Lions listening to trade offers for 2nd pick

The Detroit Free Press is reporting the Lions are listening to trade offers for the 2nd overall pick in the NFL draft. According to Matt Millen, he's talking to teams that are interested in JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn.

Trading down and acquiring more draft choices makes a lot of sense for the Lions, a team that has many holes to fill. Also, they don't seem to be interested in any of the top players in the draft except for Joe Thomas.

Combine bench press numbers

The offensive lineman are in the weight room today. They're doing reps of 225 lbs. on the bench press. Here are some notable rep numbers -

Joe Thomas - 28 reps
Levi Brown - 31 reps
Ryan Kalil - 34 reps
Nathan Bennett - 34 reps
Brandon Frye - 34 reps
Dustin Fry - 34 reps
Manuel Ramirez - 40 reps
Justin Blalock - 40 reps

Guards and lineman with shorter arms typically do better in this drill than long armed tackles.

Another chance for Marcus Thomas

Marcus Thomas will be playing for the first time in several months today when he plays in the inaugural "Texas vs. the Nation" all-star game at the Sun Bowl. Thomas, probably the most talented player on the field, was once considered a first rounder. However, after a senior season full of turmoil, he'll need a big game and a lot of fast talking to convince NFL personnel to take a chance on him.

Thomas tested positive for marijuana twice over a four-week period, and was later kicked off the Florida Gators for violating terms of his reinstatement.

On the field Thomas is an impact interior lineman. He has a quick burst off the line of scrimmage and his combination of strength, agility, and determination make him hard to stop.

Lions dining with Thomas, not looking at QBs

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Detroit Lions team officials, including Matt Millen, took Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas to dinner Monday night.

Tuesday at the Senior Bowl offensive coordinator Mike Martz said the Lions needs were "everything, except for a quarterback."

This could be a smoke screen, but it looks like the Lions are satisfied with Kitna as their QB and will look to address other needs with the 2nd overall pick in the draft.

Lions control first pick

The Lions lost again on Sunday and they have three very losable games to finish out the season: at Green Bay, vs Chicago, and at Dallas. If they manage to lose all three, they should have the first pick in the 2007 NFL draft. Brady Quinn, Joe Thomas, or a trade down are all possibilities for the Lions with the first pick.

Cardinals Difficult Decision at Number One

If the draft were held today, the Arizona Cardinals would select first overall. So who would they select? The Cardinals certainly don't have a need for WR, RB, or QB; so we have to assume that they would pass on Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, and Brady Quinn. Would they select Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin? While that fills a major need, especially with Leonard Davis slated to be a free agent, it doesn't seem like a smart choice. A trade down would be a much better scenario with the Cards stockpiling additional picks.