Tight end Brandon Pettigrew tore an anterior cruciate ligament on Thanksgiving Day 2009. A little more than eight months later, Pettigrew was back on the field doing much more than what many would have expected. He's practicing at least once per day and participating in some contact drills, even while wearing a brace on his knee.

If he has a hitch in his gait, it's barely noticeable. And on at least one play this week, Pettigrew displayed enough speed to get past linebacker Julian Peterson and catch a nice seam pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford.

"He's had a really good rehab and we don't want to set him back by trying to do too much too soon," Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz said.

At this rate, it seems quite reasonable to expect Pettigrew to be ready for a significant role in the season-opening game at Soldier Field. That has to be the best-case scenario the Lions could have imagined when the injury first occurred.

If Pettigrew does make it back sooner than expected he will provide a boost to the Detroit offense, but he's not likely to give any fantasy teams much of a boost, especially with the Lions having acquired Tony Scheffler.

TE Brandon Pettigrew took off down the middle of the field, cut slightly to his left and turned back toward his quarterback some 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. One defender hung on his back, another was sprinting toward his front.

Matthew Stafford still managed to squeeze a tight spiral in between the defenders, hitting Pettigrew's outstretched hands.

"It was man-on-man, (Stafford) checked, and we made a play," Pettigrew said.

It was the kind of completion the Lions envisioned when they drafted the tight end in the first round (20th overall) last year, and the kind of play they saw before Pettigrew tore up his knee during the Thanksgiving game.

He's only rated 28th among TEs at 4for4 and has an ADP of round 18. We've said it all spring and summer, TE is a deep position this year. Pettigrew certainly has the potential to out-rank his preseason projections, but the Lions also have Tony Scheffler, who is rated around 20 but doesn't have an ADP.

The Detroit Lions will need a lot of help to fix their franchise after winning only one playoff game in more than a half-century and becoming the NFL's first 0-16 team two years ago.

Matthew Stafford seems to give them a chance and he's not worried about the pressure that comes with being the source of hope.

"I put more pressure on myself than anyone," Stafford said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press. "If I miss a ball by a little, it's unacceptable to me."

Stafford was a little high and slightly low on consecutive passes during the morning practice, leading to him flailing his arms and muttering to himself.

"I want to be as perfect as I can," he said.

As a leader, he just might be.

Lions rookie running back Jahvid Best made one of those big plays in practice Sunday morning that made him a highlight-reel favorite of coach Jim Schwartz's.

In a seven-on-seven drill, Best found himself in one-on-one coverage against linebacker Vinny Ciurciu and took off. Quarterback Matthew Stafford hit Best, who would have gone into the end zone untouched.

"When we get matches with myself on a linebacker, we like to take advantage of them, so that was just one of those opportunities," Best said. "Matt made a great throw, and I was able to come up with the catch."

Schwartz recalled Best's high-yardage production at California and lauded his explosiveness in general.

"We knew that was part of his skill set," Schwartz said. "We knew that was part of what he brought to the table. He's done nothing to dispel that right now.

Best is the 29th-best RB at 4for4 and has an ADP of the fifth round. It remains to be seen just how many touches he's going to get, but he seems to have the potential to be a steal and out-produce his ranking this year.

As a rookie, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had to fight for the starting job and find a place to live and adjust to a new city. This year, Stafford hasn't been encumbered by anything more than getting in synch with his teammates.

"I think the biggest improvement that we made in the off-season was at the quarterback position because Matt Stafford went through an entire off-season," Detroit coach Schwartz said Friday. "He was here March 16th or 17th, whatever day the first day of the off-season program was. He was here every single day. He was throwing on the field. He was working out. He was studying film. He was in the playbook -- all those different things."

Center Dominic Raiola also noticed how a year has helped Stafford and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan work better together.

"I think it's not so much more Chinese now that they're talking to each other," Raiola said. "They understand each other better, Scott and Matt. I think it's a huge advantage having that year under his belt."

Stafford is certainly a quarterback to watch heading into the 2010 season. He struggled some as a rookie, but showed plenty of heart and gave the Lions reason to hope for the future. The Lions have upgraded their offense around Stafford and while he won't be a consistent fantasy starter, he'll have some big games. If he's your backup QB, you'll like the depth he brings to your team.

It seems the writing is on the wall for Lions quarterback Drew Stanton.

Obviously, Stanton has no shot at supplanting Matthew Stafford as the starting quarterback. And with the team signing backup Shaun Hill to a one-year extension earlier this week, it's unlikely he'll ever climb above No. 3 without Stafford or Hill becoming injured.

Stanton is heading into the final year of a four-year rookie contract that will pay him a little more than $1 million this season. Stanton is fairly cheap for an experienced NFL quarterback -- in NFL terms -- and he knows the offense, which means he won't need a lot of reps.

Stanton was continuing to struggle with his accuracy during the team's organized team activity practices and minicamp. He had a particularly rough day on the second day of a June minicamp when he threw three interceptions during various drills. The wind was whipping pretty good that day and Stanton couldn't negotiate the conditions with his notoriously weak arm.

Asked if the wind affected Stanton's performance that day or if he's been tinkering with his mechanics, Lions coach Jim Schwartz said: "Drew throws the ball the way he always has. There is nothing different with his mechanics."

That's not exactly a vote of confidence from a head coach.

Stanton will play out the 2010 season as an emergency option with experience. He and the Lions will likely part ways after the season.

Once upon a time, Stanton was the quarterback of the future in Detroit, but Matthew Stafford has that role now and he looks like a long-term keeper.

The long-awaited contract talks between the Rams and rookie quarterback Sam Bradford will likely get under way next week.

Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff, who will return from a brief vacation early next week, plans to get together with Bradford's agent, Tom Condon, whose home base is the St. Louis suburb of Clayton.

Bradford won't be directly involved with the negotiations.

"That's why I hired an agent," he told reporters in Oklahoma this week. "I don't want to deal with any of that stuff. That stuff's all on (Condon). I've done my part to get myself here. Now, it's his job to get me in camp."

Bradford, the No. 1 overall choice in the 2010 draft, is in position for a huge contract. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, chosen first overall by the Detroit Lions in 2009, signed a six-year deal worth $72 million, with $41.75 million guaranteed.

Bradford will probably command between $45 million to $50 million in guaranteed dollars.

Right now Bradford is a better prospect for keeper leagues than redraft leagues, but reporting to camp on time would increase his chances of making an immediate impact.

Lions tight end Tony Scheffler knows that team chemistry is a big deal. And Scheffler should know all about big deals, since he is one himself.

The 6-foot-5 product of Western Michigan and Chelsea High was one of the big acquisitions this off-season in a three-way trade that brought him from Denver and sent linebacker Ernie Sims to Philadelphia.

Scheffler is just one of many important pieces of the Lions' puzzle as they try to fit established veterans like him with promising young players. Developing that chemistry can be tricky, but Scheffler knows it's crucial.

"It's real important," he said. "I think team chemistry goes a long way, especially when you get to Weeks 15, 16, 17, towards the end of the year. It's the difference between winning those tight ball games and folding in the second half.

"So I think everyone knowing each other and having relationships not only on the field but off and developing chemistry is a good thing."

So far, so good. Scheffler looked very much in sync with quarterback Matthew Stafford in minicamp as the two hooked up for passes that led to big gains.

While Brandon Pettigrew recovers from injuries, Tony Scheffler could be a decent low-end #1 option in TE mandatory leagues.

Johnson must impose his will. Even with all of the offensive upgrades, defensive coordinators are still going to slap double coverage on Johnson whenever possible. All of the great receivers get that kind of treatment, but they learn how to defeat it. That's the next step Johnson has to take in his evolution and it shouldn't be a problem. He has the work ethic and the competitive fire to get it done. This is the year that Johnson needs to step up and show the rest of the country the superstar talent that Lions fans have watched for the last three years.

The addition of Nate Burleson and maturation of Matthew Stafford will go a long way in assisting Calvin Johnson to be a top 10 WR.

Matthew Stafford said it was nothing special, but in a sense, that's what made it special. The Lions quarterback tossed a touchdown pass to wide receiver Calvin Johnson in Thursday's organized team activity. Johnson beat two defenders on a fade route. It looked beautiful ... and routine.

"Not run of the mill," Stafford said. "Obviously, you throw a touchdown, you're excited about it. We've got to keep working. But I feel like we're getting on the same page more and more. He knows what I'm looking at, I know what he's looking at and it's getting better."

This is great news for potential Johnson owners. Johnson will be a top-notch receiver, but Stafford could put up some numbers this year. He'll be drafted as a backup, but has potential to crack your lineup certain weeks.