DETROIT — If the Lions want to succeed in this league, they ought to join it first.

Did you see the news around the NFL on Monday? The Browns contacted Super Bowl champ Bill Cowher, and when he said no, they contacted Patriots personnel whiz Scott Pioli. The Jets, who went 9-7, fired coach Eric Mangini. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, whose team also went 9-7, said he was "embarrassed."

The Lions, meanwhile, promoted Tom Lewand to president and Martin Mayhew to general manager. Other teams do whatever it takes to win. The Lions try to save on moving costs.

What will it take for William Clay Ford Sr. to clean house? 0-17?

This is ridiculous on so many levels, but mostly because Ford could turn around his franchise with one phone call.

Hire Bill Parcells. That's it. Bring him in, give him the big office, then say, "I won't call you — you call me." Then walk out and watch him work his magic. Let him hire and fire whomever he wants. And that includes Mayhew and Lewand.

If Parcells is available, you don't hire Mayhew and Lewand. Not if you're trying to, you know, win. And apparently, Parcells might be available shortly.

Parcells can walk away from the Miami Dolphins with his entire $12 million contract fully paid, no strings attached, if the Dolphins are sold. The Dolphins are expected to finalize a sale next month. So Parcells is about to become a free agent.

Hiring Parcells would energize the fan base, give hope to the hopeless, and instantly make 0-16 seem like a distant memory. Yet those aren't even the reasons to do it. The reason — the only reason, the best reason — is that Parcells wins.

Nobody in the history of the NFL had ever gone 0-16, which means nobody has ever come back from 0-16. But Parcells has come awfully close.

In 1983, Parcells' first season as a head coach, his Giants went 3-12-1. Three years later, they won the Super Bowl.

In 1992, the Patriots went 2-14. In came Parcells. Four years later, New England made the Super Bowl.

In 1996, the Jets went 1-15. In came Parcells. Two years later, they played in the AFC championship game.

In 2007, the Dolphins went 1-15. In came Parcells, as president, and less than a year later, the Dolphins are AFC East champions.

That is the best rebuilding record in the history of the NFL.

The Dolphins' success is particularly instructive, considering the Lions — unlike the Giants, Jets, Patriots and Cowboys — would hire Parcells only as an executive, not a coach. From all indications, his coaching days are finished.

Parcells might not be the best general manager in the league, but he is the perfect general manager for these Lions. They need direction, a winning culture, a leader to hire a coach and revamp the personnel department, and somebody who will improve every position on the roster.

Would Parcells really leave the 11-5 Dolphins for another rebuilding project? And if he did leave, would he choose the Lions and Ford instead of other teams that would court him?

Yes, yes, absolutely yes.

There are three things you have to understand about Parcells. One is that he loves money. Yeah, I know, we all like some cash in our pocket, but Parcells likes it more than most. And if the choice is $12 million for walking away from the Dolphins, plus millions more from a new team, or $12 million for staying and no other millions ... well, those cleats were made for walking.

The second thing you have to understand about Parcells is that he embraces this kind of challenge. Some people tinker with classic cars. Parcells rebuilds football teams. He took the Giants job when people said owner Wellington Mara couldn't win. He went to the Jets when people said that team would never win. He took the Cowboys job when people said he never could coexist with Jones.

And the third thing you have to understand about Parcells is that he likes control. He famously left New England for that reason, then said, "If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries." The Lions would let him buy the groceries.

Even though he was under contract, Parcells left the Patriots. The AFC champion Patriots. And he went to the New York Jets. The 1-15, laughingstock-of-the-NFL Jets.

Notice any parallels here? If Ford gives Parcells his money and control of the franchise, he can land Parcells. The beauty of this is that Ford only has to do one thing.

Just hire Parcells. That's it. This is so simple, it's Ford-proof.