Drew Stanton Sounds Ready To Move On From Lions

It looks like the Drew Stanton era in Detroit may be over. The 2007 second-round draft pick is set to become a free agent on March 13, and all indications are that he will seek a backup job elsewhere. The Detroit Lions have made it known that they want Shaun Hill to return as the backup to Matthew Stafford, and after not being active once all last season as the third-string quarterback, Stanton sounds like he is ready to continue his career with another team.

"I want to establish myself as a quality back-up in this league and take that progression to become a starter in this league," he said Wednesday in a phone interview.

Stanton is good enough to be a backup in the NFL. His problem in Detroit is that Hill is one of the top backup quarterbacks in the league. While Stanton did get a chance to play quite a bit in 2010, last year he didn't even suit up for a single game. It makes sense that he is getting ready to look elsewhere, although he did not completely close the door on re-signing with the Lions.

"If I can be a part of it, great, but if it's time for me to move on and go elsewhere, then I'm going to leave Detroit with a good taste in my mouth and know that I did everything in my power to try and improve."

This situation will likely come down to if Stanton can find an opportunity to sign with a team in need of a backup. If he can, chances are he will move on from the Lions. If he can't, however, then the Lions would love to have him back as the third-string quarterback again next season. He may not have been in uniform for a single game in 2011, but the Lions would be thrilled to go forward with two solid backups on the roster.