Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told reporters at the NFL Combine last week that the team wanted third-string quarterback Drew Stanton back next season. Mayhew backed those words up this week by offering Stanton an original-round tender, which amounts to second-round compensation for the Lions if he signs with another team. Stanton was selected in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. "He's the kind of guy where every year has been a little different, but I think he made some dramatic improvement in the second half of the season," Mayhew said. "We plan on having him back to see if he can continue to improve." Stanton, who's accrued four NFL seasons, could still be a free agent if the language of the new collective bargaining agreement reverts back to the old rules of players needing four seasons to reach unrestricted free-agent status. Source: Detroit News
