Wednesday Notes: B.J. Raji to Visit Lions Today

by Sean Yuille on Mar 18, 2009 2:48 AM EDT in Detroit Lions Notes

Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji is scheduled to visit the Lions today.
The Lions finally announced the Julian Peterson-Cory Redding trade.
Martin Mayhew said in an interview on Tuesday that if the Lions draft Aaron Curry, he would immediately start at middle linebacker.
Mayhew also discussed Cory Redding and shared that he would have played at defensive end on first and second down. He would have only played defensive tackle on passing downs.
The Lions asked Boston College DT Ron Brace what he used to order at McDonald's when he was in high school. (HT: Shutdown Corner)
Yesterday there was quite a bit of discussion about a possible three-way trade involving the Lions, Broncos, and Browns. It wasn't based on rumors or anything like that; it is just discussion among people following the situation.
Chris Carr, like L.J. Smith, has signed with the Ravens.

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I've got an Interview with BJ coming early next week for Big Cat Country

I’ll post a link to Big Cat Country when it’s done…

The End Is Nigh... www.infowars.com

by silencecs on Mar 18, 2009 3:01 AM EDT reply actions

Nice

Make sure to ask him how his visit with the Lions went ;-)

Check out Pride of Detroit, SB Nation's Lions Blog

by Sean Yuille on Mar 18, 2009 3:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Curry comment

Does Mayhew’s comment not sound like an admission that they are still HEAVILY considering Curry? If he’s DEFINITELY going to start at MLB, DRAFT HIM!

GO LIONS! RESTORE THE ROAR!

by Twon82 on Mar 18, 2009 10:15 AM EDT reply actions

BJ Raji is who I want them to draft #1

I could definitely live with picking Curry, though

by JazzyBBP on Mar 18, 2009 12:25 PM EDT reply actions

the last couple of weeks i have fallen in love with curry

TB Rays in 09!!!

by RaysOfHope on Mar 18, 2009 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Is a reach at #1 while I don’t think Curry is. I think that curry is better than any LB we get at #20 than Raji is better than Peria Jerry or another DT at #20 or even #33. I just re-read that and it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but I don’t know how else to write it. Basically, I think that Curry – Jerry is better than Raji – Laurinaitius.

by damnitdamnitdamnit on Mar 18, 2009 2:05 PM EDT reply actions

Everybody is a reach at #1 in this draft, Curry is just the safest pick. I like your thinking that the Lions top priority is fixing the defense though. I think both players have great upside and both are regarded as top 5 ELITE prospects, along with Monroe, J. Smith and Crabtree. If they are top 5, then it can’t really be a reach in my book. And for the record before some smartass says something, no I don’t want Crabtree.

by JazzyBBP on Mar 18, 2009 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions

CRABTREE LOVER!

by damnitdamnitdamnit on Mar 18, 2009 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Although...

Both the options above are acceptable and would help out our Defense a ton.

by damnitdamnitdamnit on Mar 18, 2009 2:05 PM EDT reply actions

Ron Brace

It would be a reach, but a strategic selection at 33. NT, gimme.

by BtotheLT on Mar 18, 2009 6:32 PM EDT reply actions

No reach at 33

There is a very good chance he comes off the board in the 2nd, Question is if James L falls to the 2nd round and we don’t take Curry with #1. Do we take James L or Brace?

by msivits on Mar 18, 2009 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions

james L

TB Rays in 09!!!

by RaysOfHope on Mar 18, 2009 11:32 PM EDT up reply actions

I would have to think that...

If Curry doesn’t go first, then we picked up an OL and DT in the first, and would be lucky to have James L fall to the second. Jason Smith, Jeria Perry, and Laurinatius would be a great 1st and second rounds.

by damnitdamnitdamnit on Mar 19, 2009 12:36 AM EDT up reply actions

defensive tackle help

i agree that it would be a risk taking raji at #1. we are in dire need of a three-down d-tackle, and there just simply isn’t one on our roster. i would like to draft curry, but he has no experience at middle linebacker. we drafted dizon high last year to take over the middle, and we have yet to see what we have thanks to marinelli’s refusal to take struggling paris lenon out of the lineup. i dont see curry unseating either sims or peterson.

we picked up grady jackson, but he is no pass rusher. darby will take his usual two steps and fall on his stomach. we finally got rid of shawn cody, and will probably get rid of alama-francis as well. fluellen and avril may develop this year, but raji would really be a step in the right direction. unfortunately, we’re still saddlebagged with the issue of addressing the horrendous pass protection and run blocking. as much as i would love to see raji in motown, we cannot continue to ignore the offensive line. monroe or smith with the first pick, and the d-tackle from ole miss with the second first rounder.

by big smoove on Mar 18, 2009 8:09 PM EDT reply actions

Please

Lions, Please please please draft Aaron Curry first. Most feared LB corps IN the NFL. OT at 20. dt at 33. How smart is that?

by dylan415 on Mar 18, 2009 11:17 PM EDT reply actions

Very

I have been watching videos of Curry and that guy is a blur on the field. He would be fun to watch.

by damnitdamnitdamnit on Mar 19, 2009 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Which OT at #20? Which DT at #33?

I don’t see good value being at either one of those poisitons at those pick numbers.

By #20 the top-tier OT’s will be gone and we’ll be reaching for a second-tier OT. I don’t think there’s any sense moving Backus out of his LT position to OG to accomodate a second-tier rookie LT who may-or-may-not be better than Backus. That would make our O-Line worse.

Raji will be gone in the top 10 picks, Jerry will be gone in the first round, Brace is a reach at #33, so which DT do you want to pick at #33? Not sure I see much value here.

My ideal draft scenarios for rounds 1-2:

1. Curry at #1, Alex Mack (best interior OL, can play G now and C later, and he won’t last to round 2) at #20, BPA CB/WR at #33 (at least one of the first-round-rated CB’s or WR’s will fall out of the first round, I like DJ Moore most)

2. Curry at #1, Alex Mack at #20, trade down from #33 into the middle-second round to get Ron Brace

3. Jason Smith at #1 (Backus-to-Guard), trade up from #20 to get Maualuga if he falls past 14-15 or so (which likely means trading down from #33 into the 14th-15th pick of the second round—good value place to get Ron Brace there)

4. Jason Smith at #1 (Backus-to-Guard), trade down a few spots from #20 to get Laurenaitis late in round 1 (which would likely mean trading up from #65 into the second round to have a shot at getting Ron Brace). BPA CB/WR at #33

Basically, I’d love to get Curry at #1, but Jason Smith is the real deal too, and fits the value at #1 too. And the difference between Curry and Maualuga (trade up from #20) or the difference between Curry and Laurenaitis (trade down from #20) is not as big as the difference between Jason Smith and Eben Britton. We already have two very good OLB’s in Sims and Peterson, if we can get a solid, starting-calibre MLB in between them, I’m happy; not all our LB’s need to be superstars.

I like Ron Brace a lot. He has the size that we need at NT (unlike Peria Jerry), and I think we can get him somewhere in the second round, #33 might be a little high (giving us some room for trades) but he won’t last to the third.

by n4ry4 on Mar 19, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions