A report on ESPN's "First Take" this morning said the Lions "will try to trade" defensive tackle Shaun Rogers this offseason "and failing that, he will not be with them next season"

What to do with Rogers is the biggest question facing the Lions this offseason. It's no secret the team was severely disappointed in his production last year. He played at a Pro Bowl level for most of the first half of the season, when the Lions started 6-2, but struggled mightily over the final eight games — seven of them Detroit losses.

Asked about Rogers at a press conference to announce the promotions of Jim Colletto and Kippy Brown last week, Lions coach Rod Marinelli said "weight will be an issue" with Rogers, but he expected the 350-plus-pound tackle to take part in the team's offseason workout programs.

Word that the Lions will dangle Rogers is nothing new. The real issue is what they can get for a supreme talent with weight and knee problems, a previous drug suspension (ironically, for a banned weight supplement) and ballooning contract ($4.25 million next year); who they can get to replace him (Marinelli has long said the line drives the defense, and comparable free-agent talents like Albert Haynesworth are sure to be franchised); and with so many other holes to fill can they afford to release him outright?

A source within the organization told me at the end of the year that along with being out of shape Rogers' issues are that he doesn't love the game and often sulks when being double-teamed to the point it affects his play, and those won't change even if he sheds 30 pounds and takes a pay cut.

It would not be a shock if Big Baby's played his last game as a Lion, but entering what looks like a must-win season for some of the organization's higher-ups there's real danger in deciding the fate of your most talented defensive player until the plan to replace him is put in motion.