New middle linebacker Larry Foote signed his one-year contract and met with the media today. He said he asked the Steelers for a trade shortly after the Super Bowl in February and always hoped to be a Lion, but didn't know if that was possible until after last month's draft.

“I think if they would have took the linebacker (Aaron Curry) No. 1 or the kid at USC (Rey Maualuga), they'd have had three spots,” Foote said. “All spots, you got to earn it, but they'd have had three guys penciled in as starters so I might have been looking elsewhere.”

As it is, Foote's penciled in to start in the middle of the Lions defense, with Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims as his running mates. That's a significant upgrade over a linebacker corps that featured Sims, Paris Lenon and Ryan Nece last year. Lenon and Nece are still free agents.

Foote said he has more to offer as a player than he showed the last seven seasons in Pittsburgh and wants to “spread my wings a little bit.”

“I'm just coming in with some tape on my helmet with my name on it and a fresh start,” he said. “The playing time and the football part will take care of itself.”

Other highlights from Foote's media session today:

• On why he preferred a one-year deal to multi-year contract: “I wanted a one-year deal, basically. I wasn't fighting with my agent, we wasn't fighting with (general manager Martin) Mayhew last night, we just said whatever it takes let's get it done. I told Tom Lewand, in a couple months you're going to wish you signed me longer because I'm going to be worth a lot more in a couple months.”

• On the transition from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense: “I had my first meeting with the linebackers coach and we put in a couple of the base defenses and it was similar to some of the stuff we did at Pittsburgh. My mind wasn't as lost as the other guy that was next to me, so hopefully – I ain't going to say his name – hopefully I can learn everything faster.”

• On what he brings as a middle linebacker: “Just a good football player. I bring leadership, experience, I'm a vet and I don't got to say I'm tough, but I definitely am tough. I'm just going to bring quality football at that position.” He said he's ready for a lot more collisions, too. “I don't mind collisions. You can ask my mother that since I've been a kid.”

• Foote, who'll wear No. 55, said he intends to be heavily involved in the community and stay in the area after he retires. He's already working on a plan to build a charter school in Detroit. “I'm excited to be home full time,” he said.

I'm resisting the urge to hand out draft grades this year. They're pointless. I won't be able to tell you how the Lions did until three years from now (minimum) when I see what kind of players Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew and Louis Delmas turn out to be, and for that matter how good they are in relation to Aaron Curry, Michael Oher and Rey Maualuga.

I like the Stafford pick. I think he fits what the Lions want to do and I believe you go as your quarterback goes. The Lions have proven that for decades. I like Pettigrew and Delmas as players, too. Pettigrew excels at the most underrated aspect of the game, blocking, and Delmas has a chance to be a playmaker in the secondary, something the Lions sorely lack currently.

I also think the Lions should have drafted Maualuga to fill their canyon at middle linebacker. I probably would have taken him at pick No. 20. I definitely would have taken him at 33. But I'm not a talent evaluator and it appears I liked the USC product more than most of the 32 NFL teams, who employ much smarter men on the subject than me.

I can't hammer the Lions for Day 1 of their draft, though. Sorry if this is redundant. I know I've written it a thousand times. But there are dozens of ways to win in the NFL. The key is not that you choose a certain one (though the Patriot and Steeler ways have their privileges), but rather that you stay disciplined within whatever you plan you have. OK, unless it's the Al Davis Plan. That one never works.

Like it or not, the Lions did that Saturday. They went best player available with each of their picks. At 20 and 33, they probably went safest available, too. (Oher and Maualuga have more red flags than the Russians.)

They didn't make the splash pick and surely didn't win over fans, but they did take the top players in the draft at three different positions. No other team can say that.

If the goal is to win this year, I'd say the Lions are in trouble. Stafford will start the season as a backup, who knows who'll start at middle linebacker, and Pettigrew and Delmas play low-priority positions (at least compared to Oher and Maualuga).

But general manager Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz have made it clear they're building for the long term. Three years from now, when the real grades come out, they see Stafford throwing passes to Calvin Johnson, Pettigrew sealing off the edge for Kevin Smith, and Delmas covering ground in the secondary behind …

OK, so they still don't have much in the way of defense, but Mayhew said the Lions weren't going to fill every hole in one draft. I can't gush about his work yet, but I can't slam it, either. Not until I see the vision take a little more shape.

I'll be heading out to Allen Park to commence draft-weekend coverage shortly – after I post this blog and cut the grass – but a couple quick thoughts on last night's deal and where the Lions go from here.

First, I know there's some shock and even outrage at the contract Matt Stafford got, $41.7 million guaranteed with a reported maximum value of $78 million. Most of that stems from Aaron Curry's well-played declaration that he'd take a Jake Long-type deal to go No. 1 and Lions' fans general frustration with the pick. The truth is, the Lions paid about what they expected it was going to take to sign a quarterback at No. 1.

At the NFL combine in February, I asked general manager Martin Mayhew if the struggling economy would impact salaries at the top of the draft.

“I can't see it happening,” he said. “I mean the salary cap went up. And you see the (Nnamdi Asomugha) contract that was done (for three years and $45 million). I don't see that as impacting. When you talk about the top players, there's going to be a market for those guys and that market consistently, since the beginning of time, has gone up. So unless the cap comes down at some point I can't see the market coming down.”

The Lions zeroed in Stafford early on in this process and, despite reports, were intent on signing him all along. They could have got Curry for less, but they wanted Stafford and will pay a shade over what Matt Ryan made as the top quarterback and third pick overall last year.

Now, what does the Stafford deal mean for the rest of the draft? I take Mayhew at his word that he's determined to choose the best player available. Yes, they'll draft a middle linebacker at some point because they don't have one on their roster, but they won't reach for one in the first round if it doesn't mesh with their board. Ditto for offensive line help and every other position you can name.

Since this is considered a draft deep in offensive skill positions and rush linebackers up top, that might lead to some interesting choices. I'm curious from the fans out there, if say Rey Maualuga and Robert Ayers are off the board, how would you feel about Brandon Pettigrew, the draft's top tight end, at No. 20? What if they land defensive tackle at 20 and then go back to offense for a center/guard combo like Louisville's Eric Wood at 33, ignoring the defensive backfield and middle linebacker spots until Sunday?

There should be plenty of options at both picks, players like Wake Forest cornerback/return man Alphonso Smith, Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis and Boston College defensive tackle Ron Brace, and we all know the Lions have plenty of needs (especially on defense). But with a few hours to kill and only the guessing game to play, I wonder what will it take for you to come away liking the Lions' draft?

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.”

In a teleconference Tuesday, ESPN's Todd McShay joined the host of analysts predicting the Lions will draft Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford No. 1 overall.

“I'll be surprised if Detroit goes in any other direction besides Stafford,” McShay said. “I think they've honed in on him.”

Of the Lions' negotiations with the agents for Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry and Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith, McShay said, “I just think that they're convinced they have to get a deal done first (with Stafford) and I believe that they will before the draft.”

Beyond that, McShay said he expects the Lions to take an offensive tackle somewhere in their next two picks. The Lions have a second first-rounder at No. 20, acquired in last year's Roy Williams trade, and the first pick of the second round (No. 33). Depending how the draft falls, they might look to trade down a few spots from 20 and acquire extra mid-round picks because they don't have fourth- or fifth-rounders.

“If it's Stafford at 1 then they obviously still need an offensive tackle and I think if Michael Oher from Ole Miss were available at that spot at No. 20 then they would take him and be happy,” McShay said. “I'm not so sure that he's going to be there. Then they'd have to make a decision if they reach for a guy like Arizona's Eben Britton.

"They have other needs though. Rey Maualuga from USC, the inside linebacker, would fit a need and if they take him there maybe they address the offensive tackle spot with Phil Loadholt at 33. Or if they get Michael Oher at 20, then I think they can go after a guy like James Laurinaitis the inside linebacker from Ohio State at 33. So I would say quarterback, offensive tackle and linebacker, three of the top needs.”

I caught up with former Ohio State middle linebacker James Laurinaitis last week as part of my draft preview package. He hasn't had much contact with the Lions throughout this whole process – just an interview at the combine and coach Jim Schwartz attended his pro day – but that doesn't mean they're not interested.

“I was talking to my agent about it, Tom Condon” – who also happens to represent Matt Stafford – “and he said, 'James, a lot of these teams already know your story. It's not like you're a secret to a lot of these teams. So they already know kind of what they're getting off the field with you,'” Laurinaitis said.

In fact, teams are limited to bringing 30 prospects in for visits, and many of those trips are used on players who need updated physicals and don't have quite the body of work of Laurinaitis, a three-year starter at Ohio State who hasn't missed a game or practice since fourth grade.

Laurinaitis said he worked out privately for St. Louis, Atlanta, Denver and Miami, and took visits to Kansas City, Houston and New Orleans.

“You're kind of wondering, are these teams interested in me or are these teams just trying to play the chess match to make their competitor think they're interested in me?” Laurinaitis said. “It's all a big poker game kind of. You don't want to put too many chips on one team because you never know who's going to take you.”

I don't know where Laurinaitis stands on the Lions' draft board. He's widely considered the No. 2 middle linebacker in the draft behind USC's Rey Maualuga, less dynamic but maybe a more complete player. The Lions, of course, also view Wake Forest's Aaron Curry as a middle backer, and Curry is the best defensive player in the draft.

I do know Laurinaitis is an interesting guy who would start from Day 1 with the Lions. His father was the professional wrestler “the Animal,” his uncle is still in the wrestling business, and he won the Nagurski Award as a sophomore and followed up with two productive years while playing under scouts' microscopes. He also said all the right things about playing in Detroit.

“It'd be like the next ghost of (Chris) Spielman coming in there, another Buckeye linebacker,” Laurinaitis said. “It'd be fun, it'd be an experience. To me, no matter what team picks me it's going to be a dream come true when that phone rings. You get to play in the NFL, you got to look at it that way. You can't say this or that, and if I went to Detroit, it's still a dream come true and hopefully be a part of some young players and some guys to turn it around up there because it's a great football town and they love their football and they want to see the Lions succeed.”

Update: Forgot to add, I got a tweet from Western Illinois linebacker Jason Williams saying he hasn't had any contact with the Lions. He's an outside backer so it's no great surprise. Figured I'd share nonetheless.

I'm sometimes a little slow in updating, but if you want to follow me on Twitter, it's "davebirkett".

The Lions held the first mini-camp of the Jim Schwartz era a week before the draft so they could get a better read on the talent on their roster and the holes they need to fill. Now that camp is over, the verdict is in: Plenty of positions still yearn for an upgrade.

By and large, the Lions' strengths and weaknesses are what we thought they were. They need to find a quarterback they're comfortable building around. They need a middle linebacker in the worst way. They need plenty more help on defense, too, including a high-upside tackle and depth in the secondary.

It's important not to read too much into four pad-less, early-spring practices with no contact allowed and a sliver of the playbook in place. But here's a few players and positions that caught my attention, both positive and negative:

The deep passing game: Calvin Johnson is the best receiver in the league. Period. The guy can do things no one else can, and Scott Linehan will take advantage of him. Expect Daunte Culpepper or Matt Stafford or whoever's under center to heave many a deep ball Johnson's way. This could be an exciting offense.

Middle linebacker: Cody Spencer and Chris Graham manned the position in mini-camp (with Jordon Dizon running the huddle in some nickel situations). Spencer is mostly a special-teams contributor and Graham has never taken an NFL snap according to pro-football-reference.com. The Lions can't be taken seriously as a defense with either at middle linebacker. They have to find a starter in the draft whether it's Wake Forest's Aaron Curry or USC's Rey Maualuga, who Schwartz seemed to describe when asked what kind of player he wanted in that position Sunday.

“We're going to need a big thumper, a strong thumper in the middle for base defense,” Schwartz said. “We're talking, I don't want to put heights and weights, but big, strong, physical player that can play between the tackles, that can take on offensive guards even though they're outweighed by almost 100 pounds on some occasions.”

Maualuga is a physical presence in the middle. Most of the questions about him are in the passing game, and while the Lions ideally want a three-down middle backer so they can use Julian Peterson off the edge, they could mix and match in nickel if necessary.

“You can work around a lot of different guys,” Schwartz said. “But I think No. 1 on (the middle linebacker's) job description has got to be a heavy-handed, inside run defender that can take on guards, that can fill fullbacks, that can bring that kind of run-stopping attitude to the defense.”

Ikaika Alama-Francis: Alama-Francis played all over the field in camp as the Lions tried to figure out what they have in the third-year lineman. He and Cliff Avril played end with the first-team defense (so coaches could see how they matched up against the No. 1 offense), Alama-Francis played tackle in nickel, and he's always played on special teams. He's a big, versatile athlete who's probably the fourth end right now (behind Dewayne White, Avril and Jared DeVries), but he could fit better in Schwartz's scheme.

Dewayne White: White and DeVries were kind of background noise most of camp, but if White stays healthy he might finally be a double-digit sack guy playing a nine-technique (lining up outside the tight end) in Schwartz's defense. “I just feel like I can be what I came into the league as a nine, just rushing,” White said.

Michael Gaines: Gaines had problems with drops and fumbles last year, and let more than one ball slip through his hands this weekend. Will Heller should be a fine blocking tight end and Casey FitzSimmons can catch the ball, but the Lions need a do-it-all tight end almost as much as they need help on defense.

The non-CJ receivers: Bryant Johnson dislocated a finger on his right hand Sunday and missed most of practice, but he's solidly the Lions' No. 2 receiver. Beyond that, there's a mixed bag. My own impressions: William Franklin flashed with a catch or two, Ronald Curry has potential in the slot and John Standeford's relatively sure-handed (though he got hurt Friday and doesn't offer much in the way of special teams). I think Chris Hannon and Steve Sanders will have a hard time making the team. Adam Jennings is a bullet in the return game. He'll have to show up there and prove his hands are reliable if he's to win a job.

Daniel Loper: He's big at 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, but it's impossible to tell how he'll play until the pads come on. He did work some at left tackle and might be better suited as a swing backup than a starter at left guard. George Foster, incidentally, played guard when Loper was at tackle.

The secondary: Phillip Buchanon didn't win many battles with Calvin Johnson, but no one does. Still, he's got a nose for the ball and is the best corner the Lions have. (Of course, I said the same thing about Leigh Bodden last year.) Buchanon and Henry took the one reps together most of the weekend, with Travis Fisher playing the nickel and Fisher and Eric King running twos. Henry stepped in front of Johnson for a nice interception Sunday, and Buchanon (on a tipped ball) and Chris Roberson had picks, too. Still, I wouldn't call this a strength. There's some versatility when it comes to the draft – Henry can play corner or safety, so the Lions could draft either position – but there's no wow factor.

Here's a few more highlights from ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper's teleconference today:

• On whether Wake Forest's Aaron Curry can play middle linebacker, the position the Lions say they'll use him at if they draft him No. 1: “I think he's an outside linebacker. I think he's a versatile kid, he can do some things. I compare him to kind of like a Keith Bulluck type. People say Keith Bulluck didn't go to late. Keith Bulluck's been one heck of a player in the NFL for a long time and very consistent, very durable, very versatile.

“I think Curry can do it. I wouldn't count it out. I just think as an outside linebacker, he's not going to be a great pass rusher but he's a pretty decent one. And people underestimate his ability there and granted he's not going to be a great (rusher) but he'll be good enough, he can cover, he's a great special-teams player. But as a linebacker, drafting him based on how he does at that position, he's a complete linebacker.”

• On Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford and the knock that he's not a big-game quarterback: “People say, well, Matthew Stafford doesn't play great in big games. I beg to differ. The kid was 3-0 in bowl games. He led his team to a state championship in Texas in the high school ranks his senior year. They hadn't won a state championship in 40 or 50 years. So this notion that he hasn't won big games, he won three bowl games in a row ... plus the state championship his senior year. The kid has won games and he has done some things on the field that nobody else can do in terms of the throws he can make. There's a lot to be said about that.

“That's why these guys in the NFL are getting paid to be coaches, they're getting paid to tweak problem areas, to tweak certain things to make them better. This notion you have to be a finished product, what the heck do we have coaches for in the NFL? We got 20 coaches on these staffs it seems like. We got more coaches in the NFL now than we've ever had and it's their job to take a kid who's not a finished product and make him a finished product.”

• It's not a great year for in-state prospects. Michigan doesn't have a player likely to go on the first day of the draft, though Morgan Trent, Will Johnson, Terrance Taylor and Carson Butler (as a tight end) are all mid- to late-round possibilities. Brian Hoyer's in the same boat for Michigan State, and running back Javon Ringer may be the first local-college product off the board somewhere in Rounds 3-5. “He's not big but he can be a workhorse, he can catch the ball, he can block, great character,” Kiper said. “I think he's a third- to fifth-, third- to fourth-round type of guy.”

• Kiper said he expects Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman to be gone by the time the Lions pick at No. 20. Teams at 17, 18 and 19 – the Jets, Bears and Buccaneers – are in the market for quarterbacks. “I just think when you're that big and you have that kind of arm and you didn't have a great team around you, somebody's got to take you in the first round, especially when there's no other quarterback going until the fifth round,” Kiper said.

• On USC middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, whose pro day the Lions will attend April 1: “I thought his junior year he was more of the impact guy, made more big plays,” Kiper said. “This year I don't think he got off of blocks as (quickly), he didn't make the play at the line of scrimmage to be that type of player, that (Junior) Seau, wow-type player. He was more of a wow player as a junior. I think he could go in that 20 area to Detroit. They need a face of the defense at the middle linebacker spot.”

The NFL combine wraps up today with defensive-back workouts. Lions fans should keep an eye on cornerbacks D.J. Moore of Vanderbilt and Alphonso Smith of Wake Forest, a couple potential No. 20 draft picks, and Utah's Sean Smith, one of the more intriguing secondary prospects in my mind at 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds. I'm back in Michigan getting ready for free agency, but a few final thoughts on the league's annual job fair:

• Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry had a phenomenal workout by all accounts, but that doesn't mean he's guaranteed to be the No. 1 pick. The question with him isn't about character or athletic ability or production, it's about whether he presents enough value as a strong-side linebacker (or whether he can move to the middle) to go No. 1. And that wasn't going to be answered in Indy. It's going to take more film study of not just him but offensive tackles Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe and quarterback Matt Stafford. If one of those grades out just as high at a more valuable position, they'll be the pick. If not, Curry would be a fine choice.

• Cincinnati defensive end/outside linebacker Connor Barwin had a big Monday, too, running a 4.66-second 40-yard dash and besting all linemen in the vertical (40.5 inches) and broad (10-8) jumps. I wrote about Barwin, a Hazel Park native and U-D High grad, in Sunday's paper. He's a fascinating story, really. He played two years of basketball for the Bearcats and switched from tight end to defensive end last year, when he tied for the Big East lead in sacks (11) and blocked three kicks. Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said Barwin remade himself in part by studying a DVD of every sack in the NFL in 2007 (Bengals coach Marvin Lewis sent him the disk). Now, he projects as a second-round pick for a 3-4 team and casts easy comparisons to Patriots linebacker Mike Vrable.

“When you're putting your roster together this is a guy that gives you so much flexibility and everybody wants that so what happens, there becomes a run on that and sometimes he gets picked a little higher,” Kelly said. “They're saying he's a second-round draft pick. How high he goes in the second round depends on how patient some guys can be.”

• Keep an eye on Ole Miss defensive tackle Peria Jerry in the coming weeks. Jerry didn't work out in Indy – his pro day is March 26 – but if the Lions are serious about building from the inside out they need to find an impact defense tackle. There aren't many available in free agency and tackles typically rise on draft day. Boston College's B.J. Raji will be long gone by pick No. 20, but Jerry could be on the board.

• Speaking of free agency, the Raiders lavished record-setting contracts on cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and punter Shane Lechler last week because that's the only way they could keep both players long term. An NFL person told me two teams are going to have to overpay to sign anyone of significance this offseason, the Raiders and Lions. Half of his prediction has already come true.

I asked Lions coach Jim Schwartz last week how hard it will be to attract free agents to an 0-16 team. His response: “People will look at a lot of different things. I don't know that anybody makes their decision strictly on the record the year before. That's the best thing about the NFL system as opposed to maybe some of the other sports is the NFL does offer a chance to turn around fairly quick, and players know that. I referenced Tennessee, a couple years ago we weren't a very attractive place to be, now they are. So I think players know that.”

We'll see.

• The Lions need a middle linebacker. There aren't many with the potential to step in and start immediately in the draft. USC's Rey Maualuga and Ohio State's James Laurinaitis are potential first-rounders, and Pitt's Scott McKillop might be next on the list. McKillop said he had a 15-minute meeting with Lions scouts Friday night in Indy. “One of the things I know they're going to count on initially is a linebacker to contribute early to special teams,” McKillop said. “At University of Pittsburgh, I didn't play my first two years so I was just trying to be a special-teams demon for Pitt and that was how I made my mark on the team and how I felt I contributed.”

I'm on my way to the airport for a flight back to Detroit and I know the NFL draft is still two months away with lots of evaluations to be made, but after spending five days at the combine here's what I think the Lions will do in the first round:

Pass on Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford and draft either Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith or Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry No. 1 overall. Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe is the only other player I see in the No. 1-overall mix right now, but Smith's brute strength (he bench-pressed 225 pounds 33 times on Saturday, 10 more than Monroe) seems a better fit with how the Lions want to build their team. Curry is a great player and a good story, but he doesn't provide the same type of positional value at strong-side linebacker.

With the 20th pick (obtained in the Roy Williams trade), I'd look at Ohio State middle linebacker James Laurinaitis or USC's Rey Maualuga if they're still on the board (Laurinaitis probably stands a better chance of being there at this point). Either one would be the leader of the defense for years to come and fill a huge hole. A quarterback like USC's Mark Sanchez (if he drops) or Kansas State's Josh Freeman makes sense, too, considering the state of the roster, and free agency will dictate the Lions' needs at cornerback and defensive tackle, two more viable options though my next-in-line choices.

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.

I'll try to do this every week or two in what should be a busy offseason, but figured I had a stack of emails piling up both in my inbox and unanswered responses on the blog so here goes a few:

What do you think of the hiring of Jim Schwartz as head coach?
People around the league have good things to say about Schwartz. He's bright, energetic, young, and obviously comes from some good bloodlines (Bill Belichick and Jeff Fisher). But the reality is that would have been the case with anyone the Lions hired. Todd Bowles, Leslie Frazier, Steve Spagnuolo and everyone else they interviewed were cut from the same mold.

I can't bag on the hire. It's not like the choice came down to Schwartz and Bill Cowher, or a proven commodity like that. And I will say Schwartz handled himself well and said all the right things both for public consumption in his press conference and in a more relaxed setting with beat writers later last Friday. Still, at the end of the day it comes down to surrounding Schwartz with the right talent, something the Lions have been woeful at in recent years. If Martin Mayhew has a good or draft or two, Schwartz will look like a great hire. If not, we'll be back at this process in three years.

What would it take to get Julius Peppers in a Lions jersey next year?
A lot of money is the answer (and probably a draft pick or two Carolina's way), but I don't see it happening. Peppers, a free agent next month, has said he won't sign a long-term contract with the Panthers, who will likely franchise the 29-year-old defensive end. He's a phenomenal talent coming off a career-high 14 1/2-sack season at a position of dire need, but he's also on the back end of his career and wouldn't seem to fit the Lions' long-term plans.

The Lions aren't going to be big spenders in free agency this offseason. They'll sign a few guys, maybe add a starter or two, but we're talking someone like Vincent Fuller (Tennessee's nickel back last year), not Peppers. The Lions want to get younger and more physical on defense, and the way to do that is through the draft. Ideally, they could trade down a few spots from No. 1, but that's unlikely to happen. Under no circumstance can I see them trading that pick for a player like Peppers.

Does Gunther Cunningham as defensive coordinator mean the Lions will run the Tampa 2 defense next year?
If he hasn't already, Cunningham, Kansas City's defensive coordinator, is expected to meet with Schwartz in Mobile, Ala., in the next day or two. Chances are he'll be a Lion by the end of the week. Though Kansas City ran a version of the Tampa 2 defense last year, that's more a reflection of coach Herm Edwards' style than Cunningham's. Cunningham, 62, is known for his pressure packages and likely will adhere Schwartz's philosophies as defensive coordinator. That means you'll see some Cover 2 next year, as with any team, but that won't be the dominant scheme.

Who would you take with the No. 1 draft pick?
The most common of all questions this time of year .. This, of course, is subject to change over the next few months as I canvass people much more knowledgeable in personnel evaluation than me, but right now if I was running the Lions I'd have Alabama left tackle Andre Smith atop my draft board. Smith comes with a few character issues after being suspended for the Sugar Bowl, but the two times I saw him play this year he was flat out dominant. Beyond that, he'd cost slightly less than taking a quarterback No. 1, and I'm not sold on Georgia's Matt Stafford and don't have enough info on USC's Mark Sanchez to trumpet either as the top pick. Defensively, I don't think there's a player worthy of 1-1, though I'm a big Rey Maualuga fan (despite reports of his stock dropping from Day 1 at the Senior Bowl). If Sam Bradford had declared, he'd be my No. 1 choice. As it stands, I think the Lions can land a quarterback like Rhett Bomar in the later rounds.

In case you missed it, the Lions all but locked up the No. 1 pick in the draft over the weekend. Kansas City won at Oakland, giving the Chiefs two victories this year. That means the Lions at 0-12 would have to win two of their final four games to slide out of the No. 1 spot. (Cincinnati at 1-10-1 currently has pick No. 2.) Not gonna happen.

It's pointless to start breaking down the draft in December, especially since no one knows who'll be making picks for the Lions, but I've received a few emails on the subject so I want to highlight a few names/scenarios the Lions will be faced with come April.

In all likelihood, they'll have to choose between a potential franchise quarterback, either Oklahoma's Sam Bradford or Georgia's Matt Stafford; the top offensive tackle available (likely Alabama's Andre Smith); or defensive help (USC linebacker Rey Maualuga or Alabama defensive tackle Terrence Cody). Bradford, Stafford, Smith and Cody are all underclassmen, but with labor uncertainty and their status as probable top-10 picks I would expect all to forgo their final seasons of eligibility.

If the current regime is in place, I think the Lions go defense first and try to win with Daunte Culpepper at quarterback. If not, it comes down to whether the new decision-makers view Bradford or Stafford as a franchise-caliber, Matt Ryan-type quarterback. If the answer on either is yes, you can bet that's your No. 1 pick.

I've heard all the arguments against taking a quarterback No. 1 – the Lions have too many other holes to fill; the hit-and-miss nature of taking a quarterback No. 1; the cost associated with signing that pick – and while they're all grounded in truth, the fact is top-flight signal callers don't come around every day and they're the single biggest predictor of NFL success. The last five Super Bowl winners have employed four of the game's best quarterbacks in Eli and Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger.

The Lions' draft needs could change in the coming months if, say, Scott Pioli takes over as general manager, hires Josh McDaniels as head coach and signs Matt Cassel as a free agent. But if Stafford or Bradford grades out as a future Pro Bowler, he'll be worth the gamble at No. 1 – especially when you consider how well Ryan and Baltimore's Joe Flacco have played as rookies this year (both are 8-4).