Veteran defensive tackle Luther Elliss, a starter for the Detroit Lions his entire career, has suffered a torn pectoral muscle that will sideline him much, and perhaps all, of training camp and the preseason.

The injury was first reported by ESPN.com last Friday in the "Tip Sheet" column, but the severity of it was not known at the time. The tear will not require surgery, but Elliss will have to rest, and likely will be restricted even when he returns to the field.

	Elliss

Team president Matt Millen said he expects Elliss, 30, to be recovered in time for the start of the regular season. Although the Lions have made some calls to representatives for a few of the remaining unrestricted free agents, no acquisitions are imminent, and the club may try to get through Elliss' absence without making any roster moves.

An eight-year veteran, the classy Elliss has suffered through injuries each of the last two seasons, and his productivity certainly has been diminished. Primary among the injuries that hindered Elliss was a bad elbow.

Despite starting in 14 games, Elliss had just 28 tackles in 2002 and 2½ sacks. In fact, Elliss has recorded only 12 sacks in the past five seasons, after combining for 15 sacks in 1996-97.

Like many teams, Detroit doesn't have much interior depth, and the only experienced backup is Kelvin Pritchett. A 12-year veteran, Pritchett played surprisingly well as a spot tackle in '02, but he is 33 years old now and strictly a part-timer.

The Lions were so disenchanted with the other starting tackle, two-year veteran Shaun Rogers, and with his ongoing weight problems, that they attempted to trade him this offseason. Millen has apprised Rogers he must report to camp in better shape.

One of the league's truly good guys, Elliss accepted a $2.7 million reduction in overall compensation two months ago to avoid being a post-June 1 salary cap casualty. He has already collected a $1 million roster bonus.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.