Ever since the NFL announced that the Detroit Lions were guilty of tampering with the Kansas City Chiefs, fans wondered if the Lions would appeal the ruling. Head coach Jim Schwartz flat out said at the combine last month that he believed in the Lions' case and thought the NFL made the wrong decision. General manager Martin Mayhew and team president Tom Lewand both have said that the team is ready to simply move forward, making it seem as though no appeal would be filed.
The interesting thing about this story is that the Lions themselves wouldn't say whether or not they decided to appeal the ruling. Why they decided to be secretive about the matter is unclear, but thanks to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell the secret's out. Goodell confirmed on Tuesday that an appeal had been filed by the Lions, and he said he will take another look at the case once he returns to his office.
If the Lions win their appeal, they would have a seventh-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft reinstated. Also, it's likely that they would get their original fifth-round pick back. As part of their punishment for the tampering charge, the Lions were forced to swap fifth-round selections with the Chiefs, so that could be undone if the appeal is won.
If the Lions' appeal is unsuccessful, the punishment will still be in place and Detroit will have only five picks in the 2011 NFL Draft.