Wednesday Notes: POD Readers Favor Curry as Top Pick
by Sean Yuille on Feb 25, 2009 12:14 PM EST
in Detroit Lions Notes
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Print- SB Nation and Yahoo! have partnered together in many different ways, and one of them is that you will find SB Nation content on various Yahoo! Sports pages. Check out the Lions' page on Yahoo! for an example of what I'm talking about.
- With the #1 overall pick of the Football Burrito mock draft, I selected linebacker Aaron Curry for the Lions. I was leaning toward drafting him in the first place, but it was you guys that cemented my decision. Curry received 59% of the 499 votes in a poll that basically determined the top pick. The next most votes went to Jason Smith, but that was only 18% of the 499 total. Matthew Stafford was next with 9% of the vote, followed by Eugene Monroe with 8%.
- Although I didn't expect to need more opinions on this mock draft until the 20th pick came around, there is a trade offer on the table that needs to be discussed. The blogger representing the Patriots has offered me quarterback Matt Cassel for the 20th pick of the first round and a swap of third-round picks. Personally, I'm against bringing in someone like Cassel since he seems very Scott Mitchell-esque to me. Even so, I want to see what you guys think, so make sure to vote in the poll below and leave your thoughts in the comments section.
- In this week's Sports Illustrated there is a story written by Peter King that talks about Matthew Stafford and the whole connection the Georgia QB has with Bobby Layne. The story also talks about Stafford's experiences at the combine, including this interesting moment with Tom Lewand:
The next day, King wrote that Stafford “snuck behind Detroit's buttoned-up chief operating officer, Tom Lewand, bear-hugged him and lifted him off the ground. 'Come on!" Stafford said, laughing. 'Let's go! I'm ready!' In other words, Pick me!”
Stafford mentioned how he wants to play in Detroit and throw to Calvin Johnson on more than a few occasions. Obviously this isn't a surprise since a player that has a shot at being the top overall pick will do and say quite a bit to become the top overall pick. Even so, it seems like Stafford is being genuine about his interest in playing in Detroit for the most part. - NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock shared something interesting about Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith that may be an important factor if he ends up being in contention for the #1 pick of the draft.
"(Smith) is a very athletic kid that I think can be a very good pass blocker Day One," Mayock said. "At Baylor, he played in a spread offense, so he's in a two-point stance 98 percent of the time. So he needs some work on his run blocking. But the key is their ability to pass protect immediately. And I think what Jason Smith and (Virginia's) Eugene Monroe both offer is tremendous feet and athleticism with long arms. So both of those guys can step in Day One and protect your quarterback."
Although it is very important for the top pick (if he is a tackle) to protect his quarterback, blocking for Kevin Smith would be just as important on the Lions. Jim Schwartz has said repeatedly that he wants to run the ball, and I imagine any OT will have to be improve the running game fairly quickly to be drafted #1 overall. - Although Todd McShay said the Lions are in a "no-win situation" when it comes to the #1 pick, he thinks Detroit should draft OT Jason Smith. Mel Kiper, on the other hand, said "[t]here's nobody else to take" other than a quarterback. I never thought I would say this, but for once I agree with McShay. If it looks like the Lions are "forced" to take a quarterback, chances are they are going to be convincing themselves it is a good idea. When that happens, the results usually aren't good.
- Defensive tackle Shaun Rogers reportedly wants out of Cleveland already.
- The Vikings are going to trade for Texans quarterback Sage Rosenfels.
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Cassell took a 16-0 team
to and 11-5 team. Still really good but look at who he had to work with. Like you said, Sean, another Scott Mitchell in the works.
I’d rather take Freeman or Sanchez at 1-20, take Simms in FA or wait until next year.
PS…The Yahoo! this is pretty cool.
"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five." ~Groucho Marx
Taking off from this article…
http://blogs.usatoday.com/thehuddle/2009/02/cnbc-estimate-a.html
Andre Smith seems to have torpedoed his draft prospects with his shenanigans at the combine…was there any huge blowup, past him just abandoning ship that’s behind this? Because two weeks ago, he was a candidate for the 1st pick, and now, Dan Patrick is talking about how maybe the Eagles might want him at pick 28 in the first round?
Did I miss something else? A Wonderlic score of 2, perhaps? I know you don’t blow off the biggest job interview of your life, but what else happened that he’s gone from a can’t miss prospect to a can’t touch for fear of getting burned pariah in the space of a week or two?
All that is a over long lead up to the question: should the Lions grab him if, as now seems possible, he’s available at the 20th pick?
All I know
Is that he showed up out of shape, decided at the last minute to not work out, and then bolted back home on Saturday without telling anyone. People obviously are questioning his work ethic and decision-making skills. I’m sure some teams are using this as an excuse to make it sound like his stock is falling, though. That way a late first-round team could have the chance to draft him.
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Beyond that . . .
PFT reported that he had an awful round of interviews at the combine. Dressed shabbily, told every team a different story about what happened with the bowl game, came across bored and disinterested, etc. Then he was way out of shape, blamed the fact that he didn’t pick an agent until a week before the combine, then he announced he wasn’t going to work out, then he just left and didn’t tell anybody.
That’s a whole lot of Things You Just Don’t Do.
Peace
Ty
http://thelionsinwinter.blogspot.com
by ty@thelionsinwinter on Feb 25, 2009 4:09 PM EST up reply actions
He should write a book...
“How to Lose $10 Million in a Weekend”. Some people just have to learn the hard way.
He was never a can't-miss prospect
He’s had weight issues and character issues that were in question well before the combine. The guy didn’t get to play in his bowl game, because of disciplinary reasons. He’s a good football player, but good football players sometimes don’t make it.
I think he’ll still be the third tackle off the board and be gone by pick fifteen, but he’s highlighting his worst attributes right now and there’s no way that won’t affect his draft status.
knew about the weight issues, not so much about the character stuff….somehow I’d got the impression that the bowl game was due to some sort of impermissable agent contact…
thanks (and to Ty, too) for filling in the holes, guess I overread into the fact that he was in consideration for a top 2 draft pick…
I say do it if he is there
If Andre Smith is still on the board at 20 we will have struck gold. He is a way better tackle than Gosder C talent wise (Right tackle taken at 22 last year). Mayhew already said if we take a tackle high he will move Backus to guard. If we take Curry #1 Smith #20 and the best corner available at #33 (Malcolm Jenkins perhaps) he had a slow 40 at the combine, probably hurt his stock. We need 2 starting corners and he could easily move into the starting lineup. In a perfect world our picks would fall like that.
Take Smith at 20
if he’s still there. At that point his personality flaws, which seem to be his biggest drawback, may be overridden by the fact that he could be an elite tackle. Hell, make him a guard that this point if he can’t handle speed rushers on the outside at least until Backus is gone. He’s got the build for it.
Oh yeah
and no Cassell. If you put the Pats o-line in front of me, I’ll give you an 11-5 record. Any QB will look good standing (and I do mean standing, not running, not jogging, standing peacefully, fully unsullied by those brutish defenders) behind that line and throwing to Moss and Welker.
I mean I don’t think he ever got his uniform dirty last year. Unless you count the grass stains on his knees he got from killing the clock at the end of halves/ games.
Don't forget
the creampuff schedule that they played last year. Beating up on the NFC West and AFC West isn’t all that hard.
I think you guys are underestimating...
Cassel a little bit here. They had a ton of injuries on the o-line last year and when healthy, they didn’t play well at times. Belichick even said as much. Yes, he had Moss & Welker to throw to, but he had Sammy Morris as the running back for most of the season. The bottom line is that he played very well last year. Would he have won 11 games with the Lions last year? Not even close. But I can tell you that he would have won a game or two.
It might be a mistake not to take a serious look at the guy. I don’t care what team you’re quarterbacking for, it still comes down to execution, playing within the offense and not making mistakes. All of those things Cassel did well last year.
Look, I’m not begging for the guy, but I would hope Mayhew and Co. will perform their due diligence on the him. Fact remains, the Lions still need a quarterback this year. Daunte is NOT the answer.
Give up a second
or third this year, a second or third next year and swap 1st round picks.pics (20 for 23). That’d be the only way I’d do it.
I really don’t know if Cassell could be the man but he may. He’s got 1 full year of starting experience under his belt and had an excellent coach bringing him along. I wouldn’t break the bank for him, though and I certainly wouldn’t give up 1-1 for him either.
"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five." ~Groucho Marx
He's probably decent
But he’s also going to be making a ton of money next year because of the franchise tag (average of the 5 highest paid QBs). I’m not sure he’s worth tying all that money up AND losing picks. I agree about Daunte though.
He's going to end up being pretty...
expensive. But if the Pats don’t get a taker by the time the draft rolls around, they might be ready to dump him for a cheaper set of picks. By that time, the Lions will know if Stafford is the pick or not.
I agree here
If we could get Casell for only 14 million gauranteed with the 20th pick this year, he would probably also sign a long term deal to spread that money out (which might add gauranteed money), it would be a safer option than Stafford #1 where we might have to give him nearly 30 million gauranteed (I think thats about right).
Plus we keep our #1 and get to take a stud linebacker or a solid left tackle.
Its a funny story actually.
Which 3rd rounder(s) get swapped?
Maybe I misread the trade details…would we trade both our third rounders for New England’s, or just the first one, or just the second?
I'm assuming just our's
So the first pick of the third-round.
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What's so great about next year's QBs?
I’ve been reading a lot about how next year’s class is supposed to be a lot better than this year’s. But honestly, who jumps out at you? Tebow? Bradford? McCoy? Don’t they all seem like great college guys who don’t translate well to the NFL? Maybe McCoy but he seems a bit undersized to me. Are there other QBs from smaller schools that I’m missing? I’m not pushing for Stafford or Sanchez but part of me feels like they might be worth drafting just to avoid getting one of the other guys next year. At least Stafford and Sanchez have NFL level “tools”.
I agree with you that...
you can’t use the “next year’s crop” approach on any position. College player’s stock rises and falls very quickly between two years. Even if McCoy or Bradford appear to be consensus first round picks right now, poor seasons or injuries will tear that theory to shreds in an instant.
If they like a guy a lot at the number one or twenty slot, take him. If not, you don’t trust your scouting dept. and you better make changes to that next year. Trust your boards for 2009, not 2010.
I could live with Curry as the #1 pick
I watched the combine, the only QB who looked good was Pat White. Go all defense in rounds 1-3. Build the D so your offense can still be in the game and not down 24-0 starting the 2nd quarter. I’d prefer they take BJ Raji first overall, nab a MLB @ 20, hope Ron Brace falls to the 3rd round. Get those fat guys plugging up the middle of the line, no team could run on you. That will help your DEs with a pass rush and just make everyone on defense better. Maybe the SS from USC will fall to the 3rd round, too.
I could live with BJ Raji
It wouldn’t surprise me if the lions took BJ Raji first overall. It would be a great building block for adding additional LBs and would take pressure off our DEs, not to mention take some slack off Cory Redding. The Schwartz is all about the interior and defense. But like Sean said,
“Although it is very important for the top pick (if he is a tackle) to protect his quarterback, blocking for Kevin Smith would be just as important on the Lions. Jim Schwartz has said repeatedly that he wants to run the ball, and I imagine any OT will have to be improve the running game fairly quickly to be drafted #1 overall.”
Kevin Smith was a diamond in the rough this past season and nothing more would excite me than a tackle that could add momentum to the rushing game and also give our QB more pocket time.
Curry, Dline, or Oline I would be satisfied with 1st overall. I just hope the lions make great use of their first 5 picks no matter where they start.
Cassell
Give an average QB a great team, he will win games. Give a good QB a bad team and he’ll end up losing games. The credit both ways goes to the QB. I don’t think the guy is a bad QB… but I’m not sold on either him or Tom Brady. They just have a great team to work with.
I think the QB situation can wait. Sure we won’t be “there” without a gunslinger, but I think it’s just jumping the gun trying to achieve so many things in one year.
From what I’ve read about the kid, I’m real high up on Curry. I hope we go for him at #1. Use #20 for defense too… maybe we’ll have some big young DL around that spot.
Really you should get Cassell
Cassell and Calvin can be like Tom and Moss OK not really but i think that you won’t go 0-16 next year but im giving you guys a 6-10 record because of your players getting usted to those new coaches.
Maybe a counter offer is the 2nd round pick
I would seriously look at that, but not our first round pick.
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