OT: Get Those "Fire Mayhew" Signs Ready.
I think I'm gonna be sick:
http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/04/13/stafford-telling-teammates-he…
Not a fan of Stafford, eh?
No, especially when the team selecting him #1 overall fielded the second worst defense in NFL history last season.
Yeha, I'm confused too. Also glad I'm NOT a Lions fan. I'm also not an NFL fan though.
Its not a bad thing. There is a basic rule in the NFL, if you don't have a franchise quarterback you don't pass on a franchise quarterback. If he is smart, he will follow this rule and then use his other first round pick to get a guy to protect his new investment (a stud LT). Combined with Cherilus from last year the O-Line will be better and there will be a competent QB to run the offense.
Mayhew for Heisman?
to block for him.
BUST ALERT
There is a silver lining: Lions should have the first pick in 2010 too!
It's a good pick for the Lions. They get a franchise QB for years to come. Everything that I've been hearing from the scouts(not the internet, mind you) are saying that Stafford will be a star.
You mean everything you hear from Mel Kiper, who is friends with Stafford's family. McShay doesn't think he's a franchise QB, Scout and Sporting news have him as the 2nd best QB, SI follows suit and doesn't have him off the board until 10.
Stafford had a completion percentage of 50 percent for his career. I know he's got a cannon arm, but it doesn't matter how much zip is on those passes if he can't hit his WR's. 40 Million dollars for Matt Stafford will be just another albatross to hang around the Lions neck, thank god no one will notice it while they go 0-32.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:50 PM ^
Frankly I will go on record saying I think Stafford will be as big a bust as Joey Harrington, and at least three times as expensive. Kiper's reasoning boils down to "Lions need QB, Stafford is best there is" and it's completely moronic, given that the Lions need absolutely everything else too.
Stafford is the absolute worst kind of quarterback to take in the draft. He's big and has a workout arm, but his career doesn't back up his workout-warrior measurables. I wouldn't take Stafford with any pick in the first round - maybe if he were there in the second, then I'd draft him. He reminds me of Kyle Boller: big, strong arm, "boy he really puts some zip on those passes doesn't he yow wow that fella sure has a live arm", and red-flag inconsistencies throughout his career (which has but one standout year to its credit) that scouts totally ignore because damn doesn't he look good throwing that ball my what a tight spiral boy howdy that kid can really put some zip on the ball yessirree. Three or four years from now we'll be booing Stafford off the field in the third quarter after his third pick of the day, which came directly after his fourth sack, because he threw a perfect spiral to the cornerback he didn't see and it got returned for a touchdown to put the Lions down 35-6 on their way to yet another 3-13 record. And all this time we'll have no quarterback because we gave Stafford enough money to buy Liechtenstein and can't pay two quarterbacks, let alone a defense or an offensive line.
Stafford sucks. I hope to God I'm proven wrong. But I've seen this movie and I know how it ends.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:18 PM ^
I don't listen to Kiper, McShay, Mayock, etc. I know actual NFL scouts and they pretty much have Stafford in the top 5 in their draft board. I personally know 5 of them and all worked for different teams.
For the record, completion percentage is not an indicator of accuracy. The scouts don't bother to look up completion percentage because it doesn't tell the story. They chart accuracy and Stafford is pretty accurate according to them.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:50 PM ^
"Completion percentage is not an indicator of accuracy?" Not saying you're lying or anything with the "I know scouts personally," but that is nuts. Coaches in the NFL use completion percentage as an indicator of accuracy every day. In fact, they have completion percentage targets for the QB. One thing that is true within that statement is that % is not the only factor, because with the reads receivers have to make sometimes they are not where they should be, thus the QB is not at fault when he misses them. But accuracy is critical in the NFL, and the best QB's almost always have completion %, towards the top rank, Brett Favre aside.
Scouts break down each throw in terms of accuracy... Does he throw it within the frame of the WR so he doesn't have to stop or make a great play on it, does he throw it away from the defender, does he throw it on time before the defender can make a play on it, does he put too much air under his long ball giving an NFL safety time to recover????
Scouts do not care whether or not a ball is completed, and penalize the QB even when the WR makes a great catch on a poorly thrown ball.
Completion percentage also doesn't take into account the types of throws a qb makes - spread and west coast qbs are by nature going to have significantly higher completion percentages than pro style QBs like Stafford and Freeman, whose offenses operate in the seams with dig routes and over zones with deep outs - not primarily extended handoffs.
Also, what is the QB's accuracy on the run, accuracy under pressure? There are a lot more than just completion percentage. It is one of the more overrated stats toward evaluating QBs.
But it still counts for something. Just watching him in what few games I saw, he was remarkably inconsistent. I'm not a fan of using ERA to judge a pitchers future, but if its awful, it could be he just can't get guys out. 50% completion in college is AWFUL, and although I don't doubt there is more to it, maybe he just can't hit his wrs consistently.
if we're going by this stats then Stafford never completed for 50%. He completed over 60% in his junior year.
I don't know where you get this number of 50%.... I have yet to see anything like this in any statistics.
Completion percentage is overrated because it tends to be inflated in WCO and spread offense where you throw for about 5-10 yards from LOS which isn't all that hard to do.
And its not like he didn't have players around him.
Matt stafford is not worth number one money, he isn't even the consensus best qb in a poor draft, and hasn't performed well against very few good teams in his career. He's the wrong pick, especially considering how bad of a situion he is stepping into. If Stafford is picked at number one and has nfl success I will bend down and kiss mel kipers ass, but I aint too worried about that.
with a grain of salt.
He started as a true freshman and of course your numbers will suffer because it's extremely rare for a true freshman to post outstanding numbers.
When you look at year by year stats, you can see that his statistics has improved every year which is a good indicator of his work ethics.
Stafford has to play behind a sub-par OL play in the last two years at UGA. The OL consists of 2 true freshman, 1 red shirt freshman and a true sophomore at one time. This is what he will most likely face in his rookie/2nd year in the NFL. Despite that, he still improved leaps and bounds in mental aspect as well as his mechanics.
Beside Florida game, which game that he has not performed well in his junior year?
FYI, Stafford is the only QB who has complete control of the offense and the playcalling. His coach, Richt, doesn't give QB that kind of freedom yet he let Stafford to choose plays at LOS. From what I've been told, Stafford is a very bright kid and knows what he's doing on the field.
Then the scouts you speak with are functionally retarded.
for you to say this type of stuff behind the computer.
They have a real job in scouting college prospects unlike you.
That franchise QB Joey Harrington the Lions drafted a few years ago? Or that franchise QB Alex Smith San Francisco drafted #1 overall? Or that franchise QB David Carr that Houston drafted #1 overall? It's all a crap shoot, and since it's the Lions, the chances of success are even less. I'm not sold on Stafford and the Lions have many other holes I'd rather see filled first because bringing in a QB before filling those holes equals death for that QB.
Word of advice to Stafford if he does indeed end up in Detroit...watch some WWE and learn how to take a back bump properly.
They also said Butler could block!
Not really impress with Matt or Lion management.
hmm...i dont know how much of a done deal this sounds. seems like its a rumor still. regardless, all the pundits seem to think its stafford to the lions. which is a shame, since they have so many holes now. the #1 pick this year seems to be more of a curse than a blessing.
I willing to wait and see. Not a fan of the Mayhew hire, but he has made a couple good moves so far.
Not a big fan of Stafford either, but I liked Ryan Leaf over Peyton Manning coming out of College. I must of used the "Peyton can't win the big one", a thousand times.
Not that he isn't a great Qb, but he has yet to shake the choker tag for me. He did win a Super Bowl, but he didn't deserve the MVP for that game, as he didn't perform all that well, and he still seems to come up small in big games. He doesn't completely break down in them now, he just always seems to come up short.
has a choker label coming out of Tennessee. A lot of people questioned the Colts pick because most felt that Ryan Leaf is a better prospect than Manning. Look at how it turned out for Peyton and Leaf.
You can't use Win-Loss record toward evaluating QBs. That is easily the most overrated statistic for a QBs. See Vince Young. People liked him because he just wins. He hasn't done squat in the NFL. Say what you want about his Pro Bowl appearance but his numbers in that year is not impressive and he was being carried by the running game as well as defense into a playoff appearance.
April 13th, 2009 at 11:07 PM ^
New look! Oooooh shiny!
http://www.freep.com/article/20090413/SPORTS01/90413029/Lions+expected+…
I knew there was some reason to hope...
Great! Stafford can suck ass in a different uniform than Harrington sucked in, which was different from the one Andre Ware sucked in.
There is no way that Tom Condon will let any QB sign early. Unless the Lions give him about $20 million over his market value, he won't even think about it. Since the Lions have made it clear that they won't pick someone who doesn't sign early, the chances of Stafford going to Detroit are very slim.
I am glad the chances are slim, because Stafford puts the "choking" in "choking 'dawg." His performance against fast defenses has been abysmal. He took the second-best talent in the nation last year and made them a second-tier team that had to rally to beat MS-bleeping-U in a bowl game.
Watching his performances against Alabama and Florida told me all I need to know about Stafford. I have been comparing him to Joey Harrington a lot at mlive, but he may be even worse:
Matthew Stafford = Ryan Leaf
The concept of drafting highly rated lineman must be a foreign concept to the Lions organization. Harrington couldn't survive with a shitty OL, but hey, maybe Stafford could survive with a shitty OL but I highly doubt it. When's the last time the Lions have ever had a great LT? The blindside tackle is the most important position on a football team (read Moneyball by Michael Lewis). As a Packers fan, I'm giddy that the Lions are continuing down their path of mediocrity and boneheaded draft decisions. Keep up the good work, Ford family and cronies.
I'm over it. Stafford has risks like any other QB, but if they drafted Curry, they would move him to a position he's never played and pay him about the same. If there was a Jake Long quality LT, or a top quality DT or DE, they'd probably take him, but there's not. And because there is no top quality prospect at the top, and the money they'll have to pay the pick, no one wants to trade for it. If they didn't have two first rounders, I'd probably be more upset, but if they can get Rey Maualuga at 20, they'll get their linebacker.
Isn't just Lion luck to get the first pick in a year when there is no first pick?
April 14th, 2009 at 12:41 PM ^
When Stafford debuts in a Lions jersey, do you think they will put "STAFFORD" on the back, or will they cut to the chase and just put "LEAF" on it?
or they could just put harrington on it
is quarterback really the problem for the Detroit Lions organization?
Seems to me the problem is elsewhere like:
DEFENSE!
Ranked 32nd in total defense (2008)
Ranked 32nd in rushing defense (2008)
Ranked 27th in passing defense (2008)
OFFENSE!
Ranked 27th in total offense (2008)
Ranked 30th in rushing offense (2008)
If you ask me, Detroit's passing offense was probably the only area of light, and it was a reflection of some "OK" QB play, horrific coaching and "if it's gonna be, it's got to be me"-wide receivers. Detroit was 21st in the league in passing offense. Not good. But Detroit has a good cast of QBs in my view (Orlovsky, Kitna, Henson) who probably just need some other guys on the o-line and skilled positions to STEP UP and make some freaking plays. Orlovsky and Kittna threw 56% compl. % in 2008. Not great, but what could it be with a respectable o-line and a rushing attack?
Stafford is a good QB in my view. He just has no common sense about business, has a UofGa degree which sufficiently explains this, and should proceed to STFU. But to me it's idiocy to burn $40 mill of valuable salary resource on lower priority position players.
I'd like to introduce you to my friend roster changes. Also known as Jon Kitna and Dan Orlovsky. Another name is not Lions.
The simple truth is this: regardless of how good a prospect you thinkk Stafford is, the one, sure-fire means of destroying a young QB's career is to put him behind a nightmarish offensive line until he starts seeing sprinting linebackers in his sleep. I'm not sure that guys like David Carr and Harrington were "bad QB's" - I think they became that way after getting put on their ass everytime they dropped back to pass.
The simple truth is this: regardless of how good a prospect you thinkk Stafford is, the one, sure-fire means of destroying a young QB's career is to put him behind a nightmarish offensive line until he starts seeing sprinting linebackers in his sleep. I'm not sure that guys like David Carr and Harrington were "bad QB's" - I think they became that way after getting put on their ass everytime they dropped back to pass.