Last year at this time, the Lions were in the process of completely disassembling their secondary. Only safety Louis Delmas survived the purge. There have been massive roster changes the past two seasons.

This year, though, will be very different. Every starter and primary backup on offense is expected to return. On defense, eight of the 11 starters are expected back.

"Across the board, offense and defense, we are still looking to improve the roster," Schwartz said. "We are still looking to improve our starting 22. But we aren't looking at an overhaul. Even at the spots where we do have need, it's not like it was last year with the defensive backs where we erased everybody except Delmas.

"There are a lot of guys here that we will continue moving forward with, and a lot of them might not be starters," he said.

The Lions could lose starting cornerback Chris Houston to free agency, though they plan to make every effort to re-sign him. They will tender restricted free agent DE Cliff Avril.

Among those who have played their final games with the Lions are outside linebacker Julian Peterson, cornerback Nathan Vasher (unrestricted) and safety C.C. Brown (unrestricted).

Outside linebacker Landon Johnson is also unrestricted, but the Lions may try to bring him back.

"We have talked before about having to address the starting 22 before you can address your depth," Schwartz said. "What has happened this year is, because of the injuries and other things, we have been able to address a lot of the depth issues. Now we have to start adding pieces to the starting 22."

Team Needs

1. Outside linebackers: One starter Julian Peterson and his $8 million contract will not be back. The Lions used four different starters on the other side, including Zach Follett who might not be back after a serious neck injury and Landon Johnson, an unrestricted free agent with a history of concussion problems.

2. Defensive backs: Only FS Louis Delmas is a lock in the secondary. The Lions will make every effort to re-sign free agent CB Chris Houston, but they will be trying again to solve the riddle at right cornerback and find some veteran support for SS Amari Spievey.

3. Wide receiver: The cupboard gets bare in a hurry after Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson. Bryant Johnson, who has one year and $3 million left on his contract, was frustratingly unproductive this season. His three receptions in the finale probably weren't enough to change the Lions' thinking on this. Former third-round pick Derrick Williams was also a bust.

UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

QUARTERBACKS
Starter -- Matthew Stafford. Back-ups -- Shaun Hill, Drew Stanton and Zac Robinson.

The only way the Lions are going to be playoff contenders next season is if Stafford can stay healthy. He has shown flashes of being an elite-level quarterback, but he has sat out more games (19) than he's played (13) in two seasons. In Hill, the Lions have a more than capable No.2, but they will most likely lose Stanton. He is unrestricted and will be seeking a chance to compete for a No. 1 or No. 2 spot. The jury is still out on Robinson, but the Lions would prefer more of a developmental player at No. 3 and Robinson, at 24, fits the bill.

RUNNING BACKS
Starters -- Jahvid Best, Jerome Felton. Back-ups -- Kevin Smith, Maurice Morris, Aaron Brown.

Turf toe injuries slowed him for the better part of the final 13 weeks, but the Lions saw what they needed to see. He is the big-play back they've coveted. The rest of the group is still a work in progress. Felton is a versatile back, but he doesn't run with much power. The Lions will be seeking more of a power runner, which means either the injury-prone Smith or the aging Morris -- possibly both -- won't be back.

TIGHT ENDS
Starter -- Brandon Pettigrew. Back-ups -- Tony Scheffler and Will Heller.

This position is set. Pettigrew shattered all of the team's single-season records for tight ends and he's only 25. Scheffler, signed to a two-year extension, did his best work as a slot receiver, filling in for injured receivers. Heller is a superb blocker. It was no coincidence that the Lions' running game perked up when Heller started getting more playing time late in the season.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Starters -- Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson. Back-ups -- Bryant Johnson, Stefan Logan, Derrick Williams, Brian Clark.

Calvin Johnson and Burleson proved to be a potent 1-2 punch, but they will need to find some depth. Bryant Johnson, Williams and Clark aren't expected to return. Logan proved to be a diverse weapon. He was used as a receiver and a running back, besides his duties as a return man.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Starters -- LT Jeff Backus, LG Rob Sims, C Dominic Raiola, RG Stephen Peterman, RT Gosder Cherilus. Back-ups -- T Corey Hilliard, T Jason Fox, T Tony Ugoh, G-C Dylan Gandy, G Donald Thomas.

There is 34 years of experience tied up in the starting group. Backus has made 160 straight starts and had what the coaches felt was his best season, and a lot of that was attributable to Sims, who filled what had been a five-year void at left guard. Cherilus validated his first-round pick status, even though his season was cut short by a knee injury. Raiola, solid despite being undersized, is the heart soul of this unit, and probably the entire offense. The one question mark was Peterman, who struggled with a sore foot most of the season. Hilliard stepped in for Cherilus and proved he can start at this level. He is a free agent and the Lions might lose him. Fox, a rookie, showed promise. Gandy, Ugoh and Thomas didn't play a down all season.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Starters -- DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, DT Corey Williams, DT Ndamukong Suh, DE Cliff Avril. Back-ups -- DE Turk McBride, DE Lawrence Jackson, DE Willie Young, DE Barry Turner, DT Sammie Hill, DT Andre Fluellen.

One of the best defensive fronts in football will return intact. Vanden Bosch, who had neck surgery in December, was already lifting weights by Week 15. Suh, a finalist for rookie of the year, had shoulder surgery on Jan. 10 and was scratched for the Pro Bowl. Avril and Williams had the best seasons of their career. McBride is the one player out of this group the Lions could lose to free agency.

LINEBACKERS
Starters -- OLB Julian Peterson, MLB DeAndre Levy, OLB Landon Johnson. Back-ups -- OLB Ashlee Palmer, OLB Zach Follett, OLB Bobby Carpenter, OLB Caleb Campbell, MLB Vinny Ciurciu, MLB Isaiah Ekejiuba.

This group will face almost a total overhaul. The only returning starter will be Levy, and it is uncertain whether he will come back as a middle linebacker or an outside linebacker. It will depend on who the Lions can draft or acquire via trade or free agency. Peterson, Johnson, Follett and Ciurciu will most likely be gone. Ekejiuba and Campbell are special teams players. The Lions would like to bring Palmer and Carpenter back, preferably as backups. Palmer, though, is a high-energy player that defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham praised throughout the season. He's only 24 and could win one of the outside spots.

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starters -- CB Chris Houston, CB Alphonso Smith, FS Louis Delmas, SS Amari Spievey. Back-ups -- CB Tye Hill, CB Eric King, CB Prince Miller, CB Nathan Vasher, CB Brandon McDonald, CB Aaron Berry, S John Wendling, S C.C. Brown, S Randy Phillips, S Paul Pratt.

The first priority of the offseason will be to re-sign Houston, who provided the Lions with a legitimate lock-down corner. The right side corner spot is wide open. Smith, who had shoulder surgery, will get first crack at the job. His five interceptions led the team. There is no telling who among the other corners the Lions will bring to camp, though most likely Hill, Miller and McDonald will get the call. Berry was the starting nickel back in Week 1 before injuring his shoulder. He, too, will be in the mix. At safety, Delmas is the only lock. The Lions loved Spievey's development, but he has a ways to go, particularly coverage-wise. They would love to bring in a veteran to challenge and mentor him. Brown won't be back and Wendling is a key special teams player. Pratt spent most of the season on the practice squad.

SPECIAL TEAMS
K Jason Hanson and Dave Rayner, P Nick Harris, KOR-PR Stefan Logan, LS Don Muhlbach.

Hanson, 40, has had surgery the last two years. The placekicking job is still his, but Rayner did enough to warrant a training camp battle. Harris is as good as they come. He was again among the league leaders in punts inside the 10. Logan was in the top five in both kick and punt returns and played his way into the offense, as well. This is one of the best waiver pickups GM Martin Mayhew has made in Detroit.

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