The NFL lockout is clearly a lose-lose situation, especially for the fans. However, depending on the length of the lockout, the Lions could be sitting pretty.

At least prettier than the eight teams that have hired new coaches in the offseason -- Carolina (Ron Rivera), Dallas (Jason Garrett), Cleveland (Pat Shurmur), Denver (John Fox), Minnesota (Leslie Frazier), Oakland (Hue Jackson), San Francisco (Jim Harbaugh) and Tennessee (Mike Munchak).

The longer the lockout drags on, the less time those new coaches will have to get to know their players and install their schemes. The two exceptions are the Vikings’ Frazier and Dallas’ Garrett who were both interim coaches last season after the firings of Brad Childress and Wade Phillips.

The Lions have a good core group of players who have either a season or two under coach Jim Schwartz. Obviously there will be newcomers in draft picks and free agents, but at least most of the players know the system.

If you’re looking for an advantage for the Lions’ 2011 season, that may be it.

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche.)