It seems pretty obvious that Kyle Vanden Bosch has likely played his best football. It would seem likely, on the other side of 30, he would fit better on a contending team that is looking for a final piece or two to a puzzle than building blocks.
Will he play well this coming season? Probably. But will he be around when the Lions, if they make the right moves, find themselves in contention? Probably not.
I see the Lions needing a core of young players that come up together. Once that happens, signing a player such as Vanden Bosch would make much more sense.

- I don't get the impression Corey Williams is on the downside of his career. He is a good gap-control tackle with plenty of size. Fits Lions' 4-3. But how early a draft pick would the Lions have to surrender? Again. This is a 30-year-old player during the coming season. Fifth-round or above - cool. Fourth-round or lower - crazy.

- Three Things I like about the Lions singing Nate Burleson:
1. He can catch the ball. He may not be the biggest home run threat, but he doesn't drop passes. His last season in college, he caught 138 balls. He has been consistent. And he will get chances because Calvin Johnson does create room for the Lions' other receivers. Last season, however, it was pathetic how they weren't able to take advantage of it, which only led to more attention on Johnson.
2. This is not some older player on his last legs. Burleson should have a couple good seasons remaining. He did have a serious knee injury in 2008, but bounced back nicely last season.
3. He can return punts. He has actually returned a few punts for TDs in his career. He did well in this role last season. And it has been one of the Lions' many weaknesses in recent years.

My Column in Friday's Oakland Press: Why The Tigers Couldn't Do Better Than Jim Leyland http://tinyurl.com/yboxrvv