FanHouse Derrick Williams

Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews." We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Without playing a game, the Detroit Lions have matched their 2008 regular season win total. Naturally, this is an embarrassing fact, and one that Lions fans are probably sick of hearing. However, it also serves to show how easy it will be for head coach Jim Schwartz to be hailed as a genius this season. The Lions will win a game (or more!) in 2009, and Schwartz has done some things in the offseason to point this franchise in a positive direction. It's time now for the players to see the benefits of their hard work during the spring and summer.

Matthew Stafford's final stat line in his first NFL preseason action -- 7-of-14 for 114 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Atlanta -- don't stand out one way or the other. About as average as his 50-percent completion rate.

He was better than the stats, though. If not for Keary Colbert, in fact, the stats would match the performance.

Three of Stafford's seven incompletions can be pinned directly on Colbert, who might find a pink slip in his locker soon. On Stafford's first snap after replacing starter Daunte Culpepper, he faked a handoff inside, rolled right and threw a perfect strike 20 yards downfield to Colbert, who let the ball go through his hands -- something that was a recurring theme on Saturday.

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About the last thing the Detroit Lions can afford is an injury to a prominent player. You don't go 0-16 if you have a long line of top-notch talent on the roster. For the Lions, there's no doubt that wide receiver Calvin Johnson is one of few players with All-Pro talent.

While it's still early in camp, the Lions got a bit of a scare Sunday, as Johnson left practice after jamming his thumb. On Monday, he was still sporting a cast.

Multiple sources are reporting that Jacksonville has agreed to send wide receiver Dennis Northcutt to Detroit in exchange for safety Gerald Alexander.

The Jaguars were rumored to be shopping Northcutt recently -- a notion confirmed by Northcutt's agent (who, incidentally, is also Alexander's agent). The 31-year-old receiver is scheduled to make $2.75 million in 2009. But it was the presence of rookies Jarret Dillard, Mike Thomas and Tiquan Underwood, along with the free-agent signing of Torry Holt, that made Northcutt expendable for Jacksonville.

In fact, despite his 44 catches for 545 yards last season, the Jags were prepared to release Northcutt if a trade partner could not be found.

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

Let's face reality. The Detroit Lions could have had ten picks in the first round and still not addressed every hole they had on their team. Instead, they had to make due with two first-rounders, then do the best they could to fill holes over the course of the draft.

We've already given a single post to each of the seemingly most relevant fantasy football impact players from the NFL Draft -- we say seemingly because bust-hood is always a possibility in this business -- but those are by no means the only players who might matter in this coming season. With that in mind, here are the rest of the guys who's impact will be felt:

LeSean McCoy, RB, Eagles (Round 2): If you end up with Brian Westbrook, you absolutely must have McCoy. The shifty stud from Pittsburgh is exactly the type of back Westbrook is, which means he can thrive in this offense.

NEW YORK -- Just arrived back at Radio City Music Hall for the second day of the NFL Draft, and let's just say there's a little more room to spread out today. The NFL says nearly 750 members of the media showed up to cover Day 1, but looking around this room now I think we'd struggle to get near 75. Maybe everybody's sleeping in. Or maybe people don't actually come and cover Day 2, and I'm in the wrong place. Hey, we're learning.

Regardless, there are a couple of things worth mentioning here in the moments before the third round begins. The Jets need somebody for Mark Sanchez to throw to. The Lions need people who can stop the other team from scoring and get Matt Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew on the field. And a number of folks seem to have the wrong idea about the way I feel about the Patriots. So let's look ahead and clear a couple of things up with four Day 2 Questions.

With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.

The Bears enter the NFL Draft in a unique position -- especially for them. They've already made a huge splash in the offseason, and won't have a pick until the middle of the second round. With Jay Cutler in house, the Bears need to give him the weapons to be successful. The situation isn't as dire as many think. Cutler made a 2nd rounder (Eddie Royal) and 3rd rounder (Brandon Marshall) into two of the most explosive players in the league in Denver.

With the draft less than a week away, it's time to start firming up the draft boards. When the draft begins, the Steelers will have multiple needs, although thankfully there is no position where the Steelers don't bring back a projected starter with some experience.

The Steelers bigger need is to plan ahead for 2010, when free agency could rip apart much of this past year's Super Bowl champs. With that in mind here are four plausible draft classes for the Steelersn as prepared by friend the Steelers draft nut, all of these include no trades. Every player is projected to go in a round where multiple draft experts still have them available on the board. There are a few spots where it is noted that it is less likely that player is still on the board when the Steelers pick in that round, but none of these are absurd stretches. Which of these classes would you prefer and why?