"The Lions knew before the draft that Cherilus faced charges relating to a bar brawl last year. They investigated the situation and still felt "very comfortable" with drafting Cherilus, coach Rod Marinelli said.

But the Lions did not know before the draft that Dizon had been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, driving the wrong way on a one-way street and failure to provide insurance. The arrest came six days before the draft, and it did not show up on a background check two days before the draft.

"I don't like surprises, and I was surprised," Marinelli said.

Still, Marinelli stands by Dizon."