The No Fun League hasn't banned flamethrowers yet, and the Detroit Lions could be looking to exploit the crack in the system.

"Anybody can use a flamethrower," coach Jim Caldwell actually said, "and sometimes you find one here or there."

Caldwell made the comment while discussing his desire to add a pass-rushing outside linebacker to a defense that struggled to sack the quarterback last year and has absorbed some turnover at defensive end.

The Lions return Ezekiel Ansah and Devin Taylor at defensive end, but there are mostly question marks about who else is going to rush the quarterback.

"Obviously we have a need," Caldwell said. "Ziggy does a great job, now. That's one thing we'll keep working with him. He's big, he's strong, he's physical, he can get on the edge and he can work you inside and outside. He's one of those guys who can get on the outside and go.

"Now we also need trying to find maybe a little bit different flavor in that regard, trying to find maybe another guy that can do it. He may be in our program right now, in our organization. We have to see how he fits within our scheme, but obviously, anybody can use a flamethrower, and sometimes you find one here or there."

The Lions will continue to run a 4-3 defense under Caldwell and new aggressive defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, but there will be some new wrinkles in the system and the addition of a pass-rusher at linebacker seems like an inevitability.

But they don't have an obvious internal candidate for the position.

Ansah starred as a pass-rushing linebacker at BYU but is unlikely to move away from the defensive end spot he played last year for Detroit. New defensive end Darryl Tapp played linebacker last season in Washington's 3-4 scheme, but said upon his signing that he's more comfortable with his hand in the ground and expects to fill that role with Detroit.

"We have a pretty good idea what he can do, and he does give you a little bit of everything," Caldwell said of Tapp. "I know he can play the edges, I know he can play the run, he's done it time and time again. He's got the attitude you like. His approach to the game is truly professional. We'll see."

As for the linebackers, Ashlee Palmer has only one sack in his career, DeAndre Levy is at his best using his athleticism in coverage -- he led all linebackers last year with six interceptions -- and Stephen Tulloch has played middle linebacker his entire eight-year career.

So if the Lions are serious about installing a pass-rushing outside linebacker, the best bet is looking outside the organization. One logical candidate is UCLA's Anthony Barr.

Barr is projected as a first-round pick, and could be a candidate for the Lions at No. 10. General manager Martin Mayhew personally attended his pro day in Los Angeles last month.

"He, to me, is in the mold of the pass-rushing defensive ends that are long and athletic," ESPN draftnik Mel Kiper Jr. said of the 6-foot-5, 247-pound prospect. "This kid has a lot of natural ability. He's going to get better and better. I think he's deserving of going there, or even to Tennessee (at No. 11).

"He can play with his hand in the ground, he can play on his feet, he provides a lot of versatility, and I think he's a little underrated going into this draft. He'd have been a top-10 pick guaranteed had he come out last year."

The Lions had opportunities to pressure the quarterback last season, but struggled to convert them into sacks. They finished with just 33, which ranked 28th.