Well, it's not a rumor anymore. According to Tom Kowalski, Kevin Jones has said that he will be released.
"They said it was because of the injuries and the contract -- business decisions.''
Jones was set to enter the final year of his contract, and nothing could have foreshadowed this surprising move. I still don't get why the Lions are getting rid of their starting running back when no one is there to replace him. And no, Tatum Bell is not as good as a healthy Kevin Jones.
Once Jones officially is gone, the only running backs the Lions will have on their roster are Bell, Aveion Cason, and Brian Calhoun. That alone tells me what position they will be drafting with their first-round pick.
The only way I can close out a story like this is to say Fire Millen. I never thought he could top all of his previous bad decisions, but I think he just may have with this one.
Update [2008-3-13 16:25:35 by Sean Yuille]: If you go to the transactions page on the Lions' official website, it lists that Jones has in fact been released, and that Kalimba Edwards is also gone. Edwards isn't a big loss as his potential never panned out, but still, it's another Millen draft bust. As I already said, Fire Millen.
Update [2008-3-13 16:56:2 by Sean Yuille]: The official release has been posted on the Lions' website.