Notable Free Agents: Dan Orlovsky, QB, Rudi Johnson, RB; Jason Hanson, K; Shaun Cody, DT; Paris Lenon, LB.

Projected 2009 Cap Space: $26,000,000

Draft Order: 1

Top Needs: A team doesn’t go 0-16 by accident. The Lions have major holes to fill at every position although offensive line, linebacker, quarterback and secondary are arguably their biggest needs.

Offseason Outlook: Where do I start? This team is such an utter mess that it’s going to take new GM Martin Mayhew at least 2-3 years to rebuild the roster. And that’s assuming most of his moves pan out.

Even though it would be a long, slow process, Mayhew’s best approach would be to blow up the entire roster and start over. The two biggest problems with the Matt Millen era is that it lacked direction and he couldn’t spot talent if it fell from the sky and dropped in his lap. What Mayhew needs to do is build from the inside out and it all starts with the offensive line.

Many will argue that the Lions need a franchise starting quarterback first and foremost, but without an offensive line it won’t matter who they have under center. That’s why drafting Virginia’s Eugene Monroe with the first overall pick might be Detroit’s best move. Monroe is the type of player that could anchor the Lions’ offensive line for years to come and considering the team has a decent amount of cap space, Detroit could get a piece or two in free agency to help rebuild the offensive line as well. (Although the top available linemen – Matt Birk, Mike Goff, Mark Tauscher – are all over the age of 30.)

Even though it would pain most Lion fans to watch either Daunte Culpepper or Drew Stanton take another snap under center, the fact is that the other options aren’t that great either. The Patriots seem content to hang onto Matt Cassel and even if they weren’t, it would take multiple draft picks (multiple draft picks the Lions need to help rebuild the roster) and mucho dinero to acquire him from New England. And unless Jeff Garcia (already a failed experiment in Detroit), Rex Grossman or Kyle Boller gets your motor running, the unrestricted free agent market isn’t too promising either. In fact, the Lions’ best option at quarterback next year might still be on the roster in Jon Kitna. He was too happy with the way the team placed him on IR with a back injury midway through the season last year, but the coaching regime that made that decision isn’t in Detroit anymore. He could essentially be a solid stopgap at quarterback so the Lions could address the offensive line and defense this offseason.

Of course, the Lions could draft Georgia’s Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick, but again, if they have no line to protect him, he could wind up being another Joey Harrington. It all comes down to what Mayhew and the Detroit scouting team thinks about Stafford. If they believe he’s a franchise-type quarterback, then he’ll be in Honolulu blue next year. But if he’s not very high on their boards, then they need to address other areas and maybe Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy or another quarterback prospect will be available next year.

In terms of addressing their defense, the Lions could go any direction they want. They could throw big money at any one of the top free agents (Julius Peppers, Terrell Suggs, Nnamdi Asomugha, Karlos Dansby, etc.) and then draft the best available in April. Or they could choose to rebuild the roster with bargain-type free agents that fit into new head coach Jim Schwartz and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham’s scheme. Either way, there are a plethora of solid defensive players in both free agency and the draft, so there should be no excuse for Mayhew not to address that side of the ball this offseason. (Of course, he still has to convince free agents to come to Detroit, which won’t be any small task.)

Lions fans have every reason not to be optimistic that good things are on the horizon. But the good thing is that the Matt Millen era is over and now Mayhew will have an opportunity to implode the roster and start over. And despite the overall lack of talent, Mayhew does have a franchise player in Calvin Johnson to build the offense around. Hopefully he can build off his first move (wisely dumping receiver Roy Williams for multiple draft picks) as Lions’ GM and right a sinking ship.

- Steven Jackson’s status for Week 9 is still up in the air after being “limited” in practice on Thursday. Jackson is battling a quad injury. (Belleville News-Democrat)

- Cowboys’ TE Jason Witten will be a game-time decision this Sunday in New York. He did not practice on Thursday as he continues to nurse a rib injury. (DallasCowboys.com)

- Rookie Darren McFadden apparently has turf toe on both of his feet and isn’t expected to play Sunday against the Falcons. (ESPN)

- It might not be this week, but the Lions are expected to give Drew Stanton a shot at quarterback sometime this season according to beat writer Tom Kowalski. (Mlive.com)

- Mike Celizic writes that Bud Selig is not cut out to be MLB’s commissioner. (NBC Sports)

- Joe Henderson wonders aloud if this year’s World Series could get any worse. (St. Petersburg Times)

- Hugh Falk lays out Part 1 of his blue print on how to fix the BCS. (RealClearSports.com)

- Johnette Howard writes that Jerry Jones is running the Dallas Cowboys into the ground. (Newsday)

- Bill Simmons hands out his predictions for the 2008-09 NBA Season. (ESPN.com)

- Cedric Golden says that the San Antonio Spurs’ title window has already closed. (Austin American-Statesman)

- Dave Kriger notes that a fixed site for future World Series would make more sense. (Rocky Mountain News)

- Drew Sharp says the Lions should start second-year quarterback Drew Stanton on Sunday. (Detroit Free Press)

- Peter King notes that we should expect the NFL Replay Rule to be tweaked. (Sports Illustrated)

“Was there reasonable cause to put me on IR? Yeah, because they said there’s a bulging disk. But the reality is, most guys have bulging disks,” Kitna said in the interview.

“I really feel like I could have played last Sunday at probably above 90 percent health-wise,” he said in the interview. “I played the last two years most of the time probably 75 to 80 percent health-wise with different type of things.”

It’s hard to argue with the Lions for wanting to make a change, especially after they fired GM Matt Millen. They’re trying to figure out what they have on their roster and if either Dan Orlovsky or Drew Stanton can develop at quarterback. It sounds like Kitna understands that, but due to his competitive nature he understandably wants to play.

One had to imagine that Kitna would struggle this year without Mike Martz, which he has. His interceptions in the fourth quarter cost Detroit a chance to make a remarkable comeback against the Packers and that wasn’t the first time he has made terrible mistakes late in games. But he gave that team a true leader and made a lot of the players accountable for their actions. Eventually that’s what the Lions need in a quarterback, but unfortunately for Kitna it looks like his time in Detroit is over.

- Jeff Garcia is expected to take over the starting quarterback role in Tampa again as Brian Griese continues to battle with an arm injury. Apparently even if Griese were healthy enough to play, Garcia would still get the start this week against division rival Carolina based on his performance last Sunday in Denver. (Tampa Tribune)

- Lions’ QB Jon Kitna will have an MRI on his back after not being able to practice on Wednesday. That means either Dan Orlovsky or Drew Stanton could start this Sunday against the Vikings. Orlovsky apparently has the edge as of right now. (Mlive.com)

- RB Darren McFadden practice with the Raiders on Wednesday, but still might be limited this week. (Oakland Tribune)

- Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan expects WR Eddie Royal to play in Week 6 against the Jaguars despite having an ankle injury. That doesn’t mean Royal is a lock to play, especially considering he missed Wednesday’s practice. (NFL.com)

After viewing the rankings on ESPN.com’s draft site, I saw that both Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. – considered “experts” in the industry – rated Michigan State’s Drew Stanton as the third best QB prospect. What? You mean the same Drew Stanton that threw for a minuscule 12 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions his senior season? The Drew Stanton that led the Spartans to a 1-7 record in the Big Ten and crapped himself under pressure at every turn?

Heading into the 2006 season, Stanton was regarded by many as the best quarterback prospect in the NCAA. After MSU’s collapse, Stanton dropped off the radar, only to rise again after Troy Smith’s national championship game debacle. This is what I find funny about these national scouts. They pick a horse, ride it, and if it starts to crumble, hop off and find another.

To me, the third best prospect in the draft is still Smith. He is extremely athletic, throws a very catchable ball and gives a team versatility as far as running the ball. Don’t get me wrong; neither prospect should go earlier than round three in my opinion, but to hear that Stanton is getting better grades than Smith is a joke. Everyone points to lack of height with Smith, but forgot what he did on the field last year, which is the only thing that should matter.

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