Detroit Lions will start first set of OTA practices today

Source: MLive.com by Anwar S. Richardson | arichar2@mlive.com

The Detroit Lions will have the first of 10 scheduled OTA practices starting today in Allen Park.

Detroit Lions will start its first set of OTA practices today

Source: MLive.com by Anwar S. Richardson | arichar2@mlive.com

The Detroit Lions will have its first of 10 scheduled OTA practices on Monday in Allen Park.

BBAO: OTAs are here! OTAs are here!

Source: NFC North Blog

We're Black and Blue All Over: Good Monday morning to everyone. It doesn't get a whole lot bigger than the first week of organized team activities, or OTAs as we call them in the business, and that's exactly the point we've reached in the NFL offseason. The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers have scheduled their first OTAs of the spring for Monday, and the Chicago Bears will have one Tuesday. The Minnesota Vikings will open OTAs a week from Tuesday.

Austin Wells Scouting Report

Source: Pride Of Detroit by Sean Yuille

Big offensive line thing coming

Source: The Lions In Winter

Been working on it for quite a while. Shooting for lunchtime Monday.

Lions QB Matthew Stafford bids $15K on MNF prize, donates it to patient

Source: The Detroit News by Angelique S. Chengelis - The Detroit News

Stafford made the winning bid of $15,000 on a Lions-Bears Monday night football package he actually donated to send a U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital patient and her family to the game in late October.

Lions begin trials for making roster

Source: The Detroit News by Chris McCosky - The Detroit News

Monday marks the start of the process, the four-step process, toward winning a spot on the roster. Step one is the OTAs (offseason team activities). The first three of 10 total are Monday through Wednesday.

Alex Gottlieb Scouting Report

Source: Pride Of Detroit by Sean Yuille

TE Alex Gottlieb (William & Mary) - Undrafted Free Agent

Following the draft, the Detroit Lions signed two undrafted free agents who play tight end. One of the players who signed was William & Mary's Alex Gottlieb, who got a deal done the night the draft came to a close.

Experts' Opinions

SI.com:

Positives: Hardworking tight end who gets the most

Lions Have Reportedly Shown Interest In Deon Grant

Source: Pride Of Detroit by Sean Yuille

The Detroit Lions have not yet signed a veteran safety, but it's not for a lack of trying. They have put an emphasis on exploring quite a few different options at safety, but none of the players they have expressed interest in have signed with the team as of right now.

So far this offseason, the Lions have hosted free-agent safeties Oshiomogho Atogwe, Chris Crocker and Sean Jones for

Detroit Lions running back Kevin Smith hoping for more ground production

Source: MLive.com by Anwar S. Richardson | arichar2@mlive.com

Detroit Lions running back Kevin Smith believes receiver Calvin Johnson is the key to a better ground game in 2012.

The Detroit Lions and the Wide 9: Do the Lions Ignore the Cornerback Position?

Source: Bleacher Report

There is a widely held perception that the Detroit Lions ignore the cornerback position. Those who hold this opinion point to their cornerback play as a weakness and view it as a problem that the Lions won't be able to overcome. The games they played against Green Bay (Week 17) and New Orleans (2011-12 playoff game) certainly make their argument seem valid.

The Detroit Lions run a defense called the wide nine. It can essentially be described as a defense that lines up the defensive ends wider than normal. Most defensive ends play the seven technique. The seven technique is the position that is on the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle.

The Lions line up their defensive ends in the nine technique on the outside shoulder of the tight end (or where a tight end would be) and try to use the larger area as a weakness for offensive tackles. It is accurate to portray offensive linemen as players that move well in short, smaller distances.

If you make a lineman back pedal laterally while trying to cover ground they are not used to covering, it will give a defensive end an advantage. This advantage really stands out with defensive ends that are superior athletes. It exposes offensive linemen to a multitude of moves that a defensive end can use from the bull rush to the inside move.

The Lions use the pressure that their defensive line generates to set the tone for their defense. They have an inordinate amount of talent across their defensive line and they will go as far as this unit takes them. This brings us to how this scheme impacts the rest of the defense.

Cornerback is a position that some consider one of the most important on a football team. In the new NFL where quarterbacks are slinging the ball all over the field it seems like a common-sense approach to cover the wide receivers. It appears that there are multiple ways to do this.

The Lions feel that they can effectively cover wide receivers by reducing the amount of time that the quarterback has to throw the ball. Looking at their results it is easy to see that the Lions have some reason to believe that what they are doing is paying dividends.

These dividends come in the form of sacks and interceptions. The Lions had 21 interceptions in 2011, finishing fifth out of 32 teams. They also had 41 sacks which put them in a tie for 10th in the NFL.

It appears that the cornerback position is not a position that the Lions prioritize. That’s not to say that they don’t value good cornerback play. Their approach to the position confuses and angers fans as evidenced by the reaction they had with the player the Lions selected in Round 2 of the 2012 NFL draft.

The Lions passed on a cornerback to draft a wide receiver and fan reaction was, at best, described as tepid. There was anger also as fans had a hard time believing that wide receiver was a player the Lions needed.

We should all know by now that talent trumps need and their approach to take the best player available means that we are going to be surprised at times. They definitely have earned some sense of trust as they have gone from winless to the playoffs in three years. Take a peek at the 2008 Lions roster and see for yourself how devoid of talent it was.

It seems that some believe that there was a cornerback available in Round 2 that could help them now. That logic is flawed, however, and I fully expect to take a lot of heat for writing that. This league is all about what is happening now. There was simply no cornerback that was going to positively impact them in 2012.

This brings us back to their scheme and what the Lions do on defense well. They get after the quarterback and pressure him into making mistakes. When they get pressure, they get good cornerback play and when they don’t they look very bad, especially when injuries force their nickel and dime corners into starting roles.

Even the best cornerbacks in the league can’t cover wide receivers for a long time. The defensive line makes it all go and the Lions can get away with average play out of their secondary as long as they get a high level of play from their defensive line.

You can look across the NFL today to see how some of the best teams are built. The Green Bay Packers are a great team but when their defensive line doesn’t get pressure they give up a lot of yards and points. The same can be said about the NFL champion New York Giants.

The Lions appear to be at the front of the curve, with some other teams, when it comes to building a championship-contending team. They are a very young team that is just arriving onto the scene but they are building it just like the elite NFL teams do. You can see it from looking at the numbers from the 2011 season.

When it comes to pass defense the statistics are surprising. The Giants finished 29th in pass defense, the New Orleans Saints were 30th, the New England Patriots were 31st and the Green Bay Packers were dead last. These teams are powers in the NFL but they struggle to defend the pass, especially when their defenses can’t pressure the quarterback.

Looking at each of these teams’ draft classes is also interesting. The Giants took a running back and a wide receiver in the first two rounds. The Saints didn’t have a pick in the first two rounds. The Patriots took a defensive end and a linebacker with their first two picks and the Packers took a defensive end and a defensive tackle with their first two picks. 

Every one of these teams ignored the cornerback position at the top of the draft even though they ranked very poorly in 2011. You can attribute some of it to these teams having a lead and forcing their opponent to throw the ball but the bottom line is that they struggle with their secondary play unless the front seven of the defense gets pressure.

It seems as though the Lions are building their team the same way as the teams above do. Does anyone think this is a bad thing? Would we not all be happy with the results that these teams have had? Is there a Lions fan anywhere that wouldn’t be happy with a Super Bowl victory?

The Lions are on the right track and are becoming a team to reckon with. It is hard to think that they are given their history, but they are right where they need to be from a developmental perspective.

Read more Detroit Lions news on BleacherReport.com

Lions Notes: Fullback James Bryant Just Wants To 'Create Holes'

Source: Pride Of Detroit by Sean Yuille

Sports Illustrated's Andy Gray found a picture of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw from when they were kids.
Fullback James Bryant has a very old school approach to his position. Here's what he had to say in an interview with

Free agent safety Deon Grant says Detroit Lions have shown interest

Source: MLive.com by Justin Rogers | jrogers@mlive.com

Grant, a 12-year veteran, started nine games for the New York Giants last season. He finished the year with 64 tackles and one interception.

Wallace Miles Scouting Report

Source: Pride Of Detroit by Sean Yuille

WR Wallace Miles (North Carolina A&T) - Undrafted Free Agent

Wallace Miles was originally invited to the Detroit Lions' rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. During the minicamp last week, Miles performed well enough to earn a contract offer. He signed earlier this week and is now on the list of undrafted free agent signings and the Lions' roster.

Experts' Opinions

Not

Detroit Tigers should sign Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson — Immediately!

Source: Detroit Sports 360 by Adam Biggers

Considering the fact that Calvin Johnson is one of the most dominant players in the NFL, it comes as quite the shock to hear that football wasn’t his first love. No, Johnson, who was ranked the fourth-best player in the NFL, was infatuated with baseball before moving onto the gridiron. Hearing that, my first thought was [...]

Point Spreads Released For Nearly Every Lions Game

Source: Pride Of Detroit by Sean Yuille

Last month, after the 2012 NFL schedule was announced, point spreads were released for the games in Week 1. Now, thanks to the folks at Cantor Gaming, we have point spread for the first 16 weeks of the 2012 season. Is this a bit premature? There's no doubt considering a lot will change by the time these games are actually played. Even so, it's interesting to see how the Detroit Lions are expected to do in 2012 on a game-by-game basis. Here's the

Former NFL lineman: At least 50 percent of players use marijuana (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Former NFL offensive lineman Lomas Brown, an ESPN analyst, believes more than half of NFL players smoke marijuana.

Calvin Johnson goes deep before Tigers game (National Football Post)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Megatron shows he's a slugger too

Video: Calvin Johnson hits it out of the park during Tigers batting practice (Shutdown Corner)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Friday was a pretty good day for the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Not only did Justin Verlander come within two outs of his third career no-hitter in a 6-0 shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson provided some interesting fireworks for the home crowd before the game even started. Johnson warms up with a couple hacks, the third swing provides a blooper not unlike the Josh Harrison single that ended Verlander's potential gem, and then ... wham! Swing #5 heads out to the bullpen. Not surprisingly, Johnson has been a baseball guy for a long time. The former centerfielder grew up in Tyrone, Ga., with a love for the game and didn't play football for the first time until the seventh grade. "My mom wouldn't let me play," Johnson told the Lions' official website just one day before his BP dinger. "I always wanted to play, but she wouldn't let me when I was little. She was afraid I'd get hurt." Baseball was something Johnson did from a much earlier age. "I know more baseball history than I know football history," he said. "I've always been a Ken Griffey fan ... [Fred] McGriff was my dude. He had long arms and used to have his own baseball camp — I remember all of that." Johnson was contacted by the Tigers and asked to throw out the first pitch of the Pirates game, with the added perk that he could grab a bat as well. He did the same in 2007, and he's the second Lions player to do so this season -- quarterback Matthew Stafford (a pitcher in high school) had the honor on April 22. Johnson remembers pitching as well ("My best pitches were slider and cut fastball — cut fastball was my best") but he really wanted to knock one out of there.

Marshall: 'We'll have a chance to win it'

Source: NFC North Blog

On Friday, we gave you a look at the sartorial splendor of Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall during the time he spent at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn. Now let's look at some of the bold talk Marshall presented during his various appearances. In the video cut of his time on "First Take," we hear Marshall say: "Honestly I think we can not only make it to the Super Bowl but I think we'll have a chance to win it." And during his appearance on "NFL Live," Marshall offered this assessment of the NFC North when asked what the Bears need to do to keep up with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions: "I look at it the other way.

Lions assistant Tim Walton expects competition in Detroit's secondary

Source: MLive.com by Anwar S. Richardson | arichar2@mlive.com

The Detroit Lions' secondary struggled toward the end of last season, but an influx of talent has created competition among defensive backs.

Lions sixth-round pick Jonte Green eyes role in secondary

Source: The Detroit News by Rod Beard - The Detroit News

Although the Lions made strides as a team last season, reaching the playoffs for the first time since'99, they also realized how much more work they need to do to becoming an elite team in the NFL. Especially on defense.

Brown: Marijuana use among players widespread (Pro Football Weekly)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The marijuana arrests of three Lions players this offseason doesn’t shock former Detroit OT Lomas Brown. In fact, he believes it’s merely an indication of larger, leaguewide problem.

VIDEO: Calvin Johnson Hits Home Run At Comerica Park

Source: Pride Of Detroit by Sean Yuille

As mentioned earlier, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson was at Comerica Park on Friday to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Tigers and Pirates. He also took part in batting practice with the Tigers and hit a home run. We now have video of the homer, and you can check it out below.

Johnson attended the game with his fellow receivers, and

Calvin Johnson Hits a Homer Before Tigers-Pirates Game

Source: Lions Gab by Matt Loede

Calvin Johnson has gone deep again — and this time he wasn’t looking over his shoulder for one of Matthew Stafford’s passes.

The star wide receiver from the Lions took a few swings at Comerica Park on Friday night before the Tigers hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Johnson even hit one ball over the fence in left field. Johnson, who played baseball in high school, also threw out a ceremonial first pitch before the game.

Johnson said if he had tried to play another sport professionally other than football, it would have been baseball. He says he’s a Tigers fan and tries to get to the ballpark when he can.

Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson a Hit at Comerica Park

Source: SideLion Report by Zac Snyder

Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson a Hit at Comerica Park - SideLion Report - SideLion Report - A Detroit Lions Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Megatron cracks homer at Tigers' batting practice

Source: NFL.com by Sessler, Marc

Outfield fences are apparently no match for Calvin Johnson. The "Madden" cover boy added "home-run power" to his list of proven attributes when he socked a long ball in batting practice with the Tigers.

Lions' Johnson homers at Comerica (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

DETROIT (AP) Calvin Johnson has gone deep again - and this time he wasn't looking over his shoulder for one of Matthew Stafford's passes.

Video: Detroit Lions' Calvin Johnson launches homer during Detroit Tigers' batting practice

Source: MLive.com by James Schmehl | jschmehl@mlive.com

It took a few pitches for Detroit Lions wideout Calvin Johnson to find a rhythm, but during his second turn, he took a meatball into the home bullpen over the left-field wall.

Detroit Lions do not garner respect of Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall

Source: MLive.com by Anwar S. Richardson | arichar2@mlive.com

Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall said it was important to pay respect to the Green Bay Packers, but failed to mention the Detroit Lions when asked about the NFC North.

Lions' Calvin Johnson hits home run at Comerica Park

Source: The Detroit News by John Niyo - The Detroit News

Calvin Johnson is known as a home-run hitter on the football field.

Calvin Johnson Goes Yard At Comerica Park

Source: Pride Of Detroit by Sean Yuille

As mentioned on Thursday, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson is at Comerica Park today to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Tigers-Pirates game. A few hours before the game, Johnson got a chance to take part in batting practice with Tigers players. Although he may be a football player first, Johnson is no

VIDEO: Bold Prediction On Lions' Lead Runner In 2012

Source: Pride Of Detroit by Sean Yuille

The Detroit Lions have a good deal of talent at the running back position. Between Jahvid Best, Mikel Leshoure and Kevin Smith, on paper there is a pretty good running back by committee in place for an already explosive offense. In reality, though, there are quite a few question marks surrounding these running backs. Best is trying to return from a season-ending concussion, while Leshoure is trying to return from an Achilles injury and may be facing a suspension for his run-ins with the law this offseason. Smith is healthy right now, but

Brandon Marshall at his sartorial finest

Source: NFC North Blog

Daggone it! I knew I left my bow tie, suspenders and short-sleeve dress shirt in Bristol, Conn., this morning. Fortunately, Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall found and wore them in my honor during his Friday morning appearance on "SportsCenter."

Surprised he went undrafted, Detroit Lions moved quickly to sign WR Patrick Edwards

Source: MLive.com by Justin Rogers | jrogers@mlive.com

Edwards put up monster numbers playing four seasons in Houston's Air Raid offense.

Matthew Stafford Considered One Of NFL's Top Players Under 25

Source: Pride Of Detroit by Sean Yuille

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah recently put together a list of the top 10 players in the NFL under the age of 25. The list shows just how much young talent there is in the league and right here in Detroit. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is 24 years old, made the list. Here's why:

Surprised? It's hard to believe that Stafford is still only 24 years old. After two injury-plagued years, he was able to stay healthy and post some incredible numbers in 2011. He passed

MLive Media Group to launch new commenting platform

Source: MLive.com by Jen Eyer | jeyer@mlive.com

MLive Media Group is proud to announce the launch of a new commenting platform with features to serve a diverse and engaged user community. The new platform, which will launch early next week, features comments that update in real time,...

Rob Sims adds weight, hopes to play next to Jeff Backus

Source: NFL.com by NFL.com

After two seasons of playing at around and often under 300 pounds, Detroit Lions guard Rob Sims had added 20 pounds this offseason, returning to the weight he carried as a 2007 fourth round pick out of Ohio State by the Seattle Seahawks.

Bill targeting concussions in youth sports is endorsed by Detroit Lions President Tom Lewand

Source: MLive.com by Tim Martin | tmartin4@mlive.com

Detroit Lions President Tom Lewand testified in favor of a bill that addresses concerns about concussions, which are most talked about in the NFL but are filtering down to youth sports.

Your turn: Feedback on blog operations

Source: NFC North Blog

I spent a good part of this week reviewing not only the past year on this blog but also some of our daily and weekly events that have become routine over time. I have some thoughts and ideas, but first I want to hear from you. As NFC East readers did earlier this week for colleague Dan Graziano, I want your unvarnished take on what you like about this blog, what you don't like and how you want it to change and evolve. I can't guarantee any particular tweak, but this is certainly the time of year to consider them.

Schwartz pleased with Lions' rookie camp

Source: Scout.com

All things considered -- and all qualifiers about not drawing conclusions from a three-day sample duly noted -- coach Jim Schwartz was pleased with what he saw from the Lions' rookie minicamp last weekend.

Roaring Rookies: The impact of Riley Reiff

Source: Scout.com

With the understanding that rookie contributions will be necessary for the team to return to the playoffs, we will examine the Detroit Lions rookies with the strongest chance of making the team’s 53-man roster leading up to training camp. First up? Riley Reiff ...

Five reasons Detroit Lions could win Super Bowl XLVII

Source: MLive.com by Anwar S. Richardson | arichar2@mlive.com

The Detroit Lions were 10-6 last season, but could take that next step and win Super Bowl XLVII if certain things go right in 2012.

Brown: At least 50 percent of NFL players smoke pot

Source: NFL.com by Sessler, Marc

Former Lions offensive tackle Lomas Brown claims at least 50 percent of NFL players smoke marijuana. He says that figure is actually down from when he played the game.

Kellen Moore Is a Ridiculous Long Shot to Make the Detroit Lions Active Roster

Source: Bleacher Report

Kellen Moore may be the winningest quarterback in college football history, but this year he's going to be in a dog fight just to make the Detroit Lions' active roster.

If you've spent the last four years reading Boise State press clippings, this article may not be for you.

Yes, Broncos fans have a hard time separating college production from NFL projection, but they're not the only ones. Following the 2012 NFL draft, Sports Illustrated's Peter King called Moore going undrafted patently absurd.

However, 32 personnel departments disagreed with Mr. King and Boise State fans everywhere, so their must be something not absurd about it.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report took a look at Moore's pro projection back in September and came away with little positive to say.

His conclusion was this:

Many successful college quarterbacks over the years were deemed unfit for NFL duty before they even put on a pro-level helmet. Guys like Eric Crouch, Jason White and Jared Zabransky knew when they left their respective colleges that their days of playing at a high-level were over.

Kellen Moore falls into this group of college quarterbacks who do not have the qualities of an NFL quarterback.

Wins and statistics are the two most misused and faulty measures of a quarterback's potential and Moore has both in spades, but physically, Moore doesn't have a lot to offer an NFL team.

At a shade under 6', Moore falls into a category of short quarterbacks that tend not to make it in the pros. While it's easy to point out guys like Drew Brees and Doug Flutie who bucked the trend, it's just as easy to mention the hundreds of other fantastic college quarterbacks who "went pro in something other than sports" because they didn't have prototypical size.

But size isn't everything.

Russell Wilson is actually shorter than Moore and was drafted in the third round by the Seattle Seahawks. Now, Wilson is being mentioned in contention for the Seahawks' starting spot (along with Tarvaris Jackson and Matt Flynn.)

So what does Wilson have that Moore doesn't?

Just about everything.

Wilson has phenomenal arm strength, spinning the football as well as anyone in this draft class and accurate on short, intermediate and long throws. Moreover, Wilson has mobility, allowing the Seahawks to move the pocket in order to minimize his (literal) shortcomings.

Last season, Wilson played behind one of the tallest lines in all of football as the Wisconsin Badgers' offensive line dwarfed NFL and collegiate teams alike.

One last negative on Moore's scouting report—as a left-hander, he's facing an uphill battle to NFL success. It seems silly, but the list of successful modern left-handed quarterbacks is almost as sparse as the list of short quarterbacks that Moore is also on.

Moore being a lefty means Detroit will need to flip their playbook, messing with precious muscle memory for every other position and, as Moore works on his mechanics, he'll be (mostly) alone as coaches are often left puzzled by the quirks of left-handers.

What does Moore have going for him besides being "a winner?" Well, Moore is extremely intelligent. I've often said Moore's best path to the NFL would be as a coach, similar to former Texas quarterback Major Applewhite.

Because of that football intelligence, Moore should have no problem picking up Scott Linehan's playbook. Also, with the pressure of winning (or even starting) taken away, Moore should be able to focus on the mechanical flaws that are holding him back even further than his physical limitations. 

The Lions have a special appreciation for third quarterbacks, as Drew Stanton held that position for many years and was pressed often into duty. In 2011, Stanton was paid more than the minimum salary and was the only emergency QB able to say that.

With Matthew Stafford's injury history, Moore could be called into action and become just as valuable as Stanton was.

That means the Lions need to be comfortable—eventually—with Moore being able to keep a team in games as much as they are comfortable with him being a long-term project.

Because of that, it's hard to imagine Moore making the Lions' active roster this year.

He simply isn't ready for the NFL, no matter how much Boise State fans, Peter King and others want to root for him. The work Moore needs to do between now and being a capable NFL player should be done on a practice squad.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz isn't interested in handing Moore a spot and said as much following rookie minicamp where Moore didn't exactly look like he would be earning one. Moore misfired on numerous throws and (at times) was outplayed by Arena League-tryout R.J. Archer.

A team going into a season with only two quarterbacks on the active roster isn't far-fetched—a third of all NFL teams did so last season. With the "emergency quarterback" rule a thing of the past, teams have less wiggle room at the position.

On top of that, plenty of veterans and rookies will become available in the coming weeks as rosters shrink from their current 90-man limit.

It's likely to think a few of those quarterbacks will be more NFL-ready than Moore and just as likely to think that some of them may be just as promising from a long-term perspective.

Still, the Lions liked Moore enough to sign him almost immediately following the NFL draft and he will be given every opportunity to succeed, but will need to be at his best at all times for a team that made the playoffs in 2011 and has every intention of doing so again in 2012.

The Detroit Lions will need every active roster spot to contribute to that goal and, right now, Kellen Moore is a ridiculous long shot to make that kind of contribution.

 

Follow @Schottey

Michael Schottey is an NFL Associate Editor for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. He has professionally covered both the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions, as well as NFL events like the scouting combine and the Senior Bowl.

Read more Detroit Lions news on BleacherReport.com

Ranking Lovie's salary among coaches

Source: NFC North Blog

As we catch up on this week's news and events after some rare May travel, it's worth pointing out Forbes Magazine's annual rankings of the highest-paid coaches in professional sports. The top 10 includes eight NFL coaches and two from the NBA. One NFC North name is on the list and I wonder if a second should be as well. As we've said many times, coaching salaries are among the NFL's best-kept secrets. Forbes' estimates are based on media reports and its own investigating, but ultimately the only people who know the numbers usually are the coach, the coach's agent, the owner and whoever handles the team's payroll and finances.

Detroit Lions: The Ten Commandments for Winning the NFC North in 2012

Source: Bleacher Report

There are 10 rules to live by for the Detroit Lions to win the NFC North in 2012.

When Moses originally came down off of Mount Sinai with the two tablets, or three if you’re a fan of Mel Brooks, the writings were to be a guide of basic principles for those who believed.

In a similar fashion, with some religious levity, we can extrapolate a similar set of rules to live by for the Detroit Lions.

10-6 was a great season given the previous years of national embarrassment, but the job is not complete and the first step towards getting to the final game of the NFL postseason is to win the division.

Following are what I feel are the basic Ten Commandments for a successful 2012 that, if followed, should yield what all Lions fans have been waiting for, a divisional crown.

In the name of the Schwartz, the Mayhew and the financier Lewand, here are the Detroit Lions' Ten Commandments…

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