Charles Rogers

After breaking his collarbone for the second consecutive season, Rogers will have to show he can stay healthy in year three, or his career will be in serious jeopardy. To that end, Rogers bulked up this offseason, and apparently the added muscle hasn’t cost him any of his considerable speed. At 6-2, 210 pounds, Rogers has good size and excellent change of direction skills, so the sky’s the limit if he can stay off the injury report. It also remains to be seen how the Lions will integrate rookie first-round draft pick Mike Williams into the mix with Rogers and Roy Williams.

Rogers, who missed nine games last season with a broken collarbone, caught just 42 percent of the 52 passes thrown his way, due in part to his five drops. But that’s a lot of time targeted considering his limited action (projecting to about 160 chances over a full season). Rogers is expected to be completely healthy for the start of training camp, but 2004 first-round pick Roy Williams is lining up opposite him now, so expect Rogers’ opportunities to decline.

It's hard to imagine a rookie receiver being more comfortable from the start. Rogers played college ball for Bobby Williams, the new receivers coach for the Lions, and Rogers is already loved by the local Detroit fans, given that he grew up in Saginaw then went to college at Michigan State. Compared to Terrell Owens (for all the right reasons), Rogers looks destined for greatness in the NFL sooner or later -- it's just a matter of how quickly the new Detroit regime can get quarterback Joey Harrington fully comfortable in the West Coast offense. Look for Rogers to be good in 2003, very good a year later, and a full-fledged star by 2005.