Every year, you hear the same thing about the Lions, who usually hold a premium choice in the first round of the NFL Draft because they have struggled for so long.
Trade down. Get more picks. It would allow the Lions to add depth to their roster.
Most years, it is not feasible. Most struggling teams have the same thought. You need an apple of some team’s eye for it to occur. Normally it doesn’t.
This draft, however, might be different for the Lions. They have the second overall pick, and a domino likely must fall with the first overall pick, and that is the St. Louis Rams’ becoming enamored with a quarterback, either Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen or Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, and taking him. That would leave the Lions with Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh.
Suh is a great player, an active lineman about 300 pounds, but his ideal position is as defensive end in a 3-4 defense. The Lions run a 4-3 and need hefty inside tackles - and there are plenty in this draft.
If somebody wants to move up for Suh, or Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy, a similar type of player in many ways, the Lions might be able to secure extra draft picks by trading down - and still land the defensive linemen they need. I don’t ever remember a draft being this deep before in defensive linemen, particularly tackles. Dan Williams from Tennessee, Brian Price from UCLA and Gerald Odrick from Penn State are gap-control tackles the Lions need. The extra pick or picks would put the Lions in better position to address obvious needs in the secondary, at running back and along the offensive line, too.
The reports you are hearing about the Lions trying to trade down are not coming out of thin air - despite what head coach Jim Schwartz said Thursday.

Random Thoughts

- This is how I rated the teams in the Olympic ice hockey tournament before it started: 1. Canada; 2. Russia; 3. Sweden; 4. Finland; 5. United States; 6. Czech Republic; 7. Slovakia; 8. Switzerland.
Friday is going to be a rough game for the Americans. Finland is fierce. They are traditionally tough players internationally and have terrific goaltending. I’d give Finland a slight edge,
Canada should drill Slovakia, but remember, Slovakia’s front end players - Marian Gaborik, Marian Hossa and Zdeno Chara - are every bit as good as Canada’s best. Canada’s edge is depth.

- What’s with Richard Hamilton and the free throws? Those misses last night in Los Angeles were unreal. He has been playing so well otherwise. The Clippers just punked the Pistons inside, too.

My column in Thursday's Oakland Press on why the Ilitches hired Tom Wilson http://tinyurl.com/yaqbg94