Tuesday Notes: Stafford in Top Three for Rookie Jersey Sales

by Sean Yuille on May 5, 2009 12:33 AM EDT in Notes Comment 15 comments

The Lions are going to hold an organized training activity today.
Matthew Stafford's jersey is in the top three in sales for all rookies.
Peyton Manning thinks the Lions should throw Stafford into the starting QB spot right now to get him ready for year two and beyond.
The Lions are going to hire a pro personnel assistant and a scout on the west coast in the near future.
We should get to hear Drew Stanton's thoughts on his future with the Lions tomorrow thanks to the OTA.
The Ravens signed quarterback John Beck.

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Comments

Play Stafford toady give him a whole training camp

let him take his beating this yr , the defense will be greatly improved and Pettigrew gives them an extra blocker,to protect him..
why would u sit him ? makes 0 sence ..if he is better than culpepper than he NEEDS to play..
he wont get beat up as much as past Lion Qbs, this OL is a little better than past 10 yrs,and he has a quick release and a top 3 WR in NFL ( CJ) and a BEAST at TE (Pettigrew) those 2 will help him …

by ralphgoblue on May 5, 2009 1:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He does seem mentally tough enough to start, at least he appears to be. Still a bad idea Peyton, you just don;t want an awesome QB taking your spotlight away.

by BIGWalt2990 on May 5, 2009 7:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I gotta ask...

…how is it that you figure the OL is better than it has been? If anything they’re considerably worse than they were last year with Damion Cook presently your starting LG. I find Peyton’s comments intriguing, but the reality is that his team was more established than this team is the minute he took the field his rookie year. I mean I like Kevin Smith, but he’s no Marshall Faulk! Sit Stafford for one year and give the coaches and management a shot at addressing the rest of their holes. If this draft was a success it should start to show signs of that by the end of the season. Add in some help on defense in the off season, coupled with a year of pressure free learning on the part of Stafford and his chances for success will be greatly increased.

by Mushy on May 5, 2009 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

the O-line was OK towards the end of last year

When they were able to sustain consecutive weeks starting together. Cook is not the starter at LG, Peterman is. I am willing to bet Loper will be there fulltime at the end of training camp. Loper is probably the best lineman we have. Since we have added a talented lineman in Loper i would be willing to say the line has improved, just not very much.

When angry, count four; when very angry, swear. ~Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894

by Leapin Lion on May 5, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Daniel Loper?

Peterman has been their RG for the last two seasons, Mulitalo was their LG. Loper has never started a game in his three year NFL career, and has been listed as a tackle the last three seasons (6’6" 320lbs). At least Mulitalo was a legit NFL starter with other NFL teams. Right now you’ve got the same offensive line as last season minus a legitimate guard. I don’t see how that could be an improvement. If they sign Foote, the defense improves, maybe they’re not down by 21pts at the end of the 1st qtr every game, and they can still run the ball in the 2nd half. That would improve Staffords chances, but until they shore up that defensive and offensive line I’m not a fan of bringing Stafford in.

by Mushy on May 5, 2009 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mulitalo?

That guy was trash… He couldn’t pull to save his life, which decimates your runnning game. He was definitely over the hill, and calling him legitimate is crazy. Loper is probably going to be Backus’ backup at LT, but he may make it to LG, if the guys we have are bad enough.

I’m assuming that they’ll put Loper @ LG if they think Murtha is good enough for LT.

by Nate D. on May 5, 2009 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

BTW

Mulitalo is a Mormon and lives in Birmingham currently. Odd.

by Nate D. on May 5, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well don't get me wrong...

…I’m not trying to lead the Mulitalo for Pro-Bowl parade. I was just making the point that the guy was a legitimate player. He started for Baltimore for 7 years, including all of the years that Jamal Lewis ran for over 1000yds (and the one season he went for 2000). The guy may not be a great guard, or even a good one, but to say that he wasn’t legit is a bit of a stretch. I know a lot can change before the start of the season, but as of today it is Damion Cook who heads up the depth chart at LG. He’s managed to start only 10 games for terrible teams since 2002 (including a few years he was out of the NFL all together). Loper has never started a game, and Murtha got hurt during the first rookie mini-camp (without pads). Again, it’s not that I even want Mulitalo back, but he was almost certainly better than what we have as of right now.

by Mushy on May 5, 2009 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So what if you haven't started a game?

Dude, the reason these guys don’t start games is because, unlike Detroit, teams like to keep their OL in sync with one another for more than 3 games. Jeff Fisher went on record saying he was disappointed they lost Loper. He’s played in something like 40 games, which says to me he’s done well enough that he secured a spot for a few years in Tennessee. Mulitalo (when we got him) was a has been from a Super Bowl team that won SOLELY because of it’s defense… Not to mention the SB was, what, 9 years ago?

Grew got hurt during camp too, by the way… might as well scratch him off the starter list.

by Nate D. on May 5, 2009 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Stanton

I hope he gets released so he has a chance somewhere else. If he can latch on with the Panthers and learn the system their for a few years might be his best chance.

by msivits on May 5, 2009 8:05 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Larry Foote

FYI all, according to the free press, Larry Foote is visiting the Lions on wednesday.

by douglazz63 on May 5, 2009 10:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The Manning perspective is both true and optimistic.

by BtotheLT on May 5, 2009 12:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Manning also said

he would like to see his rookie interception record fall in the same interview about Stafford

by JazzyBBP on May 5, 2009 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right, no one is paying attention to that......

I believe it would hurt him to start him now. Let him sit for a year get the playbook down, let the burn to play become unbearable then unleash him in 2010.

When angry, count four; when very angry, swear. ~Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894

by Leapin Lion on May 5, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We should have placed a flyer on Beck as our #3 over Stanton.

I liked what Stanton did in pre-season last year, but again it was pre-season and we won all 4. He is not able to stay healthy, and with Stafford its time to move on.

When angry, count four; when very angry, swear. ~Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894

by Leapin Lion on May 5, 2009 1:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs