Lions Remove Depth Chart for Minicamp

Coaches try all sorts of odd motivational tactics, especially when faced with a task like the one in front of new Lions boss Jim Schwartz.

Turning around a team that was 0-16 in 2008 is likely to leave any coach open to any idea. For Schwartz, banging home a message that his players have to continue to get better, no matter their "status" on the team, is very important. It's the only chance Schwartz has to deliver a much-improved product on the football field this fall. The delivery of that message starts in earnest on Monday as the Lions open a three-day minicamp.

It's been done before, but Schwartz is trying to go without a depth chart with this Lions team.

Schwartz wants the competition at each position to continue into training camp before he makes any decisions about starters and backups.

Schwartz is maintaining that position for a couple reasons.

One, he wants to keep his players on edge for as long as possible because there are several roster spots that remain open. Two, by declaring there's no depth chart, Schwartz doesn't have to answer pesky questions from reporters about shifting changes in the lineup.

The philosophy behind this move is sound, but will it be enough?

After all, until the Lions win a game in the regular season, they're going to face constant questioning about breaking a streak of 17 straight regular-season losses that dates back to a Week 17 defeat at Green Bay in 2007. In fact, Detroit has lost 23 of 24 regular-season games (they started 2007 at 6-2).

Unless Schwartz can quickly make this story go away, it doesn't matter what he does with the depth chart. The pressure his players will face in September is much greater than anything he can make them experience in the controlled environment of minicamp or training camp.