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It's been a rough day for the Detroit Lions when it comes to their backup quarterback situation. First, Luke McCown, who reportedly drew some interest from the Lions, agreed to a deal with the New Orleans Saints. And now, according to Jim Thomas, Shaun Hill has agreed to a deal with the St. Louis Rams.
With Hill joining the Rams, the Lions are in a pretty tough spot when it comes to who is backing up Matthew Stafford. It's pretty clear at this point that they don't have enough confidence in Kellen Moore to simply roll with him as the backup, and there isn't much out there right now when it comes to free agents. Mark Sanchez? Josh Freeman? Kevin Kolb? Yeah, how about no.
I know Stafford has managed to stay pretty healthy over the last few years, but the situation in Green Bay last season showed the Lions how important it is to have a talented backup quarterback. Actually, Jim Caldwell knows this first hand considering the lack of a decent backup behind Peyton Manning led to his demise in Indianapolis. The hope is obviously that your backup never has to see the field, but Hill is one of the best in the business, so this is a tough loss for the Lions.
The Lions' best bet at this point may actually be to draft a quarterback. They said earlier this week that they're open to the idea, and with a pair of compensatory picks in the fourth round, using a mid-round selection on a quarterback may be the way to go with Hill off to St. Louis.
UPDATE: For what it's worth, it doesn't look like the Lions have any interest in Mark Sanchez.
UPDATE II: Here are the details on Hill's deal with the Rams:
QB Shaun Hill’s 1-year deal with the #Rams is worth $1.75M, per source. He can earn up to $2.25M.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 26, 2014