- You may or may not have noticed, but I started assembling the 2009 Draft HQ (in the right sidebar) over the weekend. So far I have put together the first three rounds of the draft tracker, posted a table of the Lions' picks, and posted a widget from NFL.com. Once compensatory picks are released I will input the picks for rounds four through seven. Also, in March I will start to put together a mock draft database and probably a section for the SB Nation mock draft as well.
- Church of Schwartz, a new Lions blog, has put something together called The Lions Congregation. It is basically a group of Lions bloggers that will be answering a few questions each week about the team, and I am one of the bloggers participating. Look out for the first set of questions and answers to be posted on Thursday.
- I have to say, the combine was pretty boring this year. There weren't any out of this world performances or any huge Lions-relevant storylines. Obviously the Michael Crabtree and Andre Smith stories on Saturday were pretty big, but the actual combine itself didn't seem all that interesting. Part of that was because Matthew Stafford opted not to throw, not that that would have told us anything anyways. Mark Sanchez did throw and nothing he did made a lasting positive or negative impression on me. Basically, the combine did nothing to reaffirm or change my thoughts when it comes to the draft. I still think the Lions would be wise to pass on a quarterback and go in the direction of an offensive tackle or defensive player.
- Patriots coach Bill Belichick thinks very highly of Jim Schwartz, or "Schwartzie," as he called him.
- Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry recently talked to the media about the financial problems his family had during his college career. He went home after his sophomore season to the sight of his mother being evicted from her home, so you can bet Curry will put his first paycheck to good use.
- ESPN's Kevin Seifert asked Curry three questions and then asked Jim Schwartz three about Curry.
- With Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith's stock falling so much after he didn't work out and then disappeared from the combine, there is a good chance he could drop to the bottom part of the first-round. If the Lions didn't draft an OT with the #1 overall pick, should they gamble on taking Smith at #20 if he is available? That is the scenario Dave Birkett discussed on Sunday.
- Birkett also talked about what he thinks the Lions will do in the first round of the draft now that he has soaked in the combine.
- Tom Kowalski's thoughts on what the Lions will do in the first round are very similar. Like Birkett, he thinks LB Aaron Curry, OT Jason Smith, and OT Eugene Monroe may have passed Matthew Stafford by when it comes to the #1 pick.
- Jim Schwartz used the alias "Jack White" at the hotel he stayed at when he first came to Michigan. Jack White is part of the White Stripes and apparently lived in Schwartz's neighborhood in Tennessee.
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