- SB Nation's second annual network-wide mock draft is scheduled to begin later today. There have been some changes made to this year's version, and the three most noticeable are that it will only be two rounds long, no trades can be made, and it will be hosted by Mocking the Draft (SBN's draft blog). A year ago when I was acting at the Lions' decision-maker, I actually traded down to the fourth pick and drafted Gaines Adams. This time around I won't be able to move around, but with the 15th pick of the first-round, I don't really see why I would have needed to anyways. Expect the first pick to be made by The Phinsider sometime this morning, and then I should be making the Lions' pick on Friday if everything goes as planned.
- Speaking of mock drafts, the Detroit Free Press' Nicholas Cotsonika picked defensive end Derrick Harvey for ESPN First Take's mock draft.
- Jim Brandstatter, the Lions' radio color commentator, picked offensive tackle Jeff Otah for NFL.com's mock draft.
- Linebacker Jerod Mayo and offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus visited Lions headquarters in Allen Park last week. Both are players the Lions may have interest in drafting, so them visiting should be no surprise. Since NFL teams are allowed to host up to 20 players, Detroit will be bringing in quite a few potential draft picks in the coming weeks.
- If Mayo does end up getting drafted by the Lions, he would likely play strongside linebacker as Rod Marinelli would rather have an experienced player calling the shots at middle linebacker.
- Jon Kitna thinks that the Lions need to act more professional next season.
"By that I mean, this is your job," Kitna said. "This is not, you come to work, you get here five minutes before you're supposed to be here and you leave two minutes after they let you go. That's not how this profession works. It's just not."
"You can't have the veteran that everybody looks up to in your meeting asleep," Kitna said. "You can't have that. If that's the case, then what's the young guy learning? That that's OK. That's what he's learning. I think we're heading in the right direction in terms of having those kind of people in this building."I'm guessing that Kitna is referring to specific players in those comments, some of which probably are no longer on this team. Rod Marinelli has spent the last few years weeding out the players that don't live up to his standards, and hopefully by now nobody will be falling asleep, because anyone that did that obviously isn't a Marinelli type of guy.
- One of those guys that didn't live up to Marinelli's standards, Kalimba Edwards, has found a new team. Edwards signed with the Raiders and got a two-year, $5 million contract. You know, I never thought any franchise could be as bad as the Lions, but Oakland is making a strong run at that title. $5 million for Kalimba Edwards? Seriously?
- The Lions signed free agent linebacker Alfred Fincher on Thursday.
- The national TV schedule for week one and Thanksgiving is expected to be released by the NFL today, according to Albert Breer of the Dallas Morning News. The complete NFL schedule was originally scheduled to be released later this week, but at this time it is not known if it will in fact be out then or at a later time.
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