Circle Monday on your calendars, Lions fans. That's the day the Denver Broncos begin their offseason program, a program quarterback Jay Cutler is considering no-showing after a contentious conference call with coach Josh McDaniels, ESPN reported.

If Cutler stays home, it might not be long before he demands a trade. And if he demands a trade, the Lions are one of the few teams that have the ammunition to land him.

I wrote two weeks ago that I didn't think the Lions had a chance to land Cutler because the Broncos would require a quarterback in return. That was before the Broncos signed free-agent Chris Simms - a move that looks more telling by the day (though it doesn't solve their problems entirely) - and before Cutler forced Denver's hand (assuming he does).

If draft picks come into play, the Lions are in better shape pull off a trade than Tampa Bay, the other team reportedly involved in late-to-the-party three-way talks with Cutler and Matt Cassel two weeks ago. They have picks 20, 33 and two in the third round; the Buccaneers have No. 19, but no second-rounder and presumably less-desirable 2010 choices if those enter the mix.

If agents get involved (as they often do), the Lions might have an edge there, too. Cutler's agent is Bus Cook, who also happens to represent Calvin Johnson. Surely, Cook wants the best for clients, and that may mean pairing two of the game's brightest young stars together.

There's a long way to go before a Cutler trade materializes and the Lions surely won't be the only interested suitor. But it's a storyline that bears close watching six weeks before the draft.