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Dan Orlovsky (8) backed up Matthew Stafford (9) this season.

(Melanie Maxwell | MLive.com)

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford hasn't missed a start in four years. He hasn't missed a snap due to injury in nearly three. But the reality of football is every player is one bad hit away from being sidelined.

The Lions have always had an experienced, veteran backup behind Stafford --from Daunte Culpepper to Shaun Hill to Dan Orlovsky -- but who will be holding the clipboard next season remains unknown.

Orlovsky is scheduled to be a free agent. The same for Kellen Moore, who has been Detroit's third-string option the past three seasons.

The Lions could certainly re-sign one or both of those players. The coaching staff's familiarity with Orlovsky is what brought him back to Detroit in the first place, while Moore has steadily developed since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent out of Boise State.

Or Detroit could go an entirely different direction, infusing the role with some long-term potential by filling the roster need in the upcoming draft.

The Lions strongly considered drafting a quarterback last year, but the prospects who interested the team came off the board shortly before Detroit was on the clock.

At the Senior Bowl this weekend, the Detroit News reported a large contingent of Lions management met with Baylor's Bryce Petty. In the conversation as the third best signal-caller in this class, he's expected to be selected at some point on day two.

In his two years starting at Baylor, Petty completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 8,055 yards, 61 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions.

Another intriguing option playing in the Senior Bowl is Sean Mannion. The Oregon State product's numbers don't match what Petty posted, but Mannion has a prototypical frame (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) and the strong arm scouts love.

Selecting an insurance policy for a clear-cut franchise quarterback so early in the draft isn't a unique strategy. The New England Patriots chose Ryan Mallett in the third round in 2011 and grabbed Jimmy Garoppolo in the second last year.

Drafting a quarterback also makes sense for the Lions because the team has a staff rich with quarterback coaching experience. The best-case scenario for Detroit would see Stafford remaining healthy and taking the next step while the team develops a trade-able commodity in the backup role.

In recent years, the Patriots and Atlanta Falcons were able to parlay young backups Matt Cassell and Matt Shaub into a high draft picks.

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