Sources: Stafford will be No. 1 pick

SportsWorld · Post #1 » by **SportsWorld** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 3:43 am

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4097641

The Detroit Lions reached an agreement with Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford to make him the first pick in the NFL draft on Saturday.

According to a source, Stafford will receive a six-year, $41.7 million deal that could be worth $78 million if he achieves all of his playing incentives. The source also said he will receive $41.7 million in guarantees. That tops the $41 million in guarantees Albert Haynesworth received from the Washington Redskins.
The Lions intensified negotiations for Stafford over the past three days, knowing they could also reach a less expensive deal with Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry. After Curry's agents visited the Lions minicamp over the weekend, Lions president Tom Lewand focused on Stafford.

The Stafford deal is the richest given to a draft choice in history, topping the five-year, $57.5 million contract the Dolphins gave to tackle Jake Long last season and the six-year, $72 million contract Matt Ryan received from the Atlanta Falcons.

nadiroo13 · Post #2 » by **nadiroo13** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:28 am

Looks like another decade of good 'ol shtty Detroit Lions football...

High 5 · Post #3 » by **High 5** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 6:04 am

nadiroo13 wrote:Looks like another decade of good 'ol shtty Detroit Lions football...

Stafford is as good a QB as the Lions would be able to get in the next decade.

LAKESHOW · Post #4 » by **LAKESHOW** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:14 am

stafford is gonna get his ass handed to him. lets face it, the bottom line is goin to a team that can actually protect the QB. the QB drafted by the houston texans for example was having nightmares of lineman and linebackers hitting him all the time. detroit has absolutely no protection and will kill stafford before he gets his feet wet.

look at matt ryan and flacco for another example. take a look at the percentage of times they ran the ball. the defense who gave them the ball. they were protected and stream lined the game so that they can make the throws. put them into the fire, and they had a hard time in the playoffs, fire they rarely had with a strong and powerful line and running game.

stafford however, is just going to get thrown out there to the dogs and his percentages will be down and he will wing it.

he has a strong arm, which is his huge upside. it will even show flashes of his top notch ability. but running away from guys all day long aint gonna be fun with this team.

Post #5 » by **studcrackers** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:55 am

all i know is detroits insane for not taking sanchez 1st, and if they don't take a sc lb at 20 they're even more off there rocker. w/sanchez/an sc lb they'll hang 50 on any opponent before halftime with my main man calvin johnson. that is until they go up against madden cover boy troy polamalu or the powers that be in AZ with matt leinart

Post #6 » by **J.Kim** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 1:41 pm

studcrackers wrote:all i know is detroits insane for not taking sanchez 1st, and if they don't take a sc lb at 20 they're even more off there rocker. w/sanchez/an sc lb they'll hang 50 on any opponent before halftime with my main man calvin johnson. that is until they go up against madden cover boy troy polamalu or the powers that be in AZ with matt leinart

QFMFT

Post #7 » by **NO-KG-AI** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 2:02 pm

No brainer pick. Top QB prospect with everything you look for but height really, they need a QB.

Posey H8er · Post #8 » by **Posey H8er** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 2:44 pm

Good pick for the future, but it's scary to think that the Lions could be just as bad this season.

LAKESHOW · Post #9 » by **LAKESHOW** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 3:05 pm

NO-KG-AI wrote:QB prospect with everything you look for but height

NSHSNTS!!

NoSkyy · Post #10 » by **NoSkyy** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:16 pm

Anyone else think it's funny now that the NFC North actually has some QBs?

Post #11 » by **HMFFL** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:22 pm

How $41.7 million has changed Matthew Stafford?

So how much will Matthew Stafford’s life change now that he’s a No. 1 NFL draft pick and the owner of a contract worth at least $41.7 million?

“Every time I hear that number, I just kind of laugh,” Shaun Chapas, Stafford’s former Georgia teammate and roommate, said Monday. “Because a few months ago he was wondering if he had enough money left on a gift card to afford another $7 burrito at Barbarito’s.”

Everything changed for Stafford, Georgia’s quarterback the past three seasons, when the Detroit Lions called his name Saturday.

Catching up with Stafford’s whirlwind:

First thing he’ll buy: He promises to get a new Ford to replace his “old” Chevy Tahoe. (The Lions are owned by the grandson and great-grandson of auto pioneer Henry Ford.) And he has said he wants to buy a house for his mom. (His parents are divorced.)

When he’ll play: Not necessarily at the start of his rookie season - but as soon as he is the Lions’ best quarterback, according to coach Jim Schwartz.

New number: No. 7 in high school and college, Stafford will wear No. 9 with the Lions, who retired No. 7 in honor of Hall of Famer Dutch Clark. Already, Stafford jerseys are on sale at detroitlions.com ($80).

Endorsement deals: His first is with Sprint, and more will follow. He’s hired the powerhouse IMG agency to negotiate them.

Link

Post #12 » by **Icness** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:02 pm

Went to Dick's this afternoon and they were sold out of Stafford jerseys, and where I live there's nearly as many Bears and Packers fans as Lions fans. The new style hats are going fast too. Must be some excitement even if Stafford wasn't the most popular choice...

Post #13 » by **HMFFL** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:05 pm

Icness wrote:Went to Dick's this afternoon and they were sold out of Stafford jerseys, and where I live there's nearly as many Bears and Packers fans as Lions fans. The new style hats are going fast too. Must be some excitement even if Stafford wasn't the most popular choice...

Checked NFL auctions just to see what new items they had. Well, they have the new Lions hat signed by Stafford and it was at $250 when I checked. That's insane considering it's just a hat and that people have already bid up a new auction like that.

Liqourish · Post #14 » by **Liqourish** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:25 pm

For as many fans who were pissed by the Stafford pick, there are twice as many who were happy with it. The happy ones just weren't as vocal. I have spoken to many NFL fans and it was about 60/40 in favor of Stafford for the Lions. Some Lions fans just had their favorites for the draft and Curry or Jason Smith appealed to them more. Stafford will get ripped more by the media than from Lion fans.

Post #15 » by **BlackMamba** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:37 am

why is it that in the nfl the 1st draft pick can be announced days before the actual draft.

Post #16 » by **studcrackers** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:48 am

why not? i mean they're on the clock the second the season ends

i just hope espn fixes there f*ckin coverage next year b/c it was awful not to mention i hated knowing every pick before the commish stepped to the podium. espn before today has been watchable, this was the worst theyve ever been

Liqourish · Post #17 » by **Liqourish** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 12:47 pm

Because the the team with the #1 pick can negotiate contracts before the draft happens. So who they talk to is public knowledge. The teams don't want another JaMarcus Russell situation. To be honest though, the #1 pick wasn't announced until the contract was signed at roughly 1 am Saturday morning. About 15 hours before the draft. The rest of the media coverage prior was all speculation.

It's the same way in the NBA. We know who the first couple picks are going to be and what teams are picking. They just can't sign contracts until after the draft. But it's still public knowledge. Portland drafting Greg Oden was known as soon as they got the #1 pick. Same with Seattle and Durant at #2. Derrick Rose to Chicago at #1 last year was also known when they got the #1 pick. I really don't see much difference besides the NFL allowing the first team to negotiate contracts before the draft.

Post #18 » by **BlackMamba** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:00 pm

but why allow the contract negotiatons? i mean, what if portland at the last second decided to go for durant and not oden?

Liqourish · Post #19 » by **Liqourish** » Fri May 1, 2009 1:13 pm

Well that's what you need to ask the NFL. Other sports don't allow teams to negotiate contracts with draft picks before the draft. But picks and teams and choices are still known ahead of time.