Lions Lock Up Stafford

omg.....with that defense from a year ago, the motor city kitties needs as much help as possible. i would rather see them use all but one draft pick for defense, with that one being either OT or OG.

I think they should go OT also.

They should go OT or Curry

Smart move. You need to totally rebuild this franchise and I think Stafford is a great place to start.I don't see him pulling a Ryan or Flacco and coming in and starting from day one but if the "New" Culpepper reverts and falters and the you know what hits the fan, I could see Jim Schwartz and OC Scott Linehan giving Stafford the keys and letting him take the car for a ride the rest of 09.

Since there is no consensus #1 in the draft, they might as well take a flyer on him. People who say you can always get a QB are not Lions front office personnel; as they have been searching for the right guy for 50+ yrs.

If the report is correct and Stafford will sign for 6/$42, then that is a deep discount to Jake Long and Matt Ryan's deals. It either shows that Mayhew leveraged well, that Stafford was willing to accept less to be #1 and avoid dropping, or Stafford really wants to be a Lion. (forget the Wonderlic and get a thermometer).

No place to go but up. Go Leos!

*slamming head on desk*

Here's all you need to know:
In 2003, Mel Kiper Jr had Charles Rogers as the 2nd best player in the draft. The Lions took him with the 2nd pick. It turned out REAL well.
In 2004, Kiper gave the Lions a draft grade of an A. Take a look at the draft class. Yup.
In 2005, Kiper had Mike Williams as the best prospect in the entire draft class, and Lions took him with the 10th pick. That also turned out fabulously.

And now he's saying that the Lions taking Stafford is a no-brainer.

Taking Aaron Curry number one no matter how cheap he is makes no sense. The NFL is a quarterback driven league and most rebuilding jobs start at the quarterback position. I agree they need to rebuild their entire defense but a 4-3 SAM linebacker isn't going to cut it to the fans. Quarterbacks signal hope and a new direction, linebackers are just another player. This draft is a good enough draft defensively where they can rebuild their defense and improve their depth later on.

i don't know if taking stafford is the right move or not, but he's getting $41 million in guaranteed money and that's just ridiculous. that's about $20 million more in guaranted dollars than troy polamalu got on the extension he signed in '08. so a guy whose never taken a snap is worth $20 million more than one of the best players in the entire game? absurd. the league needs a rookie pay scale. if i was a veteran defensive player i'd be looking to kill stafford. and with him behind that o-line there's a decent chance it will happen...

Dr. Football -- Lions fans have been screaming for them to take Aaron Curry for some time now. Curry would be moved to MLB, and the Lions would have a very talented LB crew to build on (Peterson, Sims, Curry) -- they'd have an identity. That was the mindset of Lions fans. Maybe to the other 31 teams a LB is not a symbol of hope, but to Detroit fans it would be. We've seen too many skill position busts over the past decade. If ESPN shows the crowd at Ford Field after the Lions make Stafford the first pick, a national audience will be treated to a chorus of boos.

The contract is simply terrible. The only way the Lions get out of the guaranteed $7 mil a year is if Stafford doesn't play 35% of offensive downs as a rookie or if he doesn't play 45% of offensive downs later. So basically, as long as he doesn't sustain a career ending injury, or isn't so terrible that Drew Henson or Drew Stanton get playing time over him, he's getting paid premium money.

It is truly ludicrous that Detroit would pay someone with so much bust potential 8 figure money a year. The contract becomes worthwhile if Stafford averages out as a top 10 QB over the six year span. I don't understand how Detroit couldn't leverage their position. They had Curry lined up for a lower deal. Stafford was very likely to fall Quinn/Rodgers like if Detroit didn't take him. And they go ahead and give him the biggest rookie contract ever.

So, can anyone suggest a method of drinking away my sorrows as a Lions fan? A shot for ever year Stafford will kill Detroit's cap perhaps?

This is the right play, they will get the OT later (at 20 or 33), they have never had a long-term QB solution, I can't complain about this.

Jeff:


If ever you had a reason to drink away your sorrows it was the thought of Daunte Culpepper as your starting QB.

I mean, come on get a grip. Daunte Culpeeper, for God's sake!

Stop the drama.

RIDICULOUS! Correct me if I'm wrong but he'll be paid more than all QBs except Peyton Manning?!? Rookie wage-scale is a must!