Would Larry Foote help the Lions? Yeah, he is definitely better than their current choices at middle linebacker. Would Kevin Carter help the Lions? Probably, although at 35 you wonder how much he has left in the tank.
None of the above is the issue. It’s how the Lions are building toward the future and just completed the draft that’s perplexing. In the draft, they didn’t select an interior defensive lineman until the fourth round, and they didn’t take a middle linebacker until the third round. Both those players have to be considered developmental players - linebacker DeAndre Levy and defensive lineman Sammie Lee Hill.
Foote will probably effective for a few more years, but why not just take a middle linebacker early in the draft? Certainly the Lions had the option to do so. Carter and defensive tackle Grady Jackson are in their mid-30s. How is that a building plan, when your great weakness is the front seven defensively, and you plan on building through the draft?

Random Thoughts

- The Tigers need more offensively from Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez if they are going to stay in contention this summer.

- It will be interesting to see how Jim Leyland deals with Rick Porcello now that he has been rocked around a bit. It happens to every pitcher. The best pitchers - regardless of age - bounce back from it quickly. We’ll see what Porcello has in that regard.

- Call me crazy, but I see Carolina coming out of the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes got hot at just the right time. Beating New Jersey with those late goals seems to make the ‘Canes a team of destiny. Wonder who Kwame Kilpatrick will be rooting for if there is a Red Wings-Carolina final? Just a thought.