After years of futility, poor draft choices, losing seasons, and owning the NFL’s worst record over the last 7 years at 31-84 the Lions are reportedly going to fire GM Matt Millen.

How this did not happen years ago when it was more then obvious that the only place Millen would be taking this franchise was straight into the ground is a question that i don’t think many people in the NFL, or especially in Detroit can even begin to answer.

Look at Millen’s tenure and you have what could be one of the worst front office moves in the history of any sport. Since his arrival in Detroit in 2001, the team is 53 games below .500.  They have lost 9 or more games in every season. From 2001-2003 , the Lions did not win a single game outside of Detroit going 0-24 on the road until they opened the 2004 season with a win at Chicago. Overall, their road record stands at a dismal  8-50 under Millen.

Millen was a controversial selection in the first place, being taken out of the broadcasting booth and thrown into the front office despite having absolutely no prior player development or front office experience.

Yet, that’s not even the worst part about Millen’s tenure, I mean, you can’t really fault a guy for how his players perform on the field , but you can fault him for making some of the worst personnel moves in league history. Let’s face it, Matt Millen is the worst drafter/evaluator of talent in NFL history. As a matter of fact, I’ve seen six year old’s string together better drafts in Madden then this guy has ever put together. So here is a nice look at some of Matt Millen’s busts…keep in mind this only the first round picks.

Let’s start with the cream of the crop Matt Millen’s 2002 selection of Joey Harrington…need I say more? Probably not, but I’m going to anyway. Harrington has posted a 13-37 record as a starter for the Lions. He has posted some historically bad seasons, in 2002 and 2003 Harrington posted the two worst yards per attempt seasons in the NFL or AFL since 1960 among QBs with 425 attempts in a season. Only once during his Lions career did he pass for more then 3,000 yards or throw more TD (19) then interceptions (12) and that was in 2004. Since he left Detroit in 2006 he has played for several other teams never becoming a good player and he now is the Saints third string QB.

As bad as the Joey Harrington selection turned out to be perhaps Matt Millen’s worst picks came in the following season when he selected Charles Rogers second overall in 2003. Rogers started just 5 games before breaking his collarbone, before his expected return in 2004 Rogers broke his collarbone a second time and was sidelined for the season. In 2005 Rogers played in just 9 games racking up 14 receptions for 197 yards and 1 TD. He was released by the Lions in 2006 after he broke the leagues substance abuse rule for the third time in hi career. All in all Rogers caught 36 passes for 440 yards and 3 TD in his NFL career, not exactly second overall material. Oh did I mention that 2 time pro-bowl WR Andre Johnson was selected right after Rogers?

Besides for Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson perhaps one of Millen’s better picks was the 2004 selection of Kevin Jones. Jones had a very productive rookie season rushing for 1133 yards and 5 TD. However, injuries sidelines Jones and he never again started every game of the regular season, or come even remotely close to replicating his rookie season.  He was released by the Lions after the 2007 season and is now in Chicago.

Finally we come to Mike Williams another Matt Millen stud. Williams was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2005 draft. He currently resides, like many of Millen’s other selections, on the waiver wire. During his short career as a Lion, Williams caught 37 passes for 449 yards and 2 TD despite having played in 22 games.

All of these first round busts would be one thing, but the real problem comes when you look at all the talent that Millen has passed on to take these players. The Lions passed on such talents as Demarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, Deangelo Hall, Terrence Newman, Roy Williams(the safety), John Henderson, and Dwight Freeney in favor of players like Mike Williams and Charles Rogers. Maybe Millen’s problem was that he was drafting on the wrong side of the ball all the time.

Now a new era can dawn in Detroit and no matter who they bring in it really can’t get much worse then Matt Millen can it? I’m sure Packers fans and everyone whose not a Lions fan are sincerely upset at Millens departure, hell it was almost a gauranteed win every year. But, at least Lions fans have some semblance of a future to look forward to, a future without Matt Millen.

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