Jon Jansen was released from the Washington Redskins on Friday. The 6-foot-6, 306 pound offensive tackle already knows where he wants to sign. After playing his high school and college ball at Michigan, Jansen wants to return to Michigan to play for the Detroit Lions.

The biggest question surrounding the 33-year-old is his health. Once upon a time he was one of the best offensive lineup in the NFL. But over the last few years, he has struggled with injures.

In 2004, Jansen missed the entire season. In 2007, he missed all but one game. Last year, Jansen started only 11 games due to injury and ineffective play.

With the Lions, Jansen will likely sign a one-year deal with the hopes of playing well enough to warrant a multi-year deal after the season. As for Detroit, the team has to be happy to have him. He’s a local product who could instantly grow into a fan favorite. And after going 0-16 last season, the Lions can use any help they can get.

Jon Jansen - Detroit Lions (Image: Zuma Press)

Linebacker has usually been a position of strength for the New England Patriots over the last few years. However, the Patriots looked to be thin at linebacker with training camp around the corner. On Wednesday, New England addressed their linebacking needs by signing free agent Paris Lenon.

Lenon fits the mold of what the Patriots look for in a linebacker. He’s good against the run, looks to make plays and has a healthy amount of veteran savvy. The 31-year-old out of Richmond has seven years of NFL experience. The last three years were with the Detroit Lions, while his previous four seasons were spent with the Green Bay Packers.

In the last two years, Lenon has produced his best stats. His 121 tackles last year led the Lions and he also totaled two forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks. In 2007, he had 118 tackles.

In his seven years, Lenon has never missed a game. That durability should be a good fit for the Patriots because the last few years they have had a lot of injuries in the linebacking corps.

Paris Lenon - New England Patriots Linebacker (Image: Zuma Press)

Larry Foote, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers, will sign with the Detroit Lions on Wednesday. According to multiple reports, Foote decided on the Lions after meeting with the team on Tuesday. The contract will be a one-year deal that will allow Foote to become a free agent after the 2009 NFL season.

While with the Steelers, Foote had a lot of success. He was a starting linebacker for the team during their Super Bowl championship runs in 2005 and last season. In seven seasons, Foote played 110 out of 112 possible games. His best season came in 2005 when he had 102 tackles.

Larry Foote, Detroit Lions (Image: Newscom)

Despite his production over the years, the Steelers decided to cut the 27-year-old out of Michigan. He had Lawrence Timmons breathing down his neck for a starting spot and the team felt his salary was best used elsewhere. With Foote gone, Timmons is now expected to start.

With the Lions, Foote will undoubtedly see a lot of action on the field. Detroit was 0-16 last season and one of their biggest weaknesses was their linebacking corps. If Foote can have a big season, he might be able to cash in next offseason.

Although the 2009 NFL Draft doesn’t begin until Saturday, the Detroit Lions already know who they will be selecting. Matthew Stafford, the quarterback out of Georgia, will be the number one pick of the draft and will receive a contract worth $72 million over six seasons. The two sides agreed to a contract on Friday night.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (Image: Newscom)

Out of the $72 million, about $42 million of the money is guaranteed. According to various reports, there is also $6 million in additional incentives over the life of the contract.

The selection of Stafford isn’t a surprise. Following the NFL’s first 0-16 season, the Lions needed a new face to the franchise. With the team also needing a quarterback, Stafford was a natural pick.

The only other players the Lions reportedly considered were Aaron Curry and Jason Smith. Curry is a linebacker out of Wake Forest, while Smith is a tackle out of Baylor.

The Lions will likely keep Stafford on the bench — at least to begin his rookie campaign. But most league experts expect him to get onto the field at some point during the 2009 NFL season.

Ronald Curry has signed a one-year contract to join the Detroit Lions. The wide receiver had spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the Oakland Raiders. In his career, Curry has 193 receptions for 2,347 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Curry has had an interesting sports career. While in high school, he was a highly recruited two-sport athlete. He went to North Carolina and starred on both the football and basketball teams. A quarterback in college, Curry was drafted in the 7th round of the 2002 NFL Draft.

Although it took him a few years to adjust to the new position of wide receiver, he played well in the 2004 NFL season — catching 50 passes for 679 yards and six touchdowns. A serious injury sidelined him for much of 2005, but he bounced back for two good seasons in 2006 and 2007.

With the Lions, he has a chance to help the team as a possession receiver who can use his big frame and athleticism to be an easy target for whoever quarterbacks the club. He doesn’t have a high ceiling but as a third or fourth receiver, he’s skilled enough to help out.

Ronald Curry now calls For Field home (Image: Flickr)

According to various reports, the NFL has invited a total of ten players to attend the 2009 NFL Draft. Among the players invited is quarterback Matthew Stafford, the player many experts believe will end up being the first overall pick by the Detroit Lions.

Matthew Stafford, 2009 NFL Draft (Image: Newscom)

The number of players invited is an increase over previous seasons. Typically, the number of players invited is capped at around six. The NFL has decided to change its policy to bring more excitement to the 2009 NFL Draft, which will be held April 25th and April 26th.

Below is the an alphabetical list of players that have reportedly been invited to attend the 2009 NFL Draft:

Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
Aaron Curry, Wake Forest
Brian Cushing, USC
Josh Freeman, Kansas State
Eugene Monroe, Virginia
Michael Oher, Ole Miss
Brian Orakpo, Texas
Mark Sanchez, USC
Jason Smith, Baylor
Matthew Stafford, Georgia

Out of those ten players, only Mark Sanchez has indicated that he might pass on the invitation to attend the 2009 NFL Draft.

Today, quarterback Matt Stafford is in Detroit at a private workout with the Lions. Since they have the number one pick, all eyes are on this team. The Lions definitely need some talent, but at the same time, it might not make sense for them to pick a quarterback first, especially when they have, in my opinion, greater needs in other positions.

Matt Stafford, Image: Newscom

Stafford isn’t the only play privately visiting Detroit. According to reports, Josh Freeman of Kansas also has a visit coming up with the Lions, and after this week’s USC pro day, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mark Sanchez is invited for a visit as well.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that the Lions will even have the number one pick come draft day. Some (including me) think it would be a better choice for the team to trade their pick for more later-round picks or other perks. After all, they have another pick later in the first round.

What do you think - will Stafford go to Detroit?

First it was the St. Louis Rams canning Scott Linehan. Then, the Oakland Raiders finally fired Lane Kiffin. But, which NFL franchise will be the next to make a coaching change?

The Raiders finally pulled the trigger on Kiffin, firing him after weeks of speculation. Al Davis said he ‘picked the wrong guy’ when he chose Kiffin for the job. Linehan was canned by the Rams after starting the season 0-4. Yet, I have to wonder, who’s next?

Is Marvin Lewis’ job safe in Cincinnati? What about Rod Marinelli in Detroit? Marinelli is actually my choice for the next guy to go. The Lions have finally proved they will fire someone (after Matt Millen was kicked to the curb) and there is no sign of improvement in sight.

The Lions are 0-3 in 2008, losing to three teams with a .500 record. The statistics for the Lions are just as bad as their winless record. Detroit is 26th in total offense (289 yards per game) and dead last in total defense (430 yards allowed per game).

So, it’s not hard to point fingers and speculate about Marinelli’s fate in Detroit. It seems like it’s only a matter of time.

Image: Newscom

The Detroit Free Press reports that Matt Millen says “Lions have his back.” Hmm… But the fans don’t.

The Orange Squeeze ponders what the attendance will be at this weekend’s Syracuse-Northeastern college football game.

NESW Sports has a a video of Wee Man picking up and supporting the full weight of Shaq.

Ball Don’t Lie has a YouTube video of the day where Tony Parker claims he is a PC.

Devil Ball Golf takes a look at all of Friday’s matches at the Ryder Cup and provides a live blog of the action.

Poor Jon Kitna. Last year, he became the man who “guaranteed” that the Lions would win 10 games. He was consistently mocked, with ESPN tracking the Lions progress against his prediction, then ultimately celebrating when — as they expected — the Lions fell short. He’s at it again. Here’s what he actually said:

We will be disappointed to not win 10 games because, as I’ve said, to not win 10 means you’re not in the playoffs. That’s why we play. So that’s the same expectation level we’ll have this year. I’m still trying to get over the disappointment of last year to be honest with you.

Pretty reasonable, actually. Kitna wants win, and will be disappointed if he doesn’t. Of course, this will eventually turn into Kitna guarantees 10 wins again, LOL!