According to reports, Michael Crabtree has a stress fracture in his left foot that will require surgery and keep him out six to 10 weeks. Crabtree has long been considered the draft's top receiver prospect coming off an impressive season at Texas Tech. Now, it looks like he'll slide out of the top 10. First, he measured a shorter than expected 6-foot-1 at the NFL combine. Second, he probably won't be able to answer questions about his speed by running the all-important 40-yard dash (the draft is nine weeks from today)

So, if you're the Lions, would you take Crabtree with your second pick of the first round, No. 20 overall, if he's available?

That debate will play out in draft-prep meetings over the next two months. The Lions need a No. 2 receiver to pair with Calvin Johnson and assistant Shawn Jefferson spent time with Crabtree on Thursday. They also have a well-documented history of taking first-round receivers, missing on most of them, and have a ton of holes to fill elsewhere on the roster. Still, Crabtree is one of the top few talents in the draft based on what he did in college and might turn into a superstar.

I wouldn't take Crabtree over, say, USC middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, who would fit a big positional area of need. But depending on the way the draft shakes out, I think the Lions would have to consider Crabtree if he were there at 20. (If they draft him, it essentially goes down as Crabtree-plus-a-third-round-pick for Roy Williams trade.)

If the Lions are lucky, they could turn into big winners from Crabtree's misfortune. Some team won't be worried about his size or speed and will take a gamble on him in the middle of the first round. If he's there at No. 20, maybe someone's anxious enough to grab Crabtree they'd deal a 2010 first-round pick.

The Lions are simply doing their diligence. Unless Matt Millen returns as general manager, there's no way they take a receiver with the first pick of the draft. But receivers coach Shawn Jefferson did meet with the draft's top pass catcher, Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree, on Thursday.

“One thing he told me is he has a beast right now but he wants a beast on the other side,” Crabtree said Friday at the NFL scouting combine. “That's about all we talked about.”

Besides Calvin Johnson, the Lions have a bunch of No. 3 and 4 receivers on their roster. They'll look to add a true No. 2 sometime in the draft if they don't sign a quality receiver in free agency.

Mike Furrey told reporters in Tampa Bay for the Super Bowl today that he had been released. It's a little bit of a surprise considering the lack of depth at receiver the Lions had on their roster, but not totally unexpected since Furrey's season ended in such animosity last year.

Furrey, you recall, was placed on injured reserve Dec. 1 with lingering symptoms from a concussion. He said at the time he was fit to play, but after missing three consecutive games (and playing in just nine) general manager Martin Mayhew didn't agree.

As good a season as he had three years ago when he caught 98 passes, Furrey didn't fit into the Lions' long-term plans. He was little help as a return man, his toughness came into question after he signed a three-year deal following his breakout season, and the Lions are in the process of cleaning out some of the veteran excess tainted by Matt Millen's eight-year run.

With Shaun McDonald scheduled for free agency, receiver is now a definite position of need this offseason (though not to the level where Michael Crabtree or anyone else will be considered atop the draft). Chris Hannon (Dolphins) and Adam Jennings (Falcons) were claimed off waivers late in the season, Travis Taylor signed as a free agent, and John Standeford and Reggie Ball are both under contract. None of the above seems like a suitable No. 2 to pair with Calvin Johnson, though in fairness Furrey wouldn't have filled that role, either.

Cutting Furrey now is a ho-hum move in my opinion. The Lions save on his $1.85-million salary, Furrey gets a chance to latch on somewhere else immediately, and the Lions are flush with third and fourth receivers, guys capable of pulling down the 30 or 40 balls that would have come Furrey's way.