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.)

Admittedly I'm reading between the lines here, but I wonder what Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazer's comments Monday from the Senior Bowl mean for the future of the Lions.

In case you missed it, Frazier told the Free Press and News that he and Lions management “had a difference of opinion in how we saw the current Lions and going forward.” He didn't specify what the difference was, but presumably it had something to do with how close the Lions are to contention after going 0-16. Just a guess here, but Frazier, who played the Lions twice last year, thinks the team is further away than general manager Martin Mayhew and team president Tom Lewand, who helped Matt Millen assemble the talent at hand.

If Mayhew and Co. think the Lions are just a few pieces away, maybe that means Daunte Culpepper will be back next year. Surely being that close they wouldn't want to start anew with a rookie quarterback, who, unless he's Matt Ryan, will need a year or two to develop, thus keeping the Lions in their state of perpetual rebuild. (Remember, Mayhew signed Culpepper with at least one eye towards 2009: Get him in the system, knock the rust off and let him rip next year.)

Maybe that means they think they can add starters with picks 1, 20 and 33, and with a year of seasoning that'll be enough to challenge for the NFC North in 2010. No other team in the division is in great shape for the future, though the Packers at least have their presumed franchise quarterback aboard in Aaron Rodgers.

Without question it means the front office is comfortable going forward with the scouts and processes already in place to evaluate talent. An assistant general manager still needs to be added, but only one scout was let go since the end of the season.

Mayhew reiterated last week that the Lions need to “upgrade this roster.” How much and in what areas remains to be seen.

More from Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's press conference today. Schwartz was in town for his second interview with the Lions. He's been reported as the leading candidate to replace Rod Marinelli and is the first person to get a second interview. Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera is expected in town on Tuesday, according to an NFL.com report, and Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier also could get second interviews.

• On his defensive philosophy: “The best way I can describe our defensive philosophy is multi-dimensional, do what it takes to win that week. ... This came from (Patriots coach) Bill Belichick my first years in the NFL, he always talked about making an opponent play left-handed. If a racquetball player has a good forehand, well make him hit his backhand. Our philosophy is sort of the same way. If it's a good run team, force him to throw the ball to win. If it's a good pass team, force him to run the ball to win. In order to do that you have to have multidimensional players. We'll do what our players do the best.”

• Disputing the reputation that he doesn't like to blitz: “We blitzed quite a bit back in 2002-03. Our team was a little bit different. I think one of the most important things in coaching is putting your players in the right positions for a chance for them to be successful. Quite honestly, our front four could get pressure without blitzing (this year) which allowed us to do a lot more in the back end. If our front four wasn't as good, we would have probably blitzed more. I think the only person that wanted to see Albert Haynesworth dropping back on a zone dog or Kyle Vanden Bosch dropping back on a zone dog was the opposing quarterback. And we tried not to let that happen very often.”

• On whether he has a staff picked out if he gets the Lions job: “I haven't been presumptuous enough to have a pocket staff, so to speak. There's some people I highly respect in the NFL, some people that time would be of the essence, but I'd rather not get into any more of that.”

• On how much his background as a scout – he worked three years in the Browns' personnel department – has helped him as a coach: “Probably the most. I think any coach should probably start in scouting because a coach's focus is so short term. We're worried about winning the game on Sunday and experience in scouting, you learn the long-term picture, you learn how the team's built.”

• Describing his relationship with Patriots VP of player personnel Scott Pioli, who's a candidate to take over as GM in Kansas City and likely would have Schwartz on his short list of head-coaching candidates: “Scott and I cut our teeth together in Cleveland. At the time we didn't realize it, but that was an all-star cast, guys working 100 hours a week, living in crappy apartments, making no money. But that made us all who we are in the NFL and back in '93 or '94, and we all have Bill Belichick to thank for that.”

• More on the importance of having a good quarterback: “Quarterback is the trump card of all positions in the NFL. If you have a good quarterback you can cover up a lot of other areas on your team. If you don't have a great quarterback you have to be really good in a lot of other areas. If you ask anybody in the NFL, most important position, it's going to be quarterback.”

The Lions won't have to wait to hire Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz if they want him as their next head coach.

Schwartz, who interviewed last week during Tennessee's first-round playoff bye, is eligible to be hired for any head-coaching vacancy now that the Titans have been eliminated from the playoffs. Had Tennessee beat Baltimore yesterday, teams would have had to wait until the Titans' postseason was over to offer Schwartz a job.

So far, it's my understanding that Schwartz has only interviewed with the Lions. The Browns were granted permission to speak with the 42-year-old assistant, but canceled due to scheduling problems. The Rams also might be interested in Schwartz, but have not moved to interview him yet. Last year, Schwartz was a candidate for jobs in Miami, Washington and Atlanta, where new Rams general manager Billy Devaney was on the search committee.

As I pointed out in a blog posting a couple days ago, anecdotal evidence suggests the earlier a team makes a hire in the offseason the more chance that coach has of success. (In 2006, the five coaches hired before Rod Marinelli all made the playoffs. Marinelli plus two of the four coaches hired after him already have been fired.)

If the Lions are comfortable with their pool of candidates – Schwartz, Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Dolphins assistant head coach Todd Bowles, etc. – there's no sense waiting to interview a candidate like Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, a hot name who might prefer another job (Jets, Rams) but who might not be able to accept any position until February.

Also, NFL.com reported that veteran executives Phil Savage (ex-Browns GM) and Shack Harris (former VP of player personnel with the Jaguars) have been contacted about joining the Lions' front office. I mentioned Harris as a possibility before when I thought Brian Billick was a candidate to be head coach. I still think he (and Savage, for that matter) would make a great addition for their experience dealing with personnel matters. Harris was a part of building winners in Baltimore and Jacksonville. He helped uncover late-round gems in both places and helped build two pretty good defenses. If he's interested, the Lions should snap him up.

One thing to consider with the Lions coaching search about to extend into its third week – the longer it takes, the more trouble the new coach will have putting together his staff.

Rod Marinelli, fired last week after an 0-16 season, said in his dismissal press conference that he initially underestimated that process when he was hired in 2006. There's no doubt that contributed to the Lions' dismal 10-38 record during his tenure.

“I thought it would be a little bit easier for me,” Marinelli said. “The first year there was 10 jobs open, and it was a little bit more difficult than I thought and I might have moved too quick at times on some picks.”

One example: Marinelli hoped to hire Mike Tomlin to coordinate his defense. Problem was, Tomlin joined new Vikings coach Brad Childress' staff nine days before Marinelli took over the Lions. Marinelli ended up with Donnie Henderson, then dismissed him after one season and replaced him with Joe Barry. The Lions ranked last in the league in defense the last two years, and Tomlin is now the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Marinelli also changed offensive coordinators after the 2007 season, firing Mike Martz and promoting Jim Colletto. He said last week he had no regrets about bringing Martz on board, though in retrospect that curious hire seemed to fly in the face of what he wanted to be on offense.

“I felt at that time it was no doubt about it the right choice,” Marinelli said. “It was just I moved quick on some of it. I looked back, if I had maybe taken more time I might not have made some of the changes my first and second year. I could have done a better job.”

Rewind to 2006, Marinelli was the sixth head coach introduced that offseason, on Jan. 19. Of the four coaches hired after him, two have been fired (St. Louis' Scott Linehan and Oakland's Art Shell) and a third (Buffalo's Dick Jauron) might have been this year if not for newly-signed contract extension. Only Houston's Gary Kubiak, introduced on Jan. 26, seems relatively stable in his job.

All five of the coaches hired before Marinelli have made the playoffs and only one, the Jets' Eric Mangini, has been fired. Mangini was re-hired as Browns head coach earlier this week.

“It's harder to hire and put together a staff than it ever has been so that magnifies the fact that the sooner you get it done the better off you are,” said former Giants coach Jim Fassel, who the Lions have not contacted about their vacancy. “You got to weigh it with the fact that we don't need to be in so much of a rush, but a guy can't just come in and say I got this guy, this guy, this guy.

“There's a lot of (potential assistants) out there. They can all disappear.”

New team president Tom Lewand said last week the Lions wanted to hire a new coach “as expeditiously as possible.” Already, they've interviewed at least six candidates – Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is at the practice facility right now – and could begin second interviews next week.

Of those candidates, only Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo are still coaching in the playoffs and can't be hired until their seasons are over.

I've been told a report that characterized Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett as “the No. 1 candidate” to be the next Lions head coach is “not true” by a person familiar with the search.

That's not to say Garrett couldn't eventually emerge as Rod Marinelli's replacement, but it's premature speculation for now. First, Martin Mayhew was serious when he said he was going to conduct a thorough and open-minded search. Second, any leaks about front-runners for the position are surely not coming from the Lions.

Beyond that, if Wednesday's report about Garrett's candidacy is true, that he initially rebuffed overtures to interview with the Lions only to change his mind because of a) his falling star in Dallas and b) the likelihood Detroit drafts Sam Bradford No. 1 overall, I think that would be cause for concern in Lions camp. It's January. The Lions aren't wed to taking a quarterback atop the draft (though it's a definite possibility). And more important, Mayhew and Co. want someone who will carry out  their philosophies and fit within the structure of the organization. I'm not sure an assistant who has to be convinced to interview, if that did indeed happen, is that type of guy.

When all is said and done, I still think the Lions end up with a defensive-minded coach, someone like Leslie Frazier or Jim Schwartz. To be fair, that falls in the speculation category, too.

BCS thoughts
Sitting here watching the Oklahoma-Florida game and the four most impressive NFL prospects to me have been Bradford, his Oklahoma teammates defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and tight end Jermaine Gresham, and Florida receiver Percy Harvin. All are underclassmen who've yet to declare their intentions, and the first two the Lions have to consider with their first-round picks.

Bradford may not have Matt Stafford's arm strength and some will mark him down for his interception right before half, but he's so accurate I believe he'll be special. Every throw he makes – no matter how easy or hard – gives his receiver a chance to make a play. Hidden yards are so big in the NFL, and Bradford always seems to lead his receiver just enough on that underneath crossing route or drop the fade to the spot where his guy can get it.

McCoy's a third-year sophomore and frankly I don't know how he stacks up with the rest of the draft-eligible tackles – he may be a top-five guy – but bottom line is he can play. To my untrained eye, he appears to have a great first step, enough so that he'll be a pass-rushing threat in the league, and his interception, as simple as it was, was a thing of beauty. Furthermore, tackle is a position of need even though the Lions spent two picks (Andre Fluellen and Landon Cohen) on the position last year.

One other draft note, this doesn't totally rule out the Lions taking Stafford No. 1 overall, but I've been told they only scouted one Georgia home game this year – the Sept. 6 game against Central Michigan. That was before Mayhew took over as general manager. Now, a lot of scouting is done by watching film on campus mid-week (and I'm told the Lions were spotted once in that capacity, too), but for comparison's sake Lions representatives made it two USC home games to watch the Trojans' star-studded defense (and presumably quarterback Matt Sanchez) in person. Again, that may not mean anything, but it could, too.

Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray was the second person to interview for the vacant Lions head-coaching job, meeting with team brass a week ago, and he said Thursday he's been given no indication when the team will make its decision.

“They're going to interview the rest of the guys and to me that's only fair because you want to get it right,” Gray said. “The position they're in, they want to get it right. You take as long as you need. To me, you got to be thorough.”

Giants defensive coordinators Steve Spagnuolo got the first interview last Thursday, followed by Gray, Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and Dolphins assistant head coach Todd Bowles. Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will be in town Friday.

Gray said his interview was his second to be a head coach in the NFL. Three years ago, when he was defensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills, he interviewed to replace Dom Capers with the Houston Texans.

He said last week's interview “was a lot better” simply because he's been through the process before, but declined to reveal much else about the process.

“I think they did a great job,” Gray said of the Lions. “That's pretty much all I can comment on. It was a great experience.”

Though some have suggested the Lions brought Gray in with more of an eye towards making him defensive coordinator – he worked under another reported candidate for two years in Buffalo, Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, who he said he has a “good relationship with” – Gray said he interviewed only to be a head coach. He's also been mentioned as a candidate to be defensive coordinator in Houston.

“I think I have what it takes to be a head coach,” Gray said. “If you look at (my playing and coaching career) overall, I think I have a whole lot more successes than failures.”

The Lions are 10 days into their coaching search. Who's interviewed and who's on the list? Here's what I know, either from my own sources or various reports around the league:

Coach              Current Position        Interview
Steve Spagnuolo Giants DC                 Jan. 1
Jerry Gray          Redskins DBs            Jan. 2
Jim Schwartz      Titans DC                  Jan. 3
Jason Garrett      Cowboys OC              Jan. 5
Todd Bowles       Dolphins Ast HC/DBs  Today*
Leslie Frazier      Vikings DC                 Jan. 9*

Other reported candidates with unknown interview dates: Mike Mularkey, Falcons OC; Ron Rivera, Chargers DC; Rex Ryan, Ravens DC

* Interview is scheduled but not yet completed

Add Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera to the list of candidates the Lions want to speak with about their head-coaching vacancy.

The Lions asked permission to speak with Rivera last week, but Rivera has decided to forgo all interviews until the Chargers' season is over. San Diego plays Pittsburgh in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs Sunday.

The Chargers released a statement Monday saying Rivera “has declined overtures from several NFL teams” and “is not interested in talking until” after the season. Assistants on playoff teams who won last week are eligible to be interviewed in their home city this week.

“My sole focus and concentration right now is helping the Chargers win a championship. Nothing else matters,” Rivera said in the statement. “I don't want to let anything distract from our objective.”

Rivera's reluctance to interview may stem from the heat he took during his dalliance with nine head-coaching jobs over two years when he was defensive coordinator with the Bears. After his contract expired following Chicago's Super Bowl XLI loss to Indianapolis, Rivera joined the Chargers as linebackers coach.

He was promoted to defensive coordinator when Ted Cottrell was fired midway through this season, and successfully scaled back a defense missing its best player, outside linebacker Shawne Merriman. The Chargers closed the year with a four-game winning streak and beat the Broncos in the regular-season finale to win the AFC West title.

From the Lions' standpoint, Rivera is attractive for both his success and his bloodlines. He won a Super Bowl as a player with the Bears and has worked in a variety of defenses, from Cottrell's 3-4, to Lovie Smith's Tampa 2, to Jim Johnson's blitz-heavy scheme in Philadelphia.

Also Tuesday, the Lions set a Friday meeting to interview Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.

The Denver Broncos will have first crack at landing Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. Frazier, who oversaw the league's fifth-ranked defense, is expected to interview for Denver's head-coaching vacancy tomorrow. He'll travel to Detroit later this week, likely Friday or Saturday, to interview with the Lions.

Frazier, also a candidate in St. Louis, appears to be one of the most coveted assistants this winter after interviewing in Atlanta and Miami last year. Rams general manager Billy Devaney was part of the Falcons' search committee that eventually hired Coach of the Year Mike Smith. Frazier was reported to be runner-up for that job.

I wrote last week that Frazier was a name to keep an eye on. He's a soft-spoken but powerful presence in the locker room and someone with good coaching bloodlines (Tony Dungy, Jim Johnson; and he played for Buddy Ryan) and a track record of success.

"Great coach, great person," Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "He has a great chance to get a job, and I wish him the best."

More on this in tomorrow's paper, but I spoke with Miami Dolphins assistant head coach Todd Bowles earlier this afternoon and he said he's “very interested” in the Lions head coaching job. Bowles is expected to interview with the Lions this week, though a date and time have not yet been set.

“I got a message here that I got to get back to them,” Bowles said. “We're supposed to try to match up and see if we can make this work for them.”

Lest you think he's only a candidate because he played three seasons with new Lions general manager Martin Mayhew, Bowles is actually a very well-regarded assistant with a track record for helping turn around some of the NFL's most dismal teams. He was part of this year's resurrection in Miami, where the Dolphins went from 1-15 to 11 wins and the AFC East championship. Prior to a stint coaching defensive backs with Bill Parcells in Dallas, Bowles also was on Butch Davis' staff in Cleveland that reached the playoffs two years after taking over a 3-13 team.

“I've been part of that turnaround before and we've done these type of things,” Bowles said. “You've got to have the right people in place. It's important. It's not going to be just the head coach, it's going to be the GM, the vice president, everybody involved. It's going to be the strength coach. You got to have the right people to do the right things.”

Bowles, who's also reported to be a candidate in St. Louis, said he's not married to any one system and he's not interested in the Lions only because of Mayhew, who he said “will make a heck of a GM.”

“I think it's a great opportunity for him, I really do, and I wish him all the best,” Bowles said. “For me, if the opportunity comes I'll embrace it when it comes and I'll do the best I can to make Detroit a winner or anybody else.”

The Lions also are in the process of setting up an interview with Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. Already they've interviewed Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray. According to reports, Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey is a candidate, too.

The single biggest nugget of Lions-related news/speculation in the new year so far came courtesy of Sports Illustrated's Peter King on the Dan Patrick Show yesterday.

King was asked about Bill Parcells' future in Miami and whether the Dolphins' current executive vice president will opt out of his contract in the coming month.

Said King, “I don't get a good feel on that. I think it's one of those where there's smoke there's fire. If he does go somewhere, I think it's more likely that he ends up in Detroit than anywhere else. I'm going to cop out on this one and I'll say I'll give you 50-percent chance Miami, 50-percent chance Detroit.”

This is four days after the Lions officially announced the promotions of Tom Lewand to team president and Martin Mayhew to general manager, mind you, and four days after most people closed the door on anyone, let alone Parcells, usurping power atop the front office.

There's no doubt in my mind that last week's well-timed revelation that Parcells had an opt-out in his contract was a smoke signal to the league in general and perhaps the Lions in particular. Parcells already has worked his magic in Miami, could walk away with a fat paycheck and step into the biggest rebuilding project the NFL has ever seen, one he's been said to have eyes for before.

The only question is whether Lions owner William Clay Ford recognized the signals coming from South Beach. Initially, that wouldn't appear to be the case. Mayhew and Lewand are out on the road interviewing now, they've already met with at least one candidate (Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) and have another sit down scheduled for today (Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz).

Then again, Lewand said Tuesday he and Mayhew were officially promoted a week before the announcement was made, on the Monday after the New Orleans game. That was before Parcells' contract situation became public knowledge.

Look, I don't think Parcells will be Lion. Ford's not in the business of firing or reassigning anyone a month after he promotes them and he surely wouldn't want to swallow any contracts in this economy. But the Lions do have a front-office position open (Parcells surely will have control of everything at his next and future stops) and could hire a coach that impressed Parcells to no end during last year's interviews (Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier) or one on his current staff in Miami (assistant head coach Todd Bowles).

I'd be beyond surprised if anything happened, but King's 50-50 comment at least gave Lions fans something to munch on.

In the midst of preparing for Sunday's home playoff game with the Eagles, Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was asked today about his interest in becoming the next Lions head coach.

“It's always good if people are checking you out and looking into you a little bit, but as you mentioned, the big focus right now is the Eagles,” Frazier said. “I'm flattered that Detroit would show interest. I would hope, at some point, to talk with them about their position, but not at the risk of our not going deep into the playoffs. I hope that we can win this weekend and just keep going. If something were to happen with a team when the season is over that would be outstanding, but a lot of things are out of my control.”

A league source said the Lions requested permission to interview Frazier after they fired Rod Marinelli earlier this week. According to league rules, Frazier can begin interviews next week. He said he'll follow that timetable “if the schedule would allow it.”

“We would play on a Saturday, so we'll see what happens,” Frazier said.

Following up on my story examining candidates with defensive backgrounds in today's paper, Frazier, who some people wrongly assume is married to the Tampa 2 defense, said he won't necessarily use that scheme as head coach. The Lions want to get away from the system they ran while fielding the league's worst defense the last two years.

The Vikings are considered a Tampa 2 team, but they have the best defensive line in football with Jared Allen and Pat and Kevin Williams. They ranked fourth in the NFL with 45 sacks this year.

Frazier coached defensive backs for two seasons under Tony Dungy, but he also played under blitz-happy Buddy Ryan and his first job in the league was under ultra-aggressive Eagles coordinator Jimmy Johnson.

“Whatever is most effective based on our personnel,” Frazier said when asked what defense he'd run as head coach. “Our defense, the one that we have here ... is just a combination of what I've learned with Tony and with Jim and what we did.”

Frazier is also a candidate for the opening in St. Louis, though he's not expected to interview with the Rams until the second round. He interviewed last year in Miami and Atlanta, where new Rams general manager Billy Devaney was part of the search team. It's believed Frazier was runner-up with the Falcons job.

The plan is a plan, and that alone is something unique.

While franchises like Pittsburgh and Indianapolis have stuck with a single blueprint for success over the years, the Lions, during their eight-year run of incompetence, have changed philosophies like suits. They've tried young and old, West Coast and Tampa 2, fired coaches, hired coordinators and drafted more receivers than they knew what to do with.

If Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand are to be believed, that won't be the case anymore.

Mayhew and Lewand, the new Lions general manager and team president respectively, spoke mostly in generalities about their rebuilding plans Tuesday. Mayhew wants to get bigger and faster on defense. Lewand wants “a coach who respects the personnel process.” And both want to build efficiently through the draft.

Both also made it clear that, for the Lions to dig out of their eight-year-and-counting 31-97 malaise, they need everyone in the organization to be on the same page.

“I think that's where we've struggled some here in the past,” Mayhew said. “I think sometimes it hasn't always matched up what we're doing offensively and what we're doing defensively and what our president and CEO's philosophy was versus what we were trying to do on the football field. It didn't always match up and I think that has to match up in the future.”

Again, that's not a new concept, unless maybe you're Lions owner William Clay Ford and you chose to forgo a thorough GM search after hearing reports of Mayhew's work ethic and seeing the detailed plan to reshape the organization he put together a few weeks back.

Still, it's good to hear the Lions will be building from the ground up again.

A few other thoughts to close the evening:

• No one except the people in the room know how much Mayhew disagreed with his predecessor Matt Millen the last few years, but I'm buying Mayhew's explanation of how things will be different now that he's in charge. “Other people's role in the organization now will be implementing my plan,” he said. “My role before was implementing somebody else's plan. I made recommendations, I made suggestions. Ultimately, people who made decisions were the ones who were paid to make those decisions.”

That should be the case in any walk of life. Yes men are dangerous and disagreement healthy, but at the end of the day it's one person's call and that person for most of the last eight years was Millen. Now it's Mayhew's turn to show what he can do.

• To be clear, Mayhew will have final say in all football matters, including who to draft with the No. 1 pick if the Lions can't unload it come April. Lewand said he will be in the draft room, but have a hands-off approach on draft day. “I'm not a talent evaluator,” he said. “I never have been and I've never proclaimed to be.”

• Mayhew said he plans to re-implement some of the psychological testing the Lions have gotten away from in recent years. Without it, they whiffed for non-football reasons on picks like Charles Rogers and Mike Williams. “If you look at the guys who didn't make it, a lot of it had to do with their mental makeup,” he said. “We have to do a better job of knowing these guys, of really knowing them.”

• And with such an emphasis on the draft, don't expect a big free-agent splash come March, even if the Lions have cap room to spare. “We're not going to be out there in free agency throwing $30 million at somebody on the first day at midnight,” Mayhew said.

• Total speculation here, but 36 hours into the coaching search I'm feeling Leslie Frazier as the next Lions coach. The guy won Super Bowls as a player and a coach, has experience developing young talent, and is said to have a Tony Dungy demeanor with some Buddy Ryan in his background. I think he'd fit in perfectly with what the Lions are trying to do.

A handful of names the Lions intend to interview for their head coaching vacancy already have leaked out. Jerry Gray, Josh McDaniels, Jim Schwartz, Steve Spagnuolo, Jason Garrett, Leslie Frazier.

The Lions will do their diligence and interview a dozen or so candidates in the whittling-down process, but I wonder how many of those guys are really legitimate options to be the next head coach? Three? Five?

General manager Martin Mayhew spoke Tuesday of watching what he says with the media so as not to give opponents any sort of competitive edge.

“I read the clips for every NFL team 365 days a year,” he said. “I read what's going on, and I'm doing that looking for a competitive edge. And what I don't want to do is be the person who gives somebody else a competitive edge on us.”

Even in my role as a reporter I can admit that's good policy (though Mayhew should know I can be trusted with off-the-record information). It also got me thinking about this whole process.

The Lions might truly be interested in McDaniels, the Patriots offensive coordinator, or Garrett, OC in Dallas. Or Mayhew might be interviewing them because he can. They're bright assistants, yes, and likely will make fine head coaches one day. I just don't know how they mesh with Mayhew's philosophy on building a team.

Admittedly, Mayhew didn't go into great detail about that Tuesday, but the first thing he said on that topic was “we need to be … a physical football team.” He spoke of getting bigger defensively and adding “smart toughguys.” McDaniels and Garrett, of course, are two offensive coaches with reputations in the passing game.

Maybe they'll wow Mayhew with their interviews and maybe their bottom line is toughness, too. But it's also possible Mayhew, in his thirst for an edge, wants to compile a dossier on each coach that can help him on the field or in the draft or in free agency one day. Heck, McDaniels, an Ohio native, certainly could be the head coach in Cleveland next year, and guess who comes to Ford Field? Same with Schwartz, a prickly defensive coach who, from a distance, appears to fit Mayhew's philosophy. Or Frazier, who is an absolutely legitimate candidate but also NFC North rival Minnesota's defensive coordinator.

Admittedly, I'm reading into things here. But if the new general manager is that ferocious a competitor, he might as make the most of this opportunity.

Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand just got done meeting with the media for the first time in their new capacities as general manager and team president, and they gave us a lot to sift through. I'll have updates throughout the day, but here's my initial thoughts:

Mayhew is a smart man and may turn out to be a fine GM, and he's right that there's nothing he can do at this point to turn public sentiment in his favor. He was around for all eight seasons of the failed Matt Millen regime and is widely if unfairly viewed as extension of Millen.

I don't think he's a repackaged version of the ex-executive by any means – he's already proved to be a tireless worker and deft dealer – but that's not why I thought the organization should have cleaned house and conducted a thorough front-office search. Simply,  I think that's what was needed to restore credibility after this ugly, 31-97 slide.

Regardless, Mayhew has total control of football operations – “Martin's making the picks,” Lewand said. “Martin's role is talent evaluation,” – and he will be judged over time on that alone.

In terms of specifics, Mayhew offered precious few Tuesday as reporters grilled him and Lewand for more than 40 minutes. He said he believes in building through the draft, won't hand out $30-million checks on the first day of free agency and is the right man for the job in part because he's been around to see and learn from Millen's mistakes.

“Don't judge me by my friends,” he said.

Lions owner William Clay Ford informed both Mayhew and Lewand a week ago on the Monday after the New Orleans game that they would fill their current roles next year. The trio had been in contact regularly since Millen's firing, and a few weeks ago Mayhew said he submitted a detailed plan for how to rebuild the franchise a few weeks ago.

The highlight of that, and the biggest failing of this decade so far, is to implement a single-minded vision shared by him, his scouts, his next coach and on down. He said he wants physical football players and faster football players, borrowing an old Joe Gibbs line that he wants “smart toughguys.”

The first step in that is hiring the right football coach. Neither Mayhew nor Lewand offered much in the way of a timetable for that, but interviews are being set up right now and should begin this week. Among those who could get first crack at impressing Mayhew – and who would seem to fit what he wants – are  Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.