FanHouse Daniel Loper

We won't know until this fall if hiring Jim Schwartz will pay off in wins for Detroit, but we already know it paid off in free agency on Friday.

The Lions signed offensive tackle Daniel Loper to what was reportedly a one-year deal. Loper has been a backup for the Titans for four years, stuck behind David Stewart and Michael Roos. But while he couldn't start for the Titans, he should give Gosder Cherlius or Jeff Backus some competition, could slide into play guard if needed and, at worst, will be a very versatile backup. The Falcons had also been interested in signing Loper, but his familiarity with Schwartz helped convince him to choose an 0-16 team instead of a 2008 playoff team.

When Todd Weiner retired and Wayne Gandy got even older, the Falcons all of a sudden had a clear need for some depth at tackle. And if the Falcons are looking for a potentially reasonably priced tackle who could step in an start if needed, there is no better target than Titans' tackle Daniel Loper.

Loper has only started one game in his Titans' career, but it was a big one, as he played well against the Chargers during the 2007 playoffs. The only reason he's not been a starter is because the Titans have two equally young and even more talented tackles ahead of him.

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

The Titans' 2008 season ranks as one of the greatest in team history. After a couple of years of either just making or just missing the playoffs, the Titans took a big step forward, finishing the season with the NFL's best record (13-3). Rookie running back Chris Johnson emerged as a big-play threat and Kerry Collins not only took over the starting quarterback job from Vince Young but proved that he has some life left in his arm.