When coach Jim Schwartz spoke to reporters about the upcoming competition in Thursday's final preseason game, he may have dropped a hint about a move the Lions were about to complete.

ESPN's John Clayton is reporting that the Lions — who have first dibs on any player waived by another team, by virtue of their 0-16 finish last year — have again dipped into the waiver wire reservoir, claiming quarterback Kevin O'Connell, who was waived by New England on Monday.

The Lions signed seven-year veteran Brooks Bollinger earlier on Tuesday, filling the void when Daunte Culpepper (toe stitches) and Drew Stanton (knee surgery) missed their second straight day of practice. Culpepper may or may not play in Thursday's preseason finale at Buffalo, but regardless of who plays under center, there will still be plenty of spots up for grabs, according to Schwartz.

“We're not in the position where we're an established team that has a set bunch of starters, you know who you're going to go to the first game with, and all we're trying to do is get them through,” Schwartz said. “We're still in a mode where we're competing. There's still competition for some spots. It's not just competition on this team. These guys are competing with the rest of the league, because the waiver wire exists also.”

Hint taken.