Unable to get safety Daniel Bullocks healthy from a lingering knee injury, the Lions Wednesday placed the former second-round pick on waived/injured list, according to published reports, likely ending his tenure with the team.

If no team claims him, the 26-year-old Bullocks will revert to the injured reserve. Bullocks, who has not practiced since the first days of camp, started 22 of his 31 games with the Lions, including 15 last year after coming back from the ACL tear that cost him the entire 2007 season.

It's the second high draft pick at that position that the Lions have let go during training camp. The team traded 2007 second-round pick Gerald Alexander to the Jacksonville Jaguars on July 1.

Wednesday's move leaves the Lions with six safeties, five of them — Stuart Schweigert, LaMarcus Hicks, Marquand Manuel, Kalvin Pearson and the newly-signed Calvin Lowry — likely competing to start next to this year's second-round pick, Louis Delmas.

Former Kansas City Chiefs coach and current ESPN analyst Herm Edwards made an interesting point today when talking about new defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham and what the Lions will do in the draft.

Edwards, who worked with Cunningham last year, noted Cunningham's distaste for playing too many rookies, something Cunningham acknowledged when he was introduced back in January.

“Bud Carson told me in 1982, I was looking at a rookie player and he asked me why I was looking at him and I said because he's a good player,” Cunningham said then. “He said if you start a rookie you're going to get fired and we started three of them (in Kansas City) and had as many as four of five of them playing throughout the year.

“I don't care who you get me, I'm going to coach him. I'm going to make him play whether he likes it or not. That's my approach. But reality says that you can't teach experience so you have to be aware of all those things.”

Said Edwards in a teleconference Tuesday: “Gun was in this same situation with me last year when we blew the team up basically and started all rookies. I think he learned from that experience where he's now getting some veteran guys and doesn't feel like he's got to start seven rookies on defense, which we had to do last year in Kansas City."

I'm not suggesting the Lions won't or shouldn't draft defense. Quite the opposite. They need linebackers, tackles and defensive backs, and need to find contributors at each position this weekend. But I wrote before, too, that the Lions can't go into the draft expecting to find five new starters on defense, not for this year anyway.

If they draft Matt Stafford No. 1 overall as expected, they can get a starter middle linebacker at 20 and a starter at defensive tackle at 33 (or vice versa), but if they take a safety at the top of third round I wouldn't count on that player beating out Daniel Bullocks or Gerald Alexander. Maybe in time, maybe by the end of the year, but probably not in September given Cunningham's history.

One other tidbit from the ESPN teleconference today, Edwards had high praise for USC middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, a candidate to go to the Lions with the 20th pick.

“I think you like what he brings to the table,” Edwards said. “He's a very aggressive linebacker. He can run and hit. He's got good temperament, he's playing from a school historically that has had a lot of linebackers come in the league. … He's a very explosive tackler. He makes a lot of big hits, but then he misses some, too.

“I think he's a big-time hitter, can play in coverage. I think he's still learning, I think he's still a little immature at times, but nothing bad. I think he's going to be a good player. He's got all the intangibles, got good eyes, reads the quarterback well. He can make big plays in pass coverage. He made some big plays in his career.”

It's interesting that Edwards, a defensive coach and former defensive back, said Maualuga will be fine in pass coverage, where some analysts knock his ability.

“I think he can play in coverage,” Edwards said. “I just think that he's showed it in the past. He's had some mistakes on play-action, which all linebackers do when you're aggressive and you play to the ball. Play-action always gets those guys, but I think he's got some talent and he's tough, he shows up and he plays hard.”

Players and coaches have been singing Daunte Culpepper's praises for weeks. He's slimmer, he's throwing well, he looks like a new quarterback. … They weren't lying.

Culpepper was the most impressive revelation of the first day of Jim Schwartz's first mini-camp. He was listed at 260 pounds and said that weight is “very accurate” (and six pounds less than his playing weight from his season as starter in 2000). Last year, he weighed “right around 290”when he signed and, frankly, looked sloppy. He's much more put together now.

“Basically my whole mindset from the beginning of this offseason, from basically as soon as the last game was over was to basically get myself in the best shape that I can,” Culpepper said. “Everybody's getting evaluated, but I feel like I'm kind of coming out of the draft again, believe it or not. It's kind of strange, but I feel like with the sense that everybody's proving themselves here, everybody's coming here to work, everybody's starting from scratch, it's kind of like, hey, it's the beginning again. I feel like my rookie year again, so I'm very excited.”

Skill-wise, I'd always caution against reading too much into camp. There's no contact, no pads, and the defense isn't in midseason form. But Culpepper did have plenty of zip on his fastball. He completed 11-of-15 passes in one-on-one drills, with two drops and only one errant pass. He was easily the best-looking quarterback. Drew Stanton was erratic most of the day, and Drew Henson has a sidearm sort of snap to his motion I didn't notice last year.

Schwartz said both Stanton and Henson have thrown the ball well in conditioning, but admitted “we're going to take a real hard look at this tape. The other stuff has been more controlled, just throwing routes on air. Today all of a sudden it was defense and it hit them a thousand miles an hour. That's something we'll look real hard at.”

I've said it before but it bears repeating, the Lions' quarterback of the future is not on their current roster. I still believe they'll draft Matt Stafford. If they can't get a contract done, they'll take a developmental guy late, go QB somewhere next year, and add a veteran backup in free agency.

Culpepper, who's in the last year of his deal and started six games in Oakland two seasons ago after the Raiders drafted JaMarcus Russell No. 1 overall, said he's not worried about vying with another top pick for playing time.

“That's a possibility, but I feel comfortable no matter what,” he said. “I'm here to help this team be the best we can be. And honestly, that's how I'm approaching it.”

Other Friday thoughts:

• Several players sat out most or all of practice Friday for unspecified injury-related reasons, including guards Stephen Peterman and Junius Coston, running back Kevin Smith and defensive tackle Grady Jackson. Smith said he's healthy and appeared anxious to go as he shadowed nearly every play during team run drills. “I'm fine physically,” he said. “I guess the coaches have a plan.”

• One player who did practice Friday was safety Gerald Alexander, who's coming off a serious neck injury. “I think he's done a good job of rehabbing, they felt strong and confident about it, and he was itching to get back on the field,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz said.

• Julian Peterson is wearing No. 59, the number he wore two seasons ago in Seattle. Linebacker Alex Lewis, who had 59, switched to 52 – and didn't require any compensation for the switch. “Just trying something new,” Lewis said. Peterson wore 98, Landon Cohen's number, last year.

• Jeff Backus talked extensively about the possibility of playing guard next year (more on that in the paper Sunday). He'd prefer not to, but acknowledged the irony of solving a position the Lions have been trying to fill long term since they drafted Backus in 2001. Joking about that and the new look of the Lions locker room – his corner stall is next to the equipment room, across from where it was last year – Backus said, “They figure if I can't play tackle I'm going to be doing the laundry.”

• The Lions have two more practices today and close camp Sunday. Their second mini-camp, with their entire draft class, is in June.

The Lions acquired two defensive backs Saturday, signing free agent Eric King and trading for Dallas' Anthony Henry, but they're not done revamping their secondary yet.

Free-agent cornerback Jabari Greer is in town visiting tonight, and the Lions remain his hottest pursuer. Keith Smith and Travis Fisher are the main holdover corners, but Greer would step immediately into a starting position. He intercepted two passes in 10 games last year and returned both for touchdowns.

Henry, by the way, can play both cornerback and safety, where the Lions have a need as well. Daniel Bullocks had an up-and-down season and Gerald Alexander is returning from a serious neck injury.

If the Lions hire Todd Bowles as their next head coach, they'll become the first team in the NFC North to run the 3-4 defense. And it could happen sooner than you think.

While conventional wisdom suggests it takes two offseasons to switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme (in order to acquire the right personnel), the Lions are so deficient on that side of the ball they might be able to make the change this year.

“I would be working towards (a 3-4 defense) as long as I have the personnel,” Bowles said at his press conference Tuesday. “Mike Tomlin's a perfect example. Going to Pittsburgh from a Tampa 2 scheme, they have a 3-4 scheme in place but obviously he was smart enough to know that was working for them and he didn't mess with it. Without having a defense in place here, you have to see what the personnel looks like on that side of the ball and you have to draft and do free agency accordingly.”

True enough, the Lions are transforming a crack house in the slums, not a mansion on Lakeshore Drive. They have only a handful of keepers on defense no matter what scheme they run, and most would be able to play in any system.

Cory Redding played undertackle last year in the Tampa 2, but he'd be a sturdy end in a 3-4 defense. Ditto Andre Fluellen. Cliff Avril showed promise as an end, but if he has any coverage ability he'd likely switch to outside linebacker in the 34. In the secondary, safeties Daniel Bullocks and Gerald Alexander would play in both systems (though the Lions would like an upgrade there). And at cornerback, the Lions don't have much in the way of talent no matter what they play.

The way I see it, the biggest issues in going to a 3-4 are nosetackle, where the undersized Lions don't have a space-eater in the middle, and linebacker, where Ernie Sims (the only must-keep) is a perfect fit on the weak-side in a 4-3 but might have trouble adjusting to the 3-4. Sims is a good player who had a bad year, but he's a top-10 pick with the talent the Lions can't afford to give up on. That's a hard evaluation general manager Martin Mayhew has to make if Bowles and his defense come aboard.

Regardless what scheme they run, expect the Lions to restock their defense in April's draft. If they use four of their first five choices on defensive players (all within the first 82 picks), they should come away with no fewer than three starters. Add a second-tier (but hole-filling) free agent or two to the mix and the Lions will be a better team no matter what system they run.

Keep your eyes on No. 51 when the Saints are on the field on defense Sunday. That's middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who the Lions tried to acquire last winter but who choose to go to New Orleans instead.

The Jets put Vilma on the trading block because of a chronic condition in his knee. The Lions needed a middle linebacker and offered a draft pick in return. New Orleans did the same, and though by all accounts Vilma had a great visit with the Lions, he wanted to be closer to his home in Miami and the Jets acquiesced.

I know there were some concerns within the organization over Vilma's knee and I do believe the Lions made a fair offer for the 26-year-old linebacker. But I wonder if Detroit had upped its bid if the Jets would have taken that instead. New Orleans gave up a conditional fourth-round pick for Vilma. According to NFL.com, the pick will not grow to a third-rounder because the Saints have not offered Vilma a contract extension.

It's probably best the trade didn't go through. The Lions need all the draft help they can get and Vilma alone wouldn't have meant a respectful season. But he's having a decent enough season to at least wonder what might have been.

“I really like him. A lot,” Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. “I liked him coming out and I liked him when he was at New York and I like him now. He's a heck of a player. He's a guy who prepares and lives it and (is) serious about it. It means everything to him.”

• Maybe I'm crazy and I know they've got arguably the most difficult remaining schedule of any NFC playoff contender, but I'm starting to feel the Cowboys as legitimate Super Bowl contenders again. They've played well since Tony Romo's been back under center, the Giants have slipped a tad without Plaxico, and I still can't see Arizona and some others winning the NFC. That's not good news for the Lions. A quick playoff exit for the Cowboys means the first-round pick Detroit acquired in the Roy Williams trade will be somewhere in the low-20s. A Super Bowl appearance means they draft 31 or 32 and the Roy Williams deal doesn't look quite as good.

• Safety Gerald Alexander spoke with reporters for a few minutes Monday for the first time since he fractured a vertebrae in his neck while tackling Adrian Peterson in an Oct. 12 loss to the Vikings. If you missed my story Friday, Alexander is in good spirits and doing fine physically. He's been cleared to resume jogging and anticipates starting a workout program shortly after the new year. He also was able to joke about the hit that ended his season, saying, “Try to run up on a horse, you might get bucked.” Fitting description trying to tackle the most violent running back in the NFL.

• Drew Brees deserves plenty of credit for New Orleans' top-ranked offense. The man has thrown for 4,332 yards, is within striking distance of Dan Marino's single-season passing record and could torch a patchwork secondary Sunday. But Lions linebacker Ryan Nece said Saints coach Sean Payton is just as big a part of the offensive equation.

“As I'm studying him on film, he has something special for every defense and so it shows his coaching ability to go in and study defenses and break them down to find their weaknesses and, OK, this is how I'm going to exploit this individual or this scheme or whatever it may be,” Nece said. “As a defensive player, you know that you got to be on your Ps and Qs and know what you're doing because he's been watching you. And if he knows where you're weak, he's going to exploit it.”

• For the local folks, Shields Restaurants around metro Detroit are giving away free large, two-topping pizzas if the Lions win Sunday. The offer is valid for dine-in only and available 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Lions safety Gerald Alexander's neck injury is not believed to be career-threatening. In fact, he tried to convince the Lions he could play again this year.

Alexander was placed on injured reserve Monday, a day after he suffered a hairline fracture of a vertebrae and disk trauma trying to tackle Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Typically, recovery time is 8-to-10 weeks, but the Lions' medical staff was uncomfortable with Alexander trying to rush back -- and for good reason.

After the game, Alexander tried to persuade doctors he didn't need further medical attention -- he was moving his neck and walking around fine -- while they studied his X-ray by light of the locker room with a backboard nearby.

Jerome Stanley, Alexander's agent, said Alexander has not yet decided whether to undergo surgery to correct the problem. A decision on that should be made in the coming weeks, after Alexander receives a second opinion on his treatment options.

More news on the injury front:

• Cornerback Travis Fisher said he will seek a second opinion on his knee injury, which he described as a bruised LCL. He did not play against the Vikings.

• Right guard Stephen Peterman could return as soon as this week from his broken hand. The issue is whether Peterman, who's missed two games, can wear a small enough cast to keep his index and middle fingers mobile and allow him to clutch and grab with opposing linemen. That should be determined later this week.

• Running back Kevin Smith suffered a bruised shoulder in the first quarter against the Vikings, but he said a CAT scan and X-rays were negative and he should play against Houston this week. Smith's big run, a 50-yarder, came late in the second quarter, before the injury swelled up at halftime.

"I went in (in the third quarter) and got a penalty trying to pass block because I was too weak so I had to hold him," SMith said. "So then I was like maybe I need to come out so I don't affect the team, especially when we're trying to get that win and the game's real close. Just had to make that decision. I really wanted to keep playing, but didn't want to hurt the team."

Both cornerback Charles Woodson (toe) and running back Ryan Grant (hamstring) are active today for the Lions-Packers game at Ford Field.

Grant averaged 7.5 yards per carry against the Lions last year and could be especially problematic for a Detroit team that allowed 318 yards rushing last week.

In the only change this week for the Lions, Ikaika Alama-Francis will play this week in place of Corey Smith, who's out with a hamstring injury. Cliff Avril is up as well, and will be used in pass-rushing situations if the Lions can contain the run.

As expected, Daniel Bullocks will start at safety in place of Gerald Alexander and Leigh Bodden at cornerback in place of Travis Fisher.

The Lions made two lineup changes on their first full day back to work Wednesday, inserting safety Daniel Bullocks and cornerback Leigh Bodden in the starting lineup for Gerald Alexander and Travis Fisher.

Alexander and Fisher were two of many goats in the Lions' season-opening 34-21 loss to the Falcons Sunday. Fisher got beat by Michael Jenkins for a 62-yard touchdown on the third play of the game, when Alexander took a poor route to the ball in deep zone help. Both players had a shot but failed to bring down Michael Turner on his 66-yard touchdown run on the next series.

Lions coach Rod Marinelli acknowledged the Bodden-Fisher move after practice, but wouldn't commit to any other changes. Alexander said coaches told him that Bullocks will start Sunday against Green Bay. Jordon Dizon also is expected to get more snaps at middle linebacker as Paris Lenon's backup and Brandon Middleton will handle kickoff returns.

"Just didn't make the plays that came to me," Alexander said. "That's what this league is all about, making plays, especially making the plays that you're supposed to make. Coaches made a decision. I can only control what I can control. Just keep working hard."

On the offensive line, guard Manny Ramirez could see time at right guard in place of Stephen Peterman, but rookie first-round pick Gosder Cherilus does not appear to have passed George Foster at right tackle.