Contender Michigan mired in tumultuous offseason

	Coach Lloyd Carr has to be concerned with all of the issues surrounding the Wolverines during spring practice. Al Tielemans/SI
	MAILBAG Submit a question or an opinion to Stewart. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

On paper, the Michigan Wolverines -- which return nearly every offensive star from a team that finished 11-2 last season -- have to be on the short list of national-championship contenders for 2007. That is, as long as you're willing to overlook those two defensive meltdowns to end last season.

Or the four departing members of that unit about to be picked very high in the NFL Draft.

Or the Wolverines' recent struggles against rival Ohio State (1-5 since 2001) and in bowl games (four straight losses).

With fourth-year starting quarterback Chad Henne, 1,500-yard rusher Mike Hart, elite receiver Mario Manningham and All-America tackle Jake Long all back, it's easy to see why Michigan has appeared as high as No. 2 in the country in various preseason prognostications.

Except that most of those polls were compiled before two potential starters got kicked off the team prior to spring practice.

And before Manningham's playmaking counterpart, Adrian Arrington, got suspended indefinitely.

And before No. 2 tailback Kevin Grady was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

While there's no such thing as a bad spring, at least in the minds of coaches, some of the headlines coming out of Ann Arbor lately have been less than ideal.

National observers have been drooling over the potential of this year's Michigan team since back before last year's Rose Bowl, but some seem to be taking a more cautious approach.

"With the guys we lost, we should probably be more in the 5 to 12 range [in the rankings]," said a person close to the program.

Of the guys Michigan has lost, some were expected. Others weren't.

Defensive end LaMarr Woodley, cornerback Leon Hall and linebacker David Harris -- all 2006 All-Americas -- were seniors who, along with junior defensive tackle Alan Branch (who declared for the draft), formed the core of a defense that was among the most dominant in the country last season through the first 11 games. The Wolverines finished the season with the nation's top-ranked rushing defense. USC flat-out gave up trying to run the ball against them in the second half of the Rose Bowl. (Unfortunately for Michigan, Trojans QB John David Booty was able to pass on them at will).

Michigan coach Lloyd Carr knew going into spring he'd have to do some rebuilding on defense. So it didn't help matters any when sophomore defensive end Eugene Germany, who would have contended for one of the two starting spots vacated by Woodley and senior Rondell Biggs, was charged with marijuana possession in February. On March 24, Carr announced that Germany, who last year pleaded guilty to two counts of resisting arrest, would not be returning to the team.

That same day, Carr also announced the departures of projected starting tight end Carson Butler, who started several games last season, and backup cornerback Chris Richard. The two were both charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of assault and battery for allegedly attacking a fellow student on St. Patrick's Day.