Readers Write—Most of Them Feeling the Draft
Ask Mike | by Mike O'Hara | 04.24.2009/7:13AM
While we wait for the draft to start – and the probability that the Lions will do the right thing and draft and sign Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford before Saturday at 4 p.m. – let’s empty the mailbag.
It’s piled up, with a variety of subjects, most of them draft- and Lions-related.
Note: I’ll be on the site all day Saturday to answer e—mails.
BC on (what else) the draft: The Leos can load up with Curry or Monroe at No. 1, Jerry at 20 (you know I love his name,) or even Andre Smith at 20 (who really cam play), the Safety from Western Michigan (Louis Delmas) at 33, maybe an OT with the first third-rounder, etc. Then
BC, on (what the QB comes along. Rhett Bomar has been mentioned but Graham Harrell from Texas Tech is out there too, not to mention Nate Davis from Ball State who seems to be falling a bit.
You think they might look for a QB later rather than sooner?
“Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. Haven’t you been listening? Seriously, if you’re going to take a quarterback – and they should – take the best. Don’t pick a lesser prospect and hope he develops. And all of those other QBs you mentioned are far, far lesser prospects. Your other picks, by the way, are all good choices.“
From OU812 (clearly a Van Halen Fan), comes a dig at my Mock Draft:I have to disagree with your draft completely. Defense is the place to start while filling the mortar on the o-line. I have the Lions selecting MLB Aaron Curry with the 1st pick. At No. 20, trade down to the late first while picking up a second- rounder in the process. With the late first-rounder, select DE Conner Barwin from Cincy. With the No. 33 pick, I select the middle man on the o-line. Although he will start at guard this year, either Alex Mack from Cal or Eric Wood from Louisville will solidify the line for years. With the latter second-round pick, I select my sleeper DT - from Hampton, Chris Baker to sit in the middle. What do you think, bro?
“What I think is, you have great ideas, and I can’t argue against any of them. The trades are problematical, because you never know which teams are serious about dealing, and your guys might not be on the board at those spots. As for the top pick, take the QB. It’s the haunting weakness of this franchise, and Stafford can be really good. But that doesn’t mean Curry is a bad pick. Rock on, my borther.“
From Randy, another vote for defense:I would rather draft defense right off the bat. Stafford will not help the Lions win this year. The lions stand to improve quicker by building their defense ASP and then next year, draft one of the quarterbacks. I think the quarterback stock is better next year than this year. I see the lions only winning a couple of games this coming year.
“Can’t agree about the QB drop next year. It’s a little deeper at the top, but the top prospects don’t match Stafford and Sanchez, and probably not Josh Freeman. You can still build the defense by taking a QB first. There are other good picks, and this is a deep draft – 37 players rated as first-round ability.“
Trent says switch drafts:The Lions would be good to go with trading their 6th- and 7th-round picks plus any or all picks next year to New England for New England’s first six picks. That would give them 11 picks inside the first three rounds and the Patriots 21 picks this year and next.
“That’s creative financing, Trent – and the reason my checkbook doesn’t balance and the auto companies and banks are in trouble. But I like your creativity.“
From MDK, the value of drafting a QB first: SI’s Don Banks maintained that the Lions would not draft a QB until recently when came the conclusion that “Quarterback is really the only position that has enough value to even vaguely justify the kind of money the No. 1 pick now commands.“ In the salary cap era, this has become very evident with 8 of the last 11 No. 1 overall draft picks being a QB, even though most of them didn’t top the draft boards as being ‘best available player. The Lions can’t draft Aaron Curry and give him 150% more money than the highest paid linebackers. I wish Lions fans would realize this and be happy that they have a QB of Stafford’s abilities available to draft and don’t have to settle for a David Carr or Alex Smith.”
“What’s the old saying? It’s not the money, it’s the amount? You can put left tackle up there, too. Whatever the cost, take the QB.“
Robert says keep it a secret:The Lions are right not to announce who they are going to take. Once you do that, you lose leverage in getting him to sign a favorable contract. If he knows he could drop out of the top five, odds are he’ll be more receptive to signing for less than last year’s No. 1 pick.
“The player might think that, but the agents will never let it happen. Put the pressure on to get the player signed.“
E Dew says the media will put heat on the QB: What I predict will be the downfall of Matt Stafford – if he is selected as the No.1 quarterback of the 2009 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, the media will not let him sit and develop!!! Already, you predict he will be starting by the St. Louis game and we have NO IDEA how QBs Culpepper or Stanton will be doing! No matter if you can PREDICT the first several games before St. Louis will be lost, irrespective of who is at quarterback, Stafford will be proclaimed the messiah in waiting and will NOT be allowed to develop.”
“If Stafford turns out to be a superstar, do I get credit for that, too? Probably not. With the draft position and the contract comes the pressure to perform – early, late and everything between. The winners handle it.“
Mike from Lake City on the death of Mark “The Bird” Fidrych: Boy, like everyone else, it’s a shock to me to hear this news. As it turned out, Mark’s life was similar to his baseball career—too short. I say that as a 54-year old lifetime Detroit sports fan with clear memories of 1976, and how he electrified the crowds at Tiger Stadium.
“You’re right, Mike. The Bird brought nothing but joy to sports fans, in Detroit and around the country. He was as good a person as he was an athlete.“
Mark, remembering Matt Stafford’s come-from-behind win in the Texas high school playoffs: I enjoyed reading your article on Matthew Stafford. One of the best high school games I have ever seen. Ryan Mallett, who went on to Michigan and is now at Arkansas, was the QB for Texas High. It was a big-time quarterback duel and ended up being the real state championship that year, because the next game was a 59-0 blowxout that gave Highland Park it’s first state championship in almost 50 years.
“Thanks for the review, Mark. I like players who can win, at any level. Stafford has a lot of qualities I like in an athlete.“
Mike from San Francisco asks about contract values: How often does a team ever pay the “announced” number in a player’s contract? We are continually told that so-and-so received a 5-year, $50 million contract with $20 million in guaranteed money. What does the other $30 million represent, and does it ever get paid? And if, as I suspect, it is rarely paid, what role does the higher amount actually play in the either the contract negotiations or the statement it makes about a player’s worth?
“The only time you can count on a player getting full value of his contract is when it’s for one year, and he’s guaranteed to make the roster. The guaranteed amount, obviously, gets paid, too. The rest of it – like the $50 million you mentioned – is mostly for the agent to use in recruiting clients. There are bonuses, escalators and other factors that raise the value.“
Bryan wants to hear from William Clay Ford: I’m a long-time season ticket holder hit by the recent economic turndown. I’m debating whether to renew. I have great seats and hate to give them up. My problem is I want to hear from Mr. Ford. My impressions of him are that the most important things to him in regards to his team are twofold. One, that he employs people to run the team based on how comfortable he feels with them and how much he likes them. Secondly, he wants the world to know who is calling the shots, and he will not bow to public pressure, no matter how great. These feelings are based on much evidence. Like when he gave Matt Millen that infamous five-year extension.
“I wish I could have run your entire e—mail, but this is the gist. Ford is loyal to the people he hires. You’re right about that. But he doesn’t want the world to know he’s the boss. He’s understated and unassuming. And he does not own the Lions simply to make a profit.“
J Grinnan compares Stafford to Mark Sanchez: know that you have Stafford alone in first place among quarterback prospects, and I get the pretty clear sense that you think that the Lions will, and probably should, take him. But I’m wondering about Sanchez. As I prowl the internet, I see more and more buzz for him as a long-range prospect. A growing consensus seems to be that, while he may not quite have Stafford’s arm strength, his arm is nonetheless plenty strong and that he is more reliably accurate and a little more steady and consistent than Stafford is, and less likely than Stafford to force throws into coverage. More than one draft expert—an overused term no doubt—has been heard to opine that Sanchez, not Stafford, is the safer pick and the one with the bigger upside NFL potential.”
“ou also mentioned that Sanchez was surrounded by better players at Southern Cal. All true, all good points. Sanchez is suited to a West Coast Offense – short, rhythm throws. Stafford is a better athlete, stronger arm, played with a weaker offensive line at Georgia, and is superior athletically to Sanchez.“
Comments [2] |
Any chance one of these teams salivating suddenly over Mark Sanchez will relieve us from the misery of this number 1 pick? Washington and the Jets seem dumb enough to do it.
Posted by Bryan on 04/24/09 at 10:49 AM ET
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Jim Schwartz is an economics major and supposedly a thinking man in the football world. How many times has Martin Mayhew said that the Lions have so many needs that it is in their best interest to draft the best available player at any point in the draft regardless of particular need.
Is it better to over pay someone who is ends up being a good player at their position or to over pay for someone who flops (Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Andre Ware and the list goes on and on…)? Quarterbacks rarely are just okay at number 1. They are really good or really bad.
There is something called “integrity in the moment of choice.“ That is where the Lions stand today, the moment of choice. If they truly believe they should draft the best available talent on the board at the time of the selection then you pick Aaron Curry. There is complete consensus on that point by every analyst. If, instead, you choose Matthew Stafford that is your right. However, NEVER utter the words we draft the best available talent on the board again because it is a lie. When the chance was there you passed.
Barney
Posted by Barney on 04/24/09 at 08:24 AM ET