In the course of 24 hours, the Lions made two moves to help bolster their defense, starting with the front four. First, they traded for Browns DT Corey Williams (reportedly for a mid- to late-round draft choice), a player who was stout in a 4-3 system in Green Bay but struggled to fit in Cleveland's 3-4 scheme, and later signed DE Kyle Vanden Bosch.

First, the moves improve the personnel and depth up front. And they could ease the transition for a potential top pick at defensive tackle — either Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy — with better bodies around him. It should be noted, though, that the team has sought to trade this No. 2 pick and add draft choices, and the team's spending spree lends some credence to that plan. Vanden Bosch will be paid $10 million in the first year, and salary cap or not, that's a lot of money. Their top pick could demand guaranteed money in the $35 million range.

These moves and the signing of WR Nate Burleson have begun to eliminate some key needs as the team approaches the draft. And doing that allows the team to draft some other crucial defensive positions, such as a safety to pair with Louis Delmas and at both CB spots.

The remake of the Lions has started with a bang on the first weekend of free agency. Their bold salvos have shown that they are not going to sit back and wait for a slow rebuilding process.

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