Before I get to the Thursday morning mailbag, a quick note from Clark Judge of cbssports.com who reports, indirectly, that the Lions have decided to continue taking part in the league-run pension plan for coaches and executives. Judge reports that a memo circulated Wednesday listed eight teams changing their retirement plans, seven others considering a move, and 17 continuing contributions. The Lions were not listed in the first two categories, so presumably they're in the third.

Considering the state of the economy, that's no small measure. I imagine it's subject to change at some point in the future, but as I wrote in last week's mailbag the Ford family has a good reputation through the league for the way it treats its employees. This is one example.

The full story is here: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/11715980

Onto the mailbag:

What impact will Zach Follett have next season?
Follett, a seventh-round pick out of Cal, had an uphill battle to make the team even before the Lions signed Larry Foote. Presumably, Foote, Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims are your starters with DeAndre Levy and Jordon Dizon as the primary backups. That leaves probably one spot for Follett, Alex Lewis, Curtis Gatewood or Cody Spencer. I know fans like Follett for his hard-nosed style, but he's a ways away athletically and could wind up on the practice squad. From defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham the other day: “The intangible part is outstanding. He's got the right attitude. He wants to kill you every day. But he's struggling in minicamp. But again, whether a guy looked real good or looked average, it's too early to tell all that. He's got a middle linebacker mentality, I'll say that. He kind of reminds me of myself when I was a kid. I wasn't as big as him, but I liked to play like that and he likes to play. He's going to have to fight for a backup spot.”

Will Cliff Avril be a double-digit sack guy next year?
Can he? Sure. Will he? I think he's still a year away from realizing that potential. Coach Jim Schwartz likes speedy ends and Avril should have plenty of opportunity in the nine technique, but I lean towards “not yet” because I still see Julian Peterson and even Dewayne White playing big roles in rush. The Steelers and Colts were the only teams with two double-digit sackers last year – 10's a lot harder to get than it seems – and the Lions, despite their defensive changes, aren't on that level yet. Still, Avril had an impressive rookie season with five sacks and four forced fumbles. He'll get there before too long.

What's next now that the Lions have signed Foote?
Signing defensive end Kevin Carter is a distinct possibility, but as I wrote last week there's no urgency to get a deal done on Carter's part. He's a veteran, he doesn't need camp. If he decides to play it will be in July or August. Beyond that, the Lions continue to shuffle in free agents at their biggest position of need – offensive line. Toniu Fonoti, Kirk Barton, Dylan Gandy, James Blair and the recently-released Matt Lentz all have gotten looks. There's big concerns with protection up front (another reason Matthew Stafford might not play immediately), and the Lions are hoping to strike gold on the waiver wire. Fifth-receiver option Keary Colbert re-signed today, but I'm not sure the Lions are done looking there, either, if the right guy comes along.

Keep those questions coming and I'll try to get to them on slow news days.

Who starts at quarterback for the Lions next year?
A number of you have asked this in one form or another, and while this is pure speculation for now, Scott Linehan's arrival has to make Daunte Culpepper the most likely opening-day starter. The theory is – and I know at least one Lions offensive player who feels this way – Linehan and Culpepper's previous relationship (in Minnesota) overshadows any struggles Culpepper had last year (when the Lions signed him as a two-year stopgap quarterback) and allows him to continue as the bridge to the future on offense (most likely for a quarterback drafted this year).

Linehan said he intends to give every quarterback on the roster an equal opportunity to win the starting job, but fact is someone has to enter camp atop the depth chart and, if the Lions pay his $2.5-million bonus next month, it will be Culpepper. Jon Kitna, who's due his own $500,000 bonus and has $1 million in escalators in his contract, is angling to return a Lion, but I don't see it; this is the same management team that put him on injured reserve. Drew Stanton has some qualities Linehan will find attractive, but the front office has to be on board, too. Dan Orlovsky likely is headed elsewhere in free agency. My guess on Jan. 29? Culpepper opens the season as starter, leads the Lions to a 3-8 record, then Stanton or more likely a highly-drafted rookie takes over for the final month.

Did Keary Colbert sign a two-year contract?
This came up in relation to my post on Mike Furrey and, in light of the glut of No. 3-caliber receivers on the Lions roster, why his release was no big deal. No, Colbert signed a one-year contract for a prorated portion of $605,000. I guess he still could return because the Lions don't have any reliable pass catchers beyond Calvin Johnson. But Colbert isn't much of an upgrade over Chris Hannon, Adam Jennings, Travis Taylor or John Standeford. All but Taylor are signed for next season for less than Colbert was making. Eric Fowler and Reggie Ball are under contract, too, and the Lions will no doubt add to their receiver stable either in free agency or the draft. Remember how guys like Devin Thomas and Limas Sweed fell in the draft last year? The Lions might be able to find a good No. 2 receiver/return man in Round 3.

If the Lions draft a left tackle, what happens to Jeff Backus?
I need to say this first – this is not a good year to have the No. 1 pick. It never is for money reasons, but there doesn't appear to be a Peyton Manning-type NFL-ready quarterback; top tackle Andre Smith has some character questions that need to be answered; and I'm of the belief that you don't give No. 1 money to an outside linebacker like Aaron Curry who won't be a pass rusher for the Lions (Cliff Avril is the right end). That said, could Backus change positions? Sure, but I don't know that he's an ideal guard and I don't think you want to take Gosder Cherilus off the right tackle position. It may be more likely the Lions, in their quest to upgrade the offensive line, draft a guard or two and hope that leads to better play out of the tackles.

Regardless, with an uncapped 2010 looming, I think it's unlikely the Lions release Backus. If they were to cut him after the draft, it's my understanding the Lions would take an immediate cap hit in the form of the remaining unaccounted for $8-million-or-so portion of his signing bonus (rather than spreading part of it into 2010; there are no June designations in the last capped year). As far under the cap as the Lions expect to be (some $35 million or so), that's a lot of dead money when Backus is neither a cancer in the locker room nor out of tread as a player.

Though he wasn't talking about Backus in any way, team president Tom Lewand was asked at Monday's town-hall meeting what impact the potential of an uncapped year would have on this season.

“I think it does have an impact,” Lewand said. “The salary-cap rules change in 2009, which is currently the last cap year. It requires things to be accounted for differently. And it's good that we have the amount of room that we do because you have to account for more things in the first year of a deal or in the last year of a deal in 2009 then you otherwise would. Two-thousand-and-ten creates an interesting dynamic.”