After beginning the offseason as a presumptive starter, Detroit Lions cornerback Aaron Berry found out exactly what it would take for the team to release a player because of his off-the-field transgressions. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports that the Lions let go Berry this morning, two days after his second arrest of the offseason (and in the last month).

Birkett names free agent-pickup Jacob Lacey, returning backup Alphonso Smith and third-round pick Bill Bentley as the competitors for the job that was supposed to go to Berry. Smith started 10 games for the Lions in 2010, and Lacey has been a starter in the past for the Indianapolis Colts. 

Last month, even before Berry's first arrest, Birkett wrote that Bentley could "force his way onto the field."

According to Birkett, the team wants to play Bentley on the outside because of his size. That might seem like a strange statement to make about a 5'10", 182-pound corner who earned the nickname "Bill" in middle school because of his resemblance to Nickelodeon character "Little Bill" (via MLive.com), but general manager Martin Mayhew knows better.

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After Robert Griffin III signed his rookie deal with no offset language, it was assumed that the rest of the top eight picks waiting to sign their contracts would get their deals done and get into training camp on time.

Offset language, which allows a team to recoup guaranteed money from a subsequent team if a player is cut before the term of his contract is up, was also not in No. 9 pick Luke Kuechly's deal.

So far, things are right on schedule, with No. 1 pick Andrew Luck signing a deal without offset language on Thursday, and No. 7 pick Mark Barron signing a deal without offset language on Friday. 

It would only be fair for the rest of the picks to sign deals without offset language. That is, if they haven't given their team a good reason to look for assurances that they can compensated if the player is a bust.

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Sometimes going with the best player available in the NFL draft can address a glaring need for a time, you just have to wait a few months for it to happen.

When the Tennessee Titans took wide receiver Kendall Wright 20th overall in the draft back in April, most branded it a "best player available" pick because the Titans had many holes that needed more attention than their wide receiver corps. Three months later, the Titans might be looking to Wright to be in their opening-weekend starting lineup.

No. 1 wide receiver Kenny Britt was already recovering from three knee surgeries, including an ACL replacement. Now, ESPN's Paul Kuharsky reports that Britt was arrested Friday morning for driving while intoxicated. This will be Britt's eighth arrest since he became a pro in 2009. He avoided suspension last year because his arrests came while the players were locked out, but Britt will not be so lucky this year.

With an almost inevitable suspension coming, the Titans can put Wright in the lineup for Britt without a hitch because they were already training him to play Britt's position. John Glennon, of the The Tennessean, reported back in May via Twitter that offensive coordinator Chris Palmer had Wright line up in Britt's "X" position first, and it would be the first wide receiver spot in the offense that he learned.

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The Lions returned to the playoffs for the first time in this millennium under the direction of head coach Jim Schwartz and general manager Martin Mayhew. No longer stuck in the top five, the Lions couldn't count on adding a Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, or Ndamukong Suh-level talent to keep the team in the postseason this year. What can we discern about Mayhew's philosophy from his actions in the draft this year?

The Lions addressed a need by biding their time and taking the best player available

Detroit had a player that few expected to be there fall to them in the first round for the second straight year. Unlike 2011, this time the player actually addressed a big need for the team. Offensive tackle Riley Reiff can push Gosder Cherilus at right tackle and eventually be groomed to replace long-term left tackle Jeff Backus.

Lions fans have been asking for an upgrade at left tackle for a while to no avail. There's no indication that the Lions were set on taking a tackle early, so fans should be thankful that teams focused on defense in the middle of the first round and let the number two rated offensive tackle fall into the 20s.

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The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl two seasons ago, and by just about every account, they were a better team in 2011 than they were when they won the championship.

A return to health for many key players allowed the Packers to make a run at a perfect season, yet they were still one and done in the playoffs. How would team mastermind Ted Thompson address that immense disappointment in this year's draft?

The Packers hold the pass rush responsible at least in part for their defensive collapse in 2011

It's hard to read the selections of Nick Perry in the first round and Jerel Worthy in the second round any other way.

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The Redskins have been anything but a boring team in the draft—that is when they still have draft picks. The team made one of the biggest trades in NFL draft history over a month before the draft in one of the most revealing moves of this, or any, offseason. Head coach Mike Shanahan and general manager Bruce Allen have strong beliefs about how to build a winner. What did the results of the draft say about those beliefs?

Shanahan and Allen aren't afraid of betting their jobs on one player.

And why should they be? Robert Griffin III elevated his entire team while displaying the rarest package of athletic and throwing talent we've seen since Michael Vick. The price of two future first-round picks and their 2012 second round pick to move up four spots for Griffin will look like a huge bargain if he plays up to his ability. 

Keep in mind that Griffin will be signed for a fraction of the cost of other elite quarterbacks, and he'll start from day one. The savings at a key position are another asset the Redskins acquired when they traded up for Griffin.

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The New York Giants are one of the teams that truly seem to "get it" on draft day. They have built a two-time Super Bowl champ through sound drafting and the occasional bold move. General manager Jerry Reese is one of the best in the business, and we always learn a little bit more about how to "win" the draft by dissecting his efforts.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good

The Giants were considering five players when they were on the clock at the end of the first round, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York. Of course the player they selected, running back David Wilson, was one of them. The player they selected 31 picks later, wide receiver Rueben Randle, was another one.

That's right, the Giants got a player at the end of the second that they would have taken at the end of the first. It isn't the first time that they have benefited from the actions (or inactions) of others. The Philadelphia Eagles traded ahead of the Giants in 2010 to take a defensive end, Brandon Graham. The Giants then had to "settle" for Jason Pierre-Paul. 

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Is there any owner more entertaining around draft time than Jerry Jones? Jones has calmed down since Jason Garrett took over, but he is still an owner who can't sit still or keep his nose out of the war room on draft day.

Lately, the Cowboys always have a tantalizing amount of talent, but can't seem to seal the deal in the regular season to assume a regular spot atop the always tough NFC East. What can we discern about the strategy of Jones and company to win the all-out wars they wage against the Eagles, Redskins and Giants every year? 

Jerry Jones isn't tinkering as much with the Cowboys' drafts, but his aggressiveness is still present

Last year, Jones sat on his hands for the entire draft and made zero trades for the first time in the Tony Romo era. The result was the Cowboys strongest draft class in the Romo era, including long-term starters at left tackle and running back.

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