrew has looked good in off-season workouts but isn't close to being cleared for contact. The Lions will likely put him on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the start of training camp and then assess his rehab before activating him. The addition of veteran Tony Scheffler gives the Lions a little cushion, but they're planning to run a lot of two-tight end formations in their offense so they'll want Pettigrew back as soon as possible.
Blocking was the one part of Pettigrew's game that was unquestioned coming out of college. He has the size, the feet and the attitude needed to be effective in the running game. The issue is going to be whether the knee injury robbed him of any speed and how long it'll take to get back where he was in November of last year.
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