Comments on: Matt Stafford: Please Don’t Throw This Young Man To The Lions! http://www.gridirongenerals.com/2009/04/ncaa-football/sec/georgia-bulldogs/matthew-stafford/matt-stafford-please-dont-throw-this-young-man-to-the-lions Everything Quarterbacks At Every Level Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:05:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Bill in Sandy Springs http://www.gridirongenerals.com/2009/04/ncaa-football/sec/georgia-bulldogs/matthew-stafford/matt-stafford-please-dont-throw-this-young-man-to-the-lions/comment-page-1#comment-47 Bill in Sandy Springs Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:36:23 +0000 http://www.gridirongenerals.com/?p=307#comment-47 You should expect the Lions to start Culpepper regardless of who they draft. There is an article at SmartFootball.blogspot.com about the Lions switching back to the Run and Shoot offense. The R&S allows offenses with small or just plan bad offensive lines to still be successful. Good article. The Lions have picks 1 and 20. Since Tom Condon represents both Stafford and Baylor OT Jason Smith the suspected other option would be Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry. Why take Curry 1st overall when Rey Maualauga is likely to be available at 20 along with USC teammates Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews JR. There are 5 OT they are likely to be taken early- Jason Smith, Andre Smith, Michael Oher, some guy from U of Arizona, and Eugene Monroe from Virginia. Why take a tackle first when they are likely to be available at 20. Lions may have many holes to fill but they got plenty of options. Sooner or later they got to fix it but to answer your question- Yes, if I am Stafford, I do not want to be taken by the Lions or 49ers. Seattle at 4 might be nice. You should expect the Lions to start Culpepper regardless of who they draft. There is an article at SmartFootball.blogspot.com about the Lions switching back to the Run and Shoot offense. The R&S allows offenses with small or just plan bad offensive lines to still be successful. Good article. The Lions have picks 1 and 20. Since Tom Condon represents both Stafford and Baylor OT Jason Smith the suspected other option would be Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry. Why take Curry 1st overall when Rey Maualauga is likely to be available at 20 along with USC teammates Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews JR. There are 5 OT they are likely to be taken early- Jason Smith, Andre Smith, Michael Oher, some guy from U of Arizona, and Eugene Monroe from Virginia. Why take a tackle first when they are likely to be available at 20. Lions may have many holes to fill but they got plenty of options. Sooner or later they got to fix it but to answer your question- Yes, if I am Stafford, I do not want to be taken by the Lions or 49ers. Seattle at 4 might be nice.

]]> By: Brett http://www.gridirongenerals.com/2009/04/ncaa-football/sec/georgia-bulldogs/matthew-stafford/matt-stafford-please-dont-throw-this-young-man-to-the-lions/comment-page-1#comment-46 Brett Sat, 11 Apr 2009 08:26:48 +0000 http://www.gridirongenerals.com/?p=307#comment-46 I totally agree that if they wanted a proven winner they should've gone with Cutler. I was hoping they would - not that I'm a Lion's fan - I'm a Bills fan from Buffalo - but I still say they can use Culpepper to get them through this year and pick up a quarterback next year either through trade, free agency, or the draft. It's just very, very tough to draft a quarterback unless it's a Peyton Manning or someone you know is almost a sure thing coming out of college. And like I said, they can't afford to draft someone high that's going to be sitting, or just going to get his confidence and brains blasted to oblivion, or never pan out. Stick with Culpepper for this year - he's fine. Focus in other areas for now. Pick up a QB next year after you actually have a few guys on the field that can play. Right now they have one potential superstar, and that's Calvin Johnson - as you mentioned. Grab a couple more real good players this year and see what opportunities come up for a QB next year. I totally agree that if they wanted a proven winner they should’ve gone with Cutler. I was hoping they would – not that I’m a Lion’s fan – I’m a Bills fan from Buffalo – but I still say they can use Culpepper to get them through this year and pick up a quarterback next year either through trade, free agency, or the draft. It’s just very, very tough to draft a quarterback unless it’s a Peyton Manning or someone you know is almost a sure thing coming out of college. And like I said, they can’t afford to draft someone high that’s going to be sitting, or just going to get his confidence and brains blasted to oblivion, or never pan out.

Stick with Culpepper for this year – he’s fine. Focus in other areas for now. Pick up a QB next year after you actually have a few guys on the field that can play. Right now they have one potential superstar, and that’s Calvin Johnson – as you mentioned. Grab a couple more real good players this year and see what opportunities come up for a QB next year.

]]> By: Bill in Sandy Springs http://www.gridirongenerals.com/2009/04/ncaa-football/sec/georgia-bulldogs/matthew-stafford/matt-stafford-please-dont-throw-this-young-man-to-the-lions/comment-page-1#comment-45 Bill in Sandy Springs Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:41:06 +0000 http://www.gridirongenerals.com/?p=307#comment-45 How many proven winners are actually on the market? If they wanted a proven winner they would have traded that 1st pick for Jay Cutler. Matt Cassel would have sufficed but they didn't so now they must draft a QB. The Lions have needs everywhere- offensive line, running back, DEFENSE IN GENERAL. Your are much more likely to find a "proven winner" at those positions in free agency then you are at quarterback. We could go down the list, all the top QBs in the league are under contract and the only thing the Lions have to trade are those two first round picks and well....Calvin Johnson and they are not trading him. They should have made a move if they wanted a "proven winner". How many proven winners are actually on the market? If they wanted a proven winner they would have traded that 1st pick for Jay Cutler. Matt Cassel would have sufficed but they didn’t so now they must draft a QB. The Lions have needs everywhere- offensive line, running back, DEFENSE IN GENERAL. Your are much more likely to find a “proven winner” at those positions in free agency then you are at quarterback. We could go down the list, all the top QBs in the league are under contract and the only thing the Lions have to trade are those two first round picks and well….Calvin Johnson and they are not trading him. They should have made a move if they wanted a “proven winner”.

]]> By: Brett http://www.gridirongenerals.com/2009/04/ncaa-football/sec/georgia-bulldogs/matthew-stafford/matt-stafford-please-dont-throw-this-young-man-to-the-lions/comment-page-1#comment-44 Brett Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:24:21 +0000 http://www.gridirongenerals.com/?p=307#comment-44 I would totally agree with you if it wasn't for one key assumption that you're making - and that is that Matt Stafford <i>will</i> become a good-to-great NFL quarterback. If you could know for a fact that he was going to become a solid quarterback and leader in the NFL, then I would say absolutely draft him now. But what if he's Ryan Leaf? What if he completely flops? That's what Detroit can not afford - to use their top draft picks on guys that may or may not turn out to be solid NFL players. There is no guarantee with any player, but you have to play the odds. There are positions with a much lower failure rate than quarterback - in fact, probably <i>all</i> positions! :-) I say draft as close to a sure thing as you can right now, and look to pick up a <i>proven</i> NFL quarterback in the offseason next year. That way you have guys that you drafted this year with a year of experience under their belts in the Lion's system and the NFL, along with a proven quarterback to come in to lead them next year, along with whatever draft picks they can pick up next year. They just can't afford a flop in their early round picks - they shouldn't take that risk. Go with better odds in different positions and pick up a proven winner at quarterback in the offseason next year. <i>Then</i> you have something solid to build on. Great comment! I enjoy the debate! I would totally agree with you if it wasn’t for one key assumption that you’re making – and that is that Matt Stafford will become a good-to-great NFL quarterback. If you could know for a fact that he was going to become a solid quarterback and leader in the NFL, then I would say absolutely draft him now. But what if he’s Ryan Leaf? What if he completely flops? That’s what Detroit can not afford – to use their top draft picks on guys that may or may not turn out to be solid NFL players. There is no guarantee with any player, but you have to play the odds. There are positions with a much lower failure rate than quarterback – in fact, probably all positions! :-) I say draft as close to a sure thing as you can right now, and look to pick up a proven NFL quarterback in the offseason next year. That way you have guys that you drafted this year with a year of experience under their belts in the Lion’s system and the NFL, along with a proven quarterback to come in to lead them next year, along with whatever draft picks they can pick up next year.

They just can’t afford a flop in their early round picks – they shouldn’t take that risk. Go with better odds in different positions and pick up a proven winner at quarterback in the offseason next year. Then you have something solid to build on.

Great comment! I enjoy the debate!

]]> By: grid_Fe http://www.gridirongenerals.com/2009/04/ncaa-football/sec/georgia-bulldogs/matthew-stafford/matt-stafford-please-dont-throw-this-young-man-to-the-lions/comment-page-1#comment-43 grid_Fe Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:32:17 +0000 http://www.gridirongenerals.com/?p=307#comment-43 "I think he needs to sit a year first. Detroit can’t afford that." Detroit can definitely afford that. They are actually in the perfect situation to afford it. There no high expectations for the Lions this upcoming season. They're not expected to make a run for the Super Bowl. At best, they're expected to overachieve if they win four games. They might as well use the season to break in Stafford slowly so he can be ready for next year. They don't need to start him. They can start Daunte Culpepper and let him be the tackling dummy (he's not the future of the franchise anyway, we all know that) and plug in Stafford when the game is out of hand or bring him in for a couple of plays every game so he can get his feet wet. But in order for this to work Schwartz and the rest of the staff need to resist pressure from the fanbase to start him no matter how loud the shouts to start Stafford get. If they can do that it will pay off in the long run. The Lions need to think long term not short term. “I think he needs to sit a year first. Detroit can’t afford that.”

Detroit can definitely afford that. They are actually in the perfect situation to afford it. There no high expectations for the Lions this upcoming season. They’re not expected to make a run for the Super Bowl. At best, they’re expected to overachieve if they win four games. They might as well use the season to break in Stafford slowly so he can be ready for next year. They don’t need to start him. They can start Daunte Culpepper and let him be the tackling dummy (he’s not the future of the franchise anyway, we all know that) and plug in Stafford when the game is out of hand or bring him in for a couple of plays every game so he can get his feet wet. But in order for this to work Schwartz and the rest of the staff need to resist pressure from the fanbase to start him no matter how loud the shouts to start Stafford get. If they can do that it will pay off in the long run. The Lions need to think long term not short term.

]]>