"It might come in the form of a long-term deal with the Lions, a one-year "franchise tag" arrangement next season with the Lions or a multiyear free-agent deal elsewhere.

The pressure isn't on the ebullient receiver.

It's squarely on the Lions.

Williams is one of the few first-round selections in the Millen era that other teams covet. He's a target because the rest of the NFL knows that the Lions can't afford paying maximum dollars for two No. 1 receivers in a salary-cap system that emphasizes filling holes through the draft and not free agency.

Calvin Johnson must be considered the No. 1 receiver now because there's no alternative when you draft a guy second overall and guarantee him more than $27 million. All have sung his praises during training camp and the Lions' exhibition opener against the Giants.

He has been glowingly called a beast and a monster. But when you consistently invest top-10 draft picks on a complementary position in a sport that disproportionately rewards rookies before they've even taken a professional snap, you're forced to make a choice.

The Indianapolis Colts are the rare exception. They've avoided deciding between Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. They can afford to have No. 1 and No. 1A receivers, as well as one of the highest paid players in the game in quarterback Peyton Manning, because of their proficiency in drafting and developing players.

They don't dread losing a marginal player to free agency because of their confidence in the understudy's ability to match or even exceed the prior level of performance.

Williams isn't like left tackle Jeff Backus or defensive tackle Cory Redding. Both are reliable players whom the Lions tagged as franchise players and ultimately inked to long-term contracts -- only because they had no choice but to do so because they hadn't developed suitable replacements.

It's those commitments -- as well as eating the prorated bonuses of failed high-draft picks and free agents over the years -- that ate away at the Lions' salary cap. It's that lack of flexibility that hindered the team's ability to outbid San Francisco for linebacker Takeo Spikes' services -- a decision that drew head coach Rod Marinelli's ire.

There are only two impact players on the Lions and both are wide receivers. That's not a good situation, perhaps explaining the Lions' hesitancy in negotiating a long-term contract with Williams."