"The Lions made sweeping changes following their 0-16 season, complete with a tweaked uniform and logo. Jim Schwartz was hired to overhaul the squad, bringing in ex-Rams head coach Scott Linehan to run the offense and Gunther Cunningham to run the defense.

The team barely looks the same on defense as the team used free agency and the waiver wire to make the majority of changes there. Phillip Buchanon, Anthony Henry, Eric King and rookie Louis Delmas are among the new names in the secondary with Julian Peterson and Larry Foote joining Ernie Sims at linebacker and Grady Jackson a big infusion at defensive tackle. There's still a question over where the pass rush will come from, but the unit has been completely renovated in an effort to improve in 2009.

There was only one significant change on offense: Matthew Stafford. The rookie from Georgia was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft and landed a lucrative $41.7 million guaranteed deal to go along with it. With that kind of investment, and with Daunte Culpepper his primary competition, there's a good chance Stafford will see playing time sooner than later. The Lions did not upgrade their offensive line and have depth issues there, but arguably their two best players from their winless campaign -- rusher Kevin Smith and receiver Calvin Johnson -- should be key cogs in what they do when they have the ball.

Sleeper ... Matthew Stafford, QB

A little logic goes a long way with Stafford. Even though we're not in love with his basic quarterbacking skills, the situation is just right for him. Gunning deep for Calvin Johnson shouldn't be a problem for Stafford, or for Johnson for that matter judging by his 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns last year catching passes from five different (and less polished) quarterbacks. The Lions won't be blowing out many opponents this year, which will mean more pass plays called. There's 300-yard-per-game potential here. Stafford also has decent receiving options around him besides 'Megatron' in veterans Ronald Curry and Bryant Johnson as well as rookie Brandon Pettigrew, plus Smith can catch out of the backfield. The only stumbling block is playing time; he can't put up stats if he can't get on the field. But in addition to the 41.7 million reasons the Lions have for starting Stafford, they can also look at the Falcons and Ravens from a year ago and see that getting to the postseason with a rookie quarterback is possible. Not that Stafford's situation, or talent, is on the same level as Matt Ryan's or Joe Flacco's, but the mere fact that he's already signed and learning the Lions' playbook puts him on pace to at least try to notch some wins for the Lions.

Breakout ... Ronald Curry, WR

We like the idea of Curry posting some strong numbers in 2009 after getting just seven touchdowns over his last three seasons with the underachieving Raiders. If there's one thing we know about Linehan's offenses, it's that speedy interior receivers ha