Detroit LIONS   2002 Record: 3-13 Head Coach: Steve Mariucci 57-39-0 overall, 3-4 postseason TEAM LEADERS   Passing Joey Harrington 215-429, 2,294 yards, 12 TDs, 16 INTs   Rushing James Stewart 231 carries, 1,021 yards, 4 TDs   Receiving Bill Schroeder 36 catches, 595 yards, 5 TDs   Kicking Jason Hanson 23-28 FG, 31-31 PAT, 100 points Schedule | Roster | Statistics | Stadium

By B. Duane Cross, SI.com

Here's the deal: If you're a fan of an NFC North team, you did not like the return of Steve Mariucci to Michigan. As long as Matt Millen was flying solo, Detroit was not going to make a run for the division title.

All that changed when John York, Terry Donahue and Bill Walsh lost their collective minds and dumped Mooch in the Frisco Bay after the 49ers' loss to the eventual champion Buccaneers in the playoffs.

Millen knew he was floundering in the Motor City, so signing state native Mariucci was a deft move; at least we know Millen's scrappy instincts are intact. And that does not bode well for the NFC. Consider the oft-overlooked signing of free agent RB Shawn Bryson, who will challenge incumbent James Stewart for the starter's job.

All in all, the Lions have the building blocks to construct a formidable contender. And they have an ace up their sleeve with backup QB Mike McMahon, who could start for many of the league's teams right now. McMahon will be prime trade bait when the need arises.

Just not this year.

In the meantime, Detroit looks to improve on its 28th-ranked offense and No. 31 defense.

>> Impact Signing

CB Dre Bly -- Maybe the most eye-popping free-agent signing of the offseason, Bly joins the Lions' secondary to help improve a defense that had only 10 INTs and gave up an NFC-worst 28.2 points per game (only Cincinnati's 28.5 was worse). For the record, Bly has 14 picks in four seasons -- and six of those came in one year. But give Detroit credit: The Lions wanted Bly and weren't going to let anyone out-bid them.

Of course, the league's other 31 teams were more than happy to see GM Matt Millen pay $24.5 million for five years; that meant more money for them to spend on quality free agents. As for the rest of the NFC North, the likes of 6-foot Marty Booker, 6-foot-1 Dez White, 6-foot-4 Randy Moss, 6-foot-2 Derrick Alexander, 6-foot Donald Driver, 6-foot-1 Robert Ferguson and 6-foot-3 Jevon Walker are licking their chops at the chance to go one-on-one with the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Bly.

>> Impact Loss

LB Chris Claiborne -- The departure of Claiborne to Minnesota marked the exit of 30 percent of the Lions' INT total (team-high 3 of 10). He also had 145 tackles, leading Detroit in stops for the second consecutive season. Claiborne has missed only one game during his four-year career and has started 58 of the 63 games with 534 tackles.

>> Fantasy Stud

WR Charles Rogers -- It's hard to recommend rookie wide receivers to do well, but it's pretty much all the Lions have to offer this year, other than the development of Joey Harrington. Rogers has the size and speed to be a big-play receiver like a Terrell Owens or Randy Moss, and having Harrington throwing the ball will help his development. Take your chances on him, just make sure not to make him the focal point of your receiver corps.

>> Fantasy Sleeper

RB James Stewart -- If the Lions weren't always playing from behind, Stewart might be more productive than he's become. He broke the 1,000-yard mark very quietly last year and rushed for a healthy 4.4 yards per carry. However, he scored just six TDs (four on the ground) and only broke the 20-carry mark three times. He could be a workhorse back if given the chance, and the emergence of Rogers and Harrington could help with that process.

>> Lions will not make the playoffs because ...

Joey Harrington and Charles Rogers will be a dynamic duo -- in the aforementioned two, three years. But right now, the Lions have too many defensive woes to entertain playoff thoughts. Given time, rookies LB Boss Bailey and DE Cory Redding will spearhead a postseason run.