The Facts: Smith is an unrestricted free agent on paper, but not in his mind. Despite having the opportunity to shop his skills around to other NFL teams this offseason, Smith's store is mentally closed. "In every interview that I've done, even though I'm a free agent, I've referred to the team and me as us," Smith said. "I'm on the Lions roster in my opinion until I'm not on the Lions roster. That says it all."

Diehards Line:Smith, 25, re-signed with Detroit last November and had four starts in seven games. He finished the regular season with 72 carries for 356 yards and four touchdowns, plus had 22 receptions for 179 yards and three scores. As MLive.com's Anwar Richardson suggests, if Detroit does re-sign Smith, the Lions potentially could have a strong backfield, assuming each player is healthy. Jahvid Best still is recovering from a series of concussions. Mikel Leshoure, a second-round pick last year, also is recovering from a season-ending Achilles tendon injury sustained in the preseason, while Smith battled through another season of injuries. "The sky is the limit," Smith said. "I think we're one of the best backfield combinations in the league if that was the scenario. At this point, however, we're still in the speculative stage on all aspects of this one. Best is expected back as is Leshoure. But nothing is guaranteed. As a result, Detroit's backfield will be a situation of great interest to Fantasy owners. We'll follow up as needed.