Dan Orlovsky signed a three-year deal with the Houston Texans Sunday with the understanding he'd be the backup quarterback to Matt Schaub. Though he was offered a similar opportunity in Detroit, the chance to back up Daunte Culpepper, Orlovsky said the situations were different.

“I'm coming in as the backup,” Orlovsky said Sunday by phone shortly before he was scheduled to meet with Houston-area reporters. “Matt is the starter and that's where it's at and I'm comfortable with that. And I'm excited about it.”

And why didn't he seriously consider accepting the same backup role in Detroit?

“Just because it was different,” Orlovsky said. “I'll say I understand what Matt's role on this team is. They brought him in to be their starter and he's earned every right to be, he's played deservingly so. I just didn't understand how (the Lions) wanted to bring me back to be Daunte's – and this is no disrespect to Daunte in the least bit – but to bring me back to be Daunte's backup when the play didn't merit that.”

Culpepper started five games after signing out of retirement last November. He threw six interceptions and completed just 52.2 percent of his passes (60-of-115 for 786 yards) before a shoulder injury cut short his season.

Orlovsky started seven games and fared best among Detroit's three starters (Jon Kitna started the first four games of the year) with a quarterback rating of 74.3. He said he was told he would be Culpepper's backup before Culpepper signed.

“I will be eternally grateful to Mr. Ford and his family for the opportunity they gave me and for the coaches I had the opportunity to play under,” Orlovsky said. “I think the thing that I'll miss most is some of the people within that building that you get to build relationships with and the players. I'll miss playing with Dominic (Raiola), I'll miss playing with Kevin (Smith) and Calvin (Johnson) and (Jeff) Backus and spending time with my good friends Drew (Stanton) and Don Muhlbach.

“I'm going to miss those relationships. At the end of the day that played a part in my decision making, it honestly did, but I had to do what was going to be best for my career and my family.”

Add special-teams coordinator Stan Kwan to the list of returning assistants from last year's 0-16 team.

Kwan joins receivers coach Shawn Jefferson and running backs coach Sam Gash as known holdovers from Rod Marinelli's staff, a source said Thursday. He ran the special-teams units for the Lions each of the last two years after serving as an assistant special-teams coach for seven previous seasons spread over two stints.

The Lions ranked 24th in both kick- and punt-return average last year and allowed punt-return touchdowns against the Redskins and Buccaneers, but specialists kicker Jason Hanson, punter Nick Harris and long-snapper Don Muhlbach rank among the best at their positions in the NFL.

Hanson, a free-agent-to-be, made 21-of-22 field goals last year and went an NFL-record 8-for-8 on kicks beyond 50 yards. If they can't sign him to a long-term contract, the Lions likely will make Hanson their franchise or transition player later this month.