Oct 1, 2011; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs quarterback J.J. McDermott (15) gets a pass off against TCU Horned Frogs defensive end Braylon Broughton (99) during their game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The Mustangs defeated the Frogs 40-33 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions had an open spot on their offseason roster and have filled it today after being awarded a waiver claim for defensive end Braylon Broughton. He went undrafted a year ago and spent last season on the New Orleans Saints practice squad.

The Lions have shown interest in Broughton going back to last Spring during the pre-draft process ahead of the 2012 NFL Draft. Broughton visited the Lions so while he may be a camp body at this point, he is one the Lions obviously like to some degree.

Whether or not that is enough to translate into a roster spot remains to be seen, especially after the Lions drafted two defensive ends last month.

Broughton is without question a developmental player – he is a high-motor player who started just five of the 42 games he played in over the course of his college career.

This is the type of move we are likely to see throughout the rest of the offseason as the Lions continue to evaluate options for improving their roster.

Here is some video from his play at TCU:

Dec 22, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) congratulates wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field. Falcons won 31-18. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions’ superstars may be young but Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford are each within striking distance of a couple of franchise records.

1. Career Passes Attempted
Current Record Holder: Bobby Layne, 2,193 attempts
Matthew Stafford broke Bobby Layne’s franchise record for completions in a career during the 2012 season but Layne’s low completion percentage meant his career attempts mark was a bit further out. Needing 330 more attempts to catch Layne, even a mostly healthy season from Stafford will see him break the mark. At last year’s average of nearly 45 attempts per game, Stafford would break the record in game eight with a target range extending into game ten based on a more modest 35 attempts per game.

2. Career Receiving Yards
Current Record Holder: Herman Moore, 9,174 yards
If Calvin Johnson can come anywhere near repeating his insane performances over the last two years, he will overtake Herman Moore’s club record for receiving yards in a career. If Megatron gets on another pace near a 2,000 yard season he could pass Moore in front of a national television audience on Thanksgiving Day. A 100 yards per game pace sets the milestone in game 14 while a step back to an 85 yards per game average gets the job done in the season finale. Important to note that it won’t necessarily take another freak year for Calvin to break this record. He needs 1,338 yards nearly identical to what he totaled in his second professional season.

3. Career Passing Touchdowns
Current Record Holder: Bobby Layne, 118 touchdowns
With 80 touchdowns through his first four seasons. Matthew Stafford sits 38 touchdowns shy of the Lions’ career mark of 118. This record may turn out to be out of reach in 2013 but if Stafford can return to the prolific scoring form that saw him throw 41 touchdown passes in 2011, he could catch Layne in week 16 or 17.

4. Career Touchdown Receptions
Current Record Holder: Herman Moore, 64 touchdowns
The franchise record in striking distance with the most variability in terms of when it might be broken is Herman Moore’s career receiving touchdowns mark. Calvin Johnson needs 8 touchdown catches to tie Moore and nine to stand alone. He caught his ninth touchdown pass of the 2011 season in game six but finished his prolific 2012 season with only five. The smart money is on Megatron catching at least nine touchdown passes in 2013 but when he’ll get his ninth is anyone’s guess.

Here is a look at the record targets in graphical form:

*Cliff Avril finished his Lions career 2 forced fumbles short of Robert Porcher‘s franchise record – certainly within striking distance if he had not departed via free agency.

Oct 30, 2011; Denver, CO, USA; Members of the Detroit Lions huddle up before the start of the game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field. The Lions defeated the Broncos 45-10. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

The Detroit Lions are looking to put together a winning team for the 2013 season and I want to do the same thing here at SideLion Report. We didn’t take a step back in 2012 but we take the same “always looking to improve” philosophy. That means there is always room for talented writers looking for an outlet to share their thoughts and opinions about the Lions, NFC North and the NFL.

Whether you’re a hardcore football fan looking for a hobby or have aspirations of making sport writing a career, SideLion Report is looking to give you a chance. At this time we are specifically looking for people who can do at least one of the following…

• Cover breaking news and offer analysis beyond the obvious facts
• Contribute at least one column in the same time slot each week
• Engage with readers via SLR’s social media accounts

If you’re interested and feel you can meet any of the three bullet points above, fill out an application and specify how you would like to contribute to this site’s success. Accepted writers can be up and running very quickly so don’t delay!