Falcons improve trading hand

By the numbers, the Falcons have crept closer to accumulating enough high draft picks to entice the Lions into swapping positions in the first round of next month's NFL draft.

The key word -- at least for today -- is "closer."

The Lions are sitting pretty at No. 2 overall. If it isn't the Hope Diamond, it at least qualifies as a Faberge egg.

There are six stars in the draft -- quarterbacks JaMarcus Russell of LSU and Brady Quinn of Notre Dame, Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson, Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams and Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas.

Somewhat outside that group lurks a player the Lions might like as well as anybody, especially for the price -- Mississippi middle linebacker Patrick Willis.

The Falcons have improved their position with the trade that sent backup quarterback Matt Schaub to the Texans. Atlanta and Houston swapped positions -- the Falcons to No. 8, the Texans to No. 10.

Atlanta also got two second-round picks, one this year and one next year. Atlanta will draft seventh in the second round (Houston's pick) and 12th.

That's an attractive package of picks -- eighth, 39th and 44th.

Most teams use a points system to rate the value of picks. The first pick, held by Oakland, is worth 3,000 points. The second pick is worth 2,600. No. 8 is worth 1,400.

For the Lions to get full value for swapping first-round positions with the Falcons, they'd have to make up 1,200 points. The Falcons' second-round picks are worth 510 and 460 points for a total of 970. That still doesn't make it equal on the points chart.

The next five weeks should be fun. Let the points pile up.

Return of the champions

The United States Golf Association has a standing invitation from Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion.

It's for a U.S. Senior Open.

The first open date is 2011, but the smart money is on that event being awarded to Inverness Club in Toledo.

Indianwood has played host to two USGA majors, the 1989 and '94 Women's Open. Owner Stan Aldridge bailed out the USGA in '94, taking that event at the last moment and putting on a terrific show. He has wanted a bigger prize, but Indianwood never is going to get the U.S. Open, so bigger means the U.S. Senior Open.

But the Senior Open wasn't an option as long as the Ford Senior Players Championship was at TPC of Michigan in Dearborn.

The Senior Players moved to Maryland, so that changes the landscape and puts Indianwood's bid into play.

Saluting Lafontaine

Westland native Mike Modano learned to play hockey in the rinks around Detroit. He has applied those lessons to near perfection in a dazzling career.

When Modano scored his 503rd goal last week, it made him the career-leading American-born goal scorer, surpassing Joey Mullen .

With the large number of Detroit-area players who have starred in the NHL since Americans were accepted, the two best are Modano and Pat Lafontaine of Waterford. Lafontaine's career was shortened by a series of concussions.

"(Patty's) numbers were amazing with the amount of games he did play," Modano said. "So he certainly would have been the guy that everybody was chasing."

Lafontaine, who played 12-plus seasons, scored 468 goals in 865 games. Modano has played 1,229 games in his 17 seasons.

Media rare

Some of the best draft information on the Internet is compiled for nfl.com by former Cowboys personnel guru Gil Brandt . Brandt reported Stanford quarterback Trent Edwards had an impressive workout -- and Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz had dinner with him the night before the workout.