After a very good rookie season with the Detroit Lions in 2004, Jones has never been able to live up to the promise he illustrated that year. Last year with the Bears, Jones rush for only 109 yards in 34 attempts.

In 2009, Jones was likely to be the backup running back behind starter Matt Forte. Instead, the 27-year-old faces up to ten months of recovery. If his recovery doesn’t go smoothly, there’s a good chance that his NFL career could be over.

Adrian Peterson — the other Adrian Peterson — will now be the backup at running back. The 30-year-old Peterson has been on the Bears since 2002. Last season, he had 100 rushing yards on 20 attempts. For his career, he has 1,232 rushing yards on an average of 4.1 yards per rush.

Kevin Jones out for the season (Image: Zuma Press)

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Kevin Jones Injured and Out for the Season

According to multiple sources, the Lions have claimed O’Connell. After losing all 16 of their games last season, the Lions had the first crack at claiming O’Connell — and they did just that.

Detroit needed a quarterback due to injury. Drew Stanton, the third string quarterback, will reportedly undergo surgery this week to repair torn cartilage in his knee. Daunte Culpepper, who many analysts believe will start for the Lions at the beginning of the 2009 NFL season, needed stitches recently to repair a cut foot.

The Lions will get to take a look at O’Connell and the former Patriots backup could carve out a backup role in Detroit. If not, another team will likely take a chance on him if he’s put on the open market again.

Kevin O'Connell to the Detroit Lions (Image: Zuma Press)

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Detroit Lions Claim Kevin O’Connell

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With a rookie coach and no quarterback standing out so far, the Bucs appear to be headed to a poor season in their 2009 campaign.

4. Oakland Raiders
For the Raiders to be decent, they need JaMarcus Russell to play better than expected. Don’t count on it.

3. Kansas City Chiefs
It’s difficult to find any bright spot on this team. A lot of solid pieces but the strengths are minimal.

2. St. Louis Rams
The offense will likely struggle and the defense isn’t that good. They have to hope for a big year from their offensive line to compete.

1. Detroit Lions
After going 0-16 last season, the Lions need to show they aren’t historically bad before they rise out of last.

Can Calvin Johnson Lead the Lions out of Last? (Image: Zuma Press)

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Worst Teams in the NFL – August Edition

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)

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Jon Jansen Plans to Sign with Lions

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)

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Paris Lenon Inks Deal with the Patriots

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.

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Larry Foote to Sign with the Detroit Lions

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.

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Detroit Lions to Select Matthew Stafford

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)

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Ronald Curry Signs with 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.

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Stafford Among Players Invited to NFL Draft

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?

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Stafford Works Out with Lions Today