Feb. 27, 2008

Although the Broncos are among the DT-needy teams that have contacted the Lions about a trade for Shaun Rogers, don’t expect a deal to happen in the next couple of days as many media outlets are reporting. We hear the Lions suddenly have found themselves in the catbird seat, discovering a healthy market for their defensive tackle. Although they are almost certain to part with him — we hear the team thinks he’ll never reach his full potential in Detroit — they’ll be content to sit back and let teams up the ante. The Lions will shoot for getting a second-round pick in return but may accept a high third-rounder, something in the first 75 picks, for Rogers, we hear. The irony of the situation is that team president Matt Millen probably would prefer to keep Rogers — Millen drafted him, and the two get along — but the relationship between Rogers and head coach Rod Marinelli is so broken down that it’s clear that Rogers has played his final snap as a Lion. There is a bit of urgency to do a deal by this weekend, considering that Rogers is due a $1 million roster bonus on Saturday, but it’s possible that the team may pay the bonus if the right deal isn’t available to them yet and then wait for a better offer.