Although everybody expects left tackle Jeff Backus to re-sign with the Detroit Lions this offseason, it's easier said than done. Just because he appears to be headed back to Detroit doesn't mean he will for sure return, which is why negotiations have to take place before anything is official.

The good news is that unlike the talks with Cliff Avril and Stephen Tulloch, the Lions are making progress with Backus. Pat Dye, his agent, had this to say to Dave Birkett on Wednesday:

"We met at the combine and had a positive discussion," Dye said. "We’ll probably be reconvening here in the near future and we’ll see where it goes."

Dye described the meeting at the NFL Combine as a productive one, indicating that this situation is headed for the expected result -- Backus re-signing with the Lions and returning for a 12th straight season as the team's starting left tackle.