With those trade talks heating up, a new team has thrown their first-rounder on the trading block. The Detroit Lions are said to be in discussions to move their pick — second overall.

Jason La Canfora of NFL.com said today that the Lions are “shopping the second-overall pick, already in contact with several other teams.”

This could be a good move for the Lions who are believed to be interested in an offensive tackle like Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung to become their franchise left tackle and protect last year’s first-overall pick Matthew Stafford for many years to com. Okung would be considered a reach at No. 2, but if they move out of that slot with a team like the Bills, Redskins or Seahawks — who could look at one of the top two QB’s — Detroit would be in better position to get value with their selection of Okung.

Be sure to stay tuned to NFLMocks.com for the latest draft rumors.

Chris Steuber of Scout.com said today that the Buccaneers are one of many teams who are convinced that Suh is a can’t miss prospect and their interest in him could lead the team to make a trade up in the draft to land the top prospect.

St. Louis has been rumored to be looking into the possibility of acquiring either Michael Vick or Kevin Kolb from the Philadelphia Eagles and their determination to grab a future quarterback could make them look at trade possibilities with the Bucs, because St. Louis is also interested in Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Johnson.

According to Steuber:

n addition to finding a franchise quarterback, the Rams are interested in trading out of the top spot in this year’s draft, moving down a few spots and acquiring additional draft picks and players. I’ve been told that the Rams and Buccaneers have had exploratory discussions on a deal, which would involve the team’s first round selections (No. 1 and 3), possibly one of the Buccaneers second round picks (they have two picks in the second round: No. 35 and 42) or their third round pick (No. 67). Again, these discussions have been exploratory, as the Rams continue to investigate all of their options, but the deal involving the Rams and Bucs first round picks and Tampa Bay’s third round pick, not one of their second-round picks, is where it gets interesting.

A source close to the situation in St. Louis told me that if a deal with the Eagles can’t be consummated prior to the draft, they may take the Bucs third round pick over one of their second round picks, because they’re “very high” on third-year quarterback Josh Johnson, who they would insist being in a potential trade with Tampa Bay. Rams officials compare Johnson favorably to Vick athletically, but they feel that he has a greater upside as a passer.

Steuber’s source also said that if the top two defensive tackle prospects — Suh and Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy — are off the board that Tampa Bay would look at South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul over safety Eric Berry of Tennessee.

While Steuber’s report is very interesting and would be a huge trade in the upcoming draft, the folks at Pewter Report believe Tampa Bay will not trade up to the No. 1 pick because they do not want to take on the contract of a No. 1 pick.

I am sure this is just the beginning of the trade rumors that we will hear in the months leading up to April’s draft, but this report has the possibility to really shake things up.

“We have the ability to go either direction,” Dominik said. “We’ll prepare to go either direction, which is a good option for Tampa Bay.”

A move up in the draft would mean that Tampa Bay is looking to land one of the premier defensive tackles in this year’s class — Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy. Moving up does not fit into Dominik’s strategy though. He has previously said he prefers to build through the draft.

That would make trading down the more likely possibility. The Buccaneers could benefit from landing a top pass-rusher or wide receiver if Suh and McCoy are unavailable. If Tampa trades down a few spots, Georgia Tech’s Derrick Morgan and Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant would be intriguing options. Morgan is believed to be a target for the Bucs even at pick 3.

Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers was pulling for the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl. His reasoning was this: if the Panthers division rivals can win the Super Bowl, so can the Panthers. Smith loved the aggressive style that the Saints used in their victory.

“They went out and tried to outscore (the Colts),” Smith told Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer. “That created so much pressure.”

Smith would like to see the Panthers use the same strategy. He was happy with the teams end to the ‘09 season where they finished by winning four of five games.

Carolina has an excellent rushing attack, but if they want to keep the constant pressure on opposing defenses they will need to work on their passing game. Smith’s response to that was simple.

“I’ve always said a team can never have too many playmakers,” Smith says.

When asked if he would like the team to go out and draft another receiver, he added, “I would and I would complement him. I’m 30. I’d love to have a player faster than me.”

Carolina can benefit from the addition of a third wideout to compliment Smith and fellow veteran Muhsin Muhammad. Whether it is Jake Delhomme or Matt Moore behind center, I am sure they appreciate Smith’s comments and would love the added weapons.

There has been talk around league circles that Bush will be asked to restructure his deal and if he declines the team will explore other options.

One option would be to move Bush, who would surely have a market. While he is not a number one running back, Bush brings a home-run threat to special teams and he can provide a spark to the offense. Many offensive coordinators around the league would love to have a weapon like the former Heisman Trophy winner.

The Seattle Seahawks have been mentioned as a team that could be looking to add Bush to the offense. With his college coach Pete Carroll running the show in Seattle, the move makes sense. The Seahawks have also been exploring the running back position in the upcoming draft — Clemson speedster C.J. Spiller has been mentioned often.

Another possibility for Bush is the San Francisco 49ers. Bush could return to his home state and the 49ers have been looking for a solid back-up to current starter Frank Gore.

Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News has also pointed to Bush as a player of interest for the Detroit Lions this offseason. Kevin Smith, the team’s starting tailback, tallied 747 yards through 13 games this season before suffering an injury.

Smith has undergone surgery this offseason and there is concern that he will be unavailable for the start of the 2010 season. It is widely expected that he will be placed on the PUP list throughout training camp, and that will leave the Lions without a serious threat at the position.

So while Bush’s future with New Orleans is uncertain there is a market for him out there and with Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell on the roster, the Saints do not need to hang on to Bush. If he refuses to restructure his deal, the franchise can ship the former No. 2 pick off any of the interested teams.

A video that same may not have seen is here:

This was a celebration from Saints fans inside a bar after Porter’s pick-six. If this is any indication of the celebration that we can anticipate at today’s victory parade, the city of New Orleans better have a lot of police officers on duty.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning entered the stadium on Sunday with a look of determination and focus. Others looked at that same face and saw insecurity and an uneasiness. ESPN, the NFL Network and other networks kept focusing on Manning’s look when he walked into Sun Life Stadium, and the NFL Network’s Deion Sanders decided to focus on that expression.

“Let’s start from the beginning, when he walked into the stadium with that grimace,” Sanders said. “You’ve got to understand, we [NFL players] see the cameras when we’re getting off the bus, and we can give you [fans and the media] what we want: We can give you joy, we can give you humility, we can give you that grimace to make you think ‘I’m ready for this game.’”

Sanders continued that as a player, he would have been concerned with the look.

“Players know players, man,” Sanders said. “When you’re giving me that grimace, it seems like, ‘I’m concerned about this game. I’ve got to give you a face. I’ve got to simulate something that I really don’t feel.”

Deion turned to Michael Irvin on the set and said, “I’m sure he was prepared, I’m sure he was ready, I’m sure he was focused, but when I see things like that as a player, Michael, I’m thinking, ‘I don’t know’.”

Irvin responded,”Peyton looks like he’s ready, but Peyton also looks like he’s worried.”

There was a lot of pressure riding on Peyton’s shoulders leading up to the game and it should be no surprise that he was beginning to feel the weight of that pressure. His expression entering the stadium could have been a hint of what we would see later in the game.

Manning felt he was the one that had to do everything, and so he stared down his receiver which led to the game-changing interception.

There is no question that the four-time NFL MVP is one of the greatest quarterbacks in history and a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, however, he will always hear criticism about his inability to perform in the clutch — as evidenced by his 9-9 career postseason record.

Perhaps Manning was concerned about his legacy and wanted to go out and have the game of his life. Just maybe, that was the “focus” that we saw.

Super Bowl XLIV will be taking place this evening between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints in Miami, Florida. The story dominating headlines leading up to the big game was Dwight Freeney’s ankle. Freeney is expected to play with a torn ligament in his ankle.

Here is the full injury report for Super Bowl XLIV:

Saints:

Questionable: RB Lynell Hamilton (ankle).

Probable: T Jermon Bushrod (thumb), LB Jonathan Casillas (ankle), TE Darnell Dinkins (foot), G Jahri Evans (foot), LB Scott Fujita (knee), CB Randall Gay (illness, foot), CB Jabari Greer (groin), CB Malcolm Jenkins (hamstring), DE Bobby McCray (back, ankle), WR Robert Meachem (ankle), WR Lance Moore (ankle), CB Tracy Porter (knee), S Pierson Prioleau (quadricep), WR Courtney Roby (knee), S Darren Sharper (knee), TE Jeremy Shockey (knee), DE Will Smith (groin), T Zach Strief (shoulder), LB Jonathan Vilma (knee).

Colts:

Questionable: DE Dwight Freeney (ankle), CB Jerraud Powers (foot).

Probable: RB Joseph Addai) (shoulder), S Antoine Bethea(notes (back), LB Gary Brackett (knee), RB Donald Brown (foot), S Melvin Bullitt (knee), T Ryan Diem (knee), S Aaron Francisco (hand), RB Mike Hart (ankle), DT Antonio Johnson (shoulder), T Charlie Johnson (foot), G Ryan Lilja (back), DE Robert Mathis (shoulder), G Jamey Richard (shoulder), K Matt Stover (left calf), TE Jacob Tamme (ankle), T Tony Ugoh (knee), K Adam Vinatieri (right hip), WR Reggie Wayne (knee).

New Orleans lists 20 players on the injury report, however, 19 of the players listed are “probable.”

The biggest names on the Saints injury list are defensive end Will Smith, safety Darren Sharper, tight end Jeremy Shockey, and linebacker Jonathan Vilma. Smith and Vilma fully participated in Friday’s practice.

Here is the full New Orleans Saints injury report:

Probable:
CB Randall Gay (foot/illness); CB Malcolm Jenkins (hamstring); DE Bobby McCray (back/ankle); S Pierson Prioleau (quad); WR Courtney Roby (knee); S Darren Sharper (knee); TE Jeremy Shockey (knee); DE Will Smith (groin); T Zach Strief (shoulder); LB Jonathan Vilma (knee); T Jermon Bushrod (thumb); LB Jonathan Casillas (ankle); TE Darnell Dinkins (foot); G Jahri Evans (foot); LB Scott Fujita (knee); CB Jabari Greer (groin); WR Robert Meachem (ankle); WR Lance Moore (ankle); CB Tracy Porter (knee)

Questionable:

RB Lynell Hamilton (ankle)

One of the biggest story lines leading up to Super Bowl XLIV is the injury status of elite pass rusher Dwight Freeney and whether he will be able to play in next Sunday’s game.

Earlier in the day, Colts head coach Jim Caldwell was doing an interview with Sirius NFL Radio and stated that the Colts were willing to wait on Freeney.

“I mean, we’ll wait until the last hour if need be,” Caldwell said.  ”And I think he’ll be able to do his job and do it well.”

It was just a few hours later at his press conference that Caldwell seemed less positive about his star defensive lineman’s ankle injury.

“We’re preparing as if he’s not going to play, and if we get an opportunity to get him in there, we’ll do so,” Caldwell said.

Freeney is suffering from a torn ligament in his right ankle. The injury will keep Freeney out of practices this week and it could very well limit his performance at the Super Bowl. As a pass rusher built on speed and agility, Freeney will have a hard time playing to his highest ability.

While Caldwell says the Colts will prepare as if Freeney will be unavailable, Saints quarterback Drew Brees will be preparing as though Colts all-time sack leader will be on the field.

“The fact is, it’s the Super Bowl, and I know any player would do as much as they could to get on the field.  Obviously, he is a competitor, and we are expecting him to play,” Brees said.  ”Certainly I feel like they are coming into this game with all their ammo.”

If Freeney is unable to go, Colts defensive end Raheem Brock will receive the starting nod. This will definitely be a story to follow as the championship game gets closer.