So the season ended, and Detroit has one of the worst teams in NFL history. What to do? As Draft Day approaches, the obvious answer is to draft a quarterback at #1, but the Lions may not be so eager to jump on the Matt Stafford bandwagon. Detroit loves Sam Bradford, and he’ll be there for the taking next year.
Listening to the banter on the radio, it appears that Detroit Lions fans are heartbroken over Sam Bradford’s decision to return to college for one more year. Tough break, Lions. Detroit’s decision to give up John Kitna to Dallas makes no sense, especially when you consider that Kitna’s injury wasn’t nearly as bad as Detroit was claiming earlier in the year.
Best Case Scenario
One possible scenario is that they take Aaron Curry at LB and beef up their supporting roles with their remaining picks. Another option is to trade out of 1st and pick up some additional picks in 2010 or a nice veteran today. If this plays out, they give Dante Culpepper another year or two at starting quarterback, hoping he doesn’t embarrass the team, but also hoping he doesn’t cost them a top draft pick next year off some fluke success (which NO ONE is worried about).
If Detroit passes on Stafford or Sanchez this year, it’s because they are dead set on Sam Bradford in 2010′s draft. Bradford is a significantly better passer than Stafford or Sanchez, and he’s more likely to pass the test of living up to #1 pick expectations along the timeline of his career.
This scenario might not take place if the Lions feel desperate to encourage their fans during a dismal Detroit economy. With automakers on the chopping block, Detroit fans will be hard-pressed to spend and attend like they used to.
If the Lions jump at Stafford, it’s a given that he’s the Lions’ QB for the next five years. It’s a bigger gamble than Bradford, but the powers that be may see it as a necessary move to boost the local economy. We’ll be watching closely to see what they choose.
What do you think? Should the Lions go with Stafford in 2009 or wait for Bradford in 2010?
