Lion need is a QB.... Pick 1 of 6 choices

[kellmellus50]

Lion need a QB behind Stafford or to challange him for starting QB
my pick is Kyle Orton

Jimmy Clausen is, quiet possible, the best pure drop back passer in the nation. Highly touted out of high school, the 6-foot-2 passer took the Notre Dame starting QB job in his second game as a true freshman. He went on to start nine games in 2007, throwing for 1,254 yards with a 56.3 completition percentage (138-245) and a 7-6 touchdown-interception ratio. The numbers are not mind-boggling, but put them with a visibly weak offensive line, a lackluster running attack and almost no speed outside, and they are a testament to his ability. Clausen had a breakthrough sophomore campaign in 2008, when he passed for 3,172 yards, completing 60.9% (268-440) of his passes with an impressive 25-17 TD/INT ratio. Right now, he is having perhaps the best season an Irish signal caller has had since Brady Quinn's junior campaign in 2007.
A purely pocket passer with an above-average arm strength, Clausen has efficient footwork and depth on his drop from center. An efficient setup and over the top delivery motion, make him capable of making every NFL throw, including his specialty: the deep ball. Clausen consistently releases his passes before receivers have made their breaks, giving the defense little time to react. He reads defenses well and rarely is fooled by disguised coverage. Very accurate in the medium-to-long range area, this is a coveted trait in the NFL.

http://www.fftoolbox.com/nfl_draft/prof ... ct_ID=1466


Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Sam Bradford's first two seasons at Oklahoma are well documented. He threw for over 3,000 yards as a freshman and dominated the college football world as a sophomore, ending up with a trip to the BCS Championship game and a Heisman Trophy. Bradford could have been a first round pick after his sophomore season since he was draft eligible after redshirting in 2006.
Then 2009 happened. Bradford hurt his shoulder early in the season and it took about a quarter of the Red River Shootout for the Longhorns to send Bradford back to the sidelines. Now we have to wait and see how serious this injury really is. Even if he does not take another collegiate snap, Bradford will be an extremely accurate passer and has a good arm when it is not in a sling.

Bradford was considered by many to be the top player in this draft. But the short comeback from his injury raises a lot of questions. If he does not come back in 2009 (or comes back for another half before injuring his shoulder again), his stock will drop as NFL teams worry about his long-term health. One thing is for sure, if Bradford can stay healthy, he is the best quarterback in this class



However, he does need to improve the speed of his delivery on quick, short passes, as they are a bit slow. He is not a threat to run out of the pocket. Even though he has added bulk over the last two years, he could still use extra lower body strength. Clausen also needs to learn to do a better job taking control of the huddle, and work work on short passes down the middle.

Clausen is one of the hottest commodities in NFL Draft circles. His stock is rising fast, similar to what happened to USC's Mark Sanchez last year. He is not the athlete Sanchez is, but he is every bit as good. He also shares another trait with the former Trojan star: a flair for playing the position. Clausen is a lock to be a top five pick if he, as expected, comes out early. He should develop into a consistent pro passer

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Tebow is enjoying another outstanding season in 2009. Through eight games (all victories for the Florida Gators) the senior quarterback had 1323 passing yards, 551 rushing yards, and 18 total touchdowns (eight rush, 10 pass). He is not on pace to have as many rushing touchdowns as he had in 2007 (when he won the Heisman trophy) or as many passing touchdowns as he had in 2008, but Tebow is still terrorizing defenses despite suffering a concussion earlier in the year against Kentucky. Tebow continues to be an extremely smart quarterback, rarely making bad decisions. At 6'3 and 245 pounds, he is a load to bring down when he tucks it away and runs, displaying stellar speed for a big man in the 4.5 range. He is deceptively nimble and elusive as well. Off the field, Tebow is as solid as they come; a team leader, humanitarian, and just about everything else.
Questions remain about his ability to be a quarterback at the next level. Urban Meyer's Florida offense has put Tebow in ideal conditions to succeed, so it remains to be seen how he will respond in passing situations against NFL defenses. Tebow has no fear sitting in the pocket, but he needs to do a better job of feeling pressure. His delivery on passes also starts way too low and has to change before he can become an NFL quarterback. Defensive linemen will have a field day of knocking the ball out of his hand if he continues with this same throwing motion. Tebow will not be as good in the pros (after all, he is one of the best players in college football history), but he cannot be discounted either. In fact, it would not be surprising to see him off the board in the first round of the 2010 draft

NFL FREE AGENTS AVAILABLE

Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos (27)
Losing Orton for the second half against the Redskins and having him forced off the bench against San Diego showed Orton’s real value to Denver, as the offense became anemic with Chris Simms. Without his efficient passing, the Broncos really struggle to put points on the board. It’s surprising the Broncos haven’t already looked to extend Orton who just does a great job leading the offense to long scoring drives. Maybe they’re hoping to get a little more leverage should the CBA fall through, which could allow the Broncos to keep Orton on a restricted tender. If he’s allowed to hit the open market, all hell could break loose. Orton doesn’t carry the aura of a franchise quarterback, but has now managed two different offenses to winning records.

Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins (28)
A big week of 367 yards and 3 touchdowns in the heartbreaker against the Saints a couple weeks back showed Campbell's potential. His numbers are actually improved across the board everywhere from a season ago, except interceptions where his total has doubled in three less games. Campbell has played better over the second half of the season, but it seems like he’s played his way out of Washington, who seems ready to gamble for an elite quarterback than stick with the so-so Campbell. With a number of talented quarterbacks possibly lining up to enter the 2010 NFL Draft, in a best case scenario, Campbell could possibly get a 1-2 year deal to compete as the starter on a quarterback-starved team.

Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins (34)
Pennington wasn’t finding the same success this year as he had in last year’s great campaign, even before suffering another season-ending injury. His shoulder injury luckily showed no damage to his rotator cuff which has already been operated on twice. He should be able to start throwing again in January, but is unlikely to be retained by the Dolphins where Chad Henne has shown promise as one of the league’s best young quarterbacks. Henne has the arm strength to stretch the defense, something Pennington has always been heavily criticized for lacking. A 33 year-old Chad Pennington coming off a third shoulder injury won’t garner much excitement in free agency, but may have the opportunity to compete for a one-year job on a needy team. Pennington doesn’t have age on his side, the arm strength, or the durability to be considered anything more than a stop-gap solution at this point in his career

http://www.footballsfuture.com/freeagents.html

[kellmellus50]

(Quote)

Bartender wrote:
And people are probable going to hate me for this, but I would like to draft Tim Tebow in a later round if possible just because I want the Lions to use the wildcat offense and he'd be perfect for that. I'd be down to dump Stanton if it means Tebow would come in for wildcat uses.

(Quote)

TSE wrote ....I would actually not be afraid to use a pick on Tebow, in the right situation. But our team is not going to be in a proper situation to use a pick on him. Theoretically if we would have done things differently in the draft last year and FA as well as various trading decisions, Tebow could have been a logical target in this draft, but that is now not a realistic course of action as we did not accomplish anywhere remotely close to any headway in cutting down the quantity of our needs. That was our #1 most important objective for this entire season, and we didn't cut the fat, we just brushed it under the rug, and now it's going to take 1 additional year for us to transform into a winner.

[Bartender]

Yeah we need a QB, but not one to challenge for the starting spot. We have too much money into Stafford and he's shown that he can be very elite at times. Yeah, I would draft Tebow only for Wildcat uses if he slips to a later round, but i wouldn't waste a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd round on him. He'll be drafted in the first round... as well as Clausen and Bradford.

So I am TOTALLY against drafting a QB unless it's Tebow in the 4th which won't happen.

Free Agency, I wouldn't mind Chad Pennington. He's a vet that would prolly be good for Stafford's development. I don't want to sign a QB that will think they will start. Pennington seems like a good fit, imo.
Orton will want to go to a place that will start and Campbell wouldn't be good for Stafford. Pennington would be the only QB I'd potentially signed and that's only if he agreed to the fact that he's only here for the development of Lil Matty.

[kellmellus50]

Some more free agents notice how many former lions (4) are on list.

Tarvaris Jackson, Minnesota Vikings (27)
It’ll be interesting to see how a season behind Brett Favre will have changed Tarvaris Jackson. He looked like a player showing gradual improvement with the potential to finally turn the corner this year. Favre’s retirement decision will likely come down to the last moment again and will depend on he and his team’s play down the stretch of the season. If a new CBA isn’t agreed upon, Jackson will become a Restricted Free Agent in which Minnesota will most likely retain him. If not, his decision to stay or leave Minnesota could very well come down to how Favre’s decision turns out, or he could stick it out and go the Aaron Rodgers patience route. Regardless, in the sparing time he’s gotten this year in blowout wins over the Rams and Seahawks, Jackson has completed a high percent and has a 124.0 QB Rating on the year through 15 attempts. Keep in mind he was coming of a preseason rating of 118.4. In limited playing time, the numbers game heavily favors Jackson over the last year.

http://www.footballsfuture.com/freeagents.html
Kellen Clemens, New York Jets (27)
Drafting Mark Sanchez spelled the end of Kellen Clemens’ future in New York. He was rather disappointing in his duty as a starter, making little progress before this season. If Clemens is satisfied as a career back-up, he could decide to accept a small contract to play behind Sanchez. When he finally got the chance to play in Buffalo, after Sanchez’s injury, Clemens took 3 sacks, threw 2 passes, and ran twice against a tough Bills pass defense in 22 snaps. Against a below average Buccaneers defense, he was only able to muster 111 yards through the air, minimizing mistakes and allowing his defense and running game do the brunt of the work. Clemens didn’t have a particularly great game, but could compete for a starting position on one of the league’s lesser teams if the Jets let him walk.

Other Notable Free Agents:

Charlie Batch, Pittsburgh Steelers (35)
Kyle Boller, St. Louis Rams (29)
David Carr, New York Giants (31)
Brodie Croyle, Kansas City Chiefs (27)
Daunte Culpepper, Detroit Lions (33)
Rex Grossman, Houston Texans (30)
Joey Harrington, New Orleans Saints (31)
Jon Kitna, Dallas Cowboys (37)
Matt Moore, Carolina Panthers (26) – Restricted FA
Chris Redman, Atlanta Falcons (33)
Brett Ratliff, Cleveland Browns (25) – Exclusive Rights FA
Troy Smith, Baltimore Ravens (26) – Restricted FA

[Bartender]

Oh oh oh... how about Joey Harrington? He was a top draft pick one year... remember?!?!

[Piston Pete]

I doubt we draft another QB....

Mayhew has made comments about wanting to bring back Stanton.

We don't need a guy that will challenge Stafford for the starting spot, cuz Stafford's locked in as our starter for at least the next 3 years....we just need a guy that can play in case of injury. Stanton could be our long-term #2 IMO. Of the above list of FA's, we might look at Redman or Kitna as well...

[ajaX82]

The thought that we would actually spend a 1st or 2nd rounder on a QB is entirely laughable. The chances of that happening are zero. So i have no idea why you would even bring up Clausen or Bradford. Or Tebow even (someone will pick him way too high) . We also dont need constant underachievers in Jason Cambell, Tavaris Jackson or Kellen Clemens. And i think Denver likes Orton. Pennington is the only player you actually listed that makes sense.

Stafford needs a veteran mentor who could step in if god forbid an injury occured, but otherwise knows his role is to sit on the bench. Matt needs a vet to teach him and help him in practice. To imply we need someone to challenge him to start is really silly. You may not like Stafford but dont insult our intelligence saying that we should draft a QB in the first round

[Bartender]

The thought that we would actually spend a 1st or 2nd rounder on a QB is entirely laughable. The chances of that happening are zero. So i have no idea why you would even bring up Clausen or Bradford. Or Tebow even (someone will pick him way too high) . We also dont need constant underachievers in Jason Cambell, Tavaris Jackson or Kellen Clemens. And i think Denver likes Orton. Pennington is the only player you actually listed that makes sense.

Stafford needs a veteran mentor who could step in if god forbid an injury occured, but otherwise knows his role is to sit on the bench. Matt needs a vet to teach him and help him in practice. To imply we need someone to challenge him to start is really silly. You may not like Stafford but dont insult our intelligence saying that we should draft a QB in the first round

If I would have said this, you would have PM'ed me telling me to chill out on the people. I HATE THE DOUBLE STANDARD!!! I WANT TO INSULT THESE PEOPLE TOO, YOU KNOW!

[ajaX82]

The thought that we would actually spend a 1st or 2nd rounder on a QB is entirely laughable. The chances of that happening are zero. So i have no idea why you would even bring up Clausen or Bradford. Or Tebow even (someone will pick him way too high) . We also dont need constant underachievers in Jason Cambell, Tavaris Jackson or Kellen Clemens. And i think Denver likes Orton. Pennington is the only player you actually listed that makes sense.

Stafford needs a veteran mentor who could step in if god forbid an injury occured, but otherwise knows his role is to sit on the bench. Matt needs a vet to teach him and help him in practice. To imply we need someone to challenge him to start is really silly. You may not like Stafford but dont insult our intelligence saying that we should draft a QB in the first round

If I would have said this, you would have PM'ed me telling me to chill out on the people. I HATE THE DOUBLE STANDARD!!! I WANT TO INSULT THESE PEOPLE TOO, YOU KNOW!

I dont think i was insulting....i just find the notion that we would draft a QB so high to be ludicrous. Play nice now

[Bartender]

Cool, I'm going to insult people by not doing it on purpose now.

[TSE]

The thought that we would actually spend a 1st or 2nd rounder on a QB is entirely laughable. The chances of that happening are zero. So i have no idea why you would even bring up Clausen or Bradford. Or Tebow even (someone will pick him way too high) . We also dont need constant underachievers in Jason Cambell, Tavaris Jackson or Kellen Clemens. And i think Denver likes Orton. Pennington is the only player you actually listed that makes sense.

Stafford needs a veteran mentor who could step in if god forbid an injury occured, but otherwise knows his role is to sit on the bench. Matt needs a vet to teach him and help him in practice. To imply we need someone to challenge him to start is really silly. You may not like Stafford but dont insult our intelligence saying that we should draft a QB in the first round

I disagree. I think it makes a lot of sense to look at guys like Bradford and Clausen and others. If you could tell me right now that Jimmy Clausen was going to be our QB on opening day, I would sign up for that in a heartbeat (predicated he has a near #1 evaluation and I can't evaluate him w/o the film). That would mean we were successful in finding a trading partner for Stafford. That would make me very happy. I haven't ruled out the possibility that Stafford can turn his game around, but there's no way in Hell I'm betting on him after everything I have seen and heard that manifested itself just as the expert scouts that were skeptics of his had warned. I'd rather roll the die with a different QB of the same value than to go with a guy I already had a peak at, and an unpleasant preview it was to say the least.

Besides, the OP isn't clamoring on and on about Claussen and Bradford anyhow. His/her (I forgot if we established the gender, sorry lol) pick and prediction was Kyle Orton! That's not major breaking news if we add Orton to our staff than if we made a move for a 1st round QB. The OP is advocating to make a lesser investment, and you are giving a hard time just for merely supplying a little extra info on showing us who all the candidates are, with a little extra on the guys who are obviously lesser known. Maybe to you it makes sense to not shoot for the top of the pack, but not everybody is like you, and not everybody is excited about Stafford as you are apparently.

[ajaX82]

The problem with Orton is that he is the only QB Denver has. And while i suppose they could draft a QB, that doesnt make a lot of sense to me. They will want to sign him i am thinking and i dont think he would want to come here to play backup. I wouldnt mind him here as the backup, though his price will prolly be too high.

Whether or not you like Stafford, you guys have to realize that he is THE quarterback here. He isnt getting traded. We are not drafting another guy to gun for his job or to make expendable. It just isnt happening. Discuss it if you want, i'll leave it be, but its just unrealistic.


Again, Pennington is the guy. Vet who doesnt need to start and is a very smart, knowledgeable leader. Perfect for this team.

[TSE]

Ok, well why don't you just give everybody here your entire projected offseason for the Lions so we can see what will happen since you seem to be such an expert. It's much harder for me to project what our team will look like cause I still have hopes of trading Stafford. Since you have already ruled out that position as needing a major change, then do us a favor and tell us the other stuff that FOR SURE will or will not happen, that way we can piece together the puzzle better.

[ajaX82]

Ok, well why don't you just give everybody here your entire projected offseason for the Lions so we can see what will happen since you seem to be such an expert. It's much harder for me to project what our team will look like cause I still have hopes of trading Stafford. Since you have already ruled out that position as needing a major change, then do us a favor and tell us the other stuff that FOR SURE will or will not happen, that way we can piece together the puzzle better.

no need to get all defensive. you dont need to agree. if you want to think we even have a chance of trading him than by all means...

I'll stick to my guns as i have throughout and say we should sign Pennington or a similar veteran QB to backup Matt. if you wanna discuss this cool. if not than good day

[Bartender]

What the hell TSE.. You HONESTLY think that Stafford is going to get traded? IFFF Mayhew traded him away, I would lose respect for him as a person, and a GM. Trading Stafford would ONLY show that he can't commit. Why in the WORLD would I want a GM that can't commit?

What about Stafford didn't you like? Was it his interceptions? Does the fact that Peyton Manning had 27 INT's his rookie year not faze you at all? I know, it was prolly his decision making, right? Well, let me tell you like this since I was a QB in high school and played some QB on a semi-pro team... QB's throw to routes when they are feeling pressure. EVERY play Matty is feeling pressure so he throws to the routes to avoid the sack. It's up to the WR's to get to that part of the route.

Listen TSE and Kelle... I will say this without any hostility and I really really want you to believe me on this.. Peyton Manning, the best QB in the world, would be a failure here in Detroit as a QB. PEYTON MANNING would NOT be able to lead this team to the playoffs. THIS is FACT. Give this guy a couple years to build around PLEASE, before you go off saying that he is a piece of ****. I've been watching him play since his early college years, he IS the real deal. He has got a cannon arm and has PIN POINT accuracy when he can plant his foot and throw without getting hit 2 seconds after throwing the ball. TRUST ME!!!! Jimmy Clausen is NOTTTTTTTT the answer. Matty is. Let Mayhew build around him for a couple years and I promise you that you won't be disappointed. Whether you like to believe it or not, there was NO WAY this team could of competed in the playoffs this year no matter what moves were made in the draft.

Give Mayhew and Matty a chance PLEASE!

[kellmellus50]

Bartender this is Sunday please do not say any bad words like he## .
TSE has been very nice to everyone.

[TSE]

Give Mayhew and Matty a chance PLEASE!

Mayhew has had PLENTY of chances to do the right things for this team, and he has failed us in a frightening fashion. I'm stunned at the lack of logical decision making. Stafford still has an uncertain future and destiny that only he can write for himself and his time isn't up. So I can't hold him accountable for having failed to do his part and I'm not horribly worried about it. If I can trade him and get a fair market value in return then I'm absolutely doing it, but if it's not there then I have one heck of a great backup option. But great isn't as good as the greatest, and I strive to be the best team possible. And my analysis says that our chances are greater with a different QB, but that is only possible in conjunction with turning Stafford's full value into the right complementary pieces. That's the key to the magic box of the enigma game called the Trading Stafford For Success Puzzle. And naturally there exist options to win at the Stick With Stafford game just as well. I just prefer the first game because of the overall greater outputs and greater estimated odds of success.

[kellmellus50]

(sounds like the lions will not pick a quarterback at 2nd pick ,thats why i picked a vet)

“Our philosophy hasn’t changed in terms of trying to find the most talented players – not looking for certain positions or reaching to fill needs,” said Mayhew. “Obviously we wouldn’t take a quarterback second-overall at this point, so there are some of those things that are built into the process.

“But we still look to get the best player that we can get to ensure that we’ve got the best opportunity to succeed.”

Head Coach Jim Schwartz echoes that sentiment, saying that the objective of bringing in the best talent possible will always be at the top of the list.

“Talent is going to be the guiding force, it always is,” he said. “You need to have good, sound philosophies. You need to make good decisions, you need to do it over a period of time and when you do, your franchise will be where you want it to be.”

http://www.detroitlions.com/news/articl ... 5252bc114b

[TSE]

Indeed, I never suggested that we would trade Stafford. It's crazy to think that we would, because it would be such a controversial move. It would be one thing if I was the new GM and I traded him, but for Mayhew to trade him, it would be embarrassing considering he vouched for the guy and invested his reputation into him by making him the #1 pick last year. You don't sell yourself on a guy being #1 and telling the whole world as much and then suddenly change your mind and expect to not get egg on your face. Well I don't think Mayhew is interested in egg on his face, he's interested in trying to win the best he can without having to swallow his pride. The last thing he would want from a personal comfort point of view would be to admit that he made a mistake last year. I am not interested in chatting about the Lions only in a prediction mode of what Mayhew will do, I always write from the perspective of optimal theory of what's best for our team, and then it's up to Mayhew to fall in line with that, or sell us on his way, or face the repercussions of my comments for having failed us. So far he's only done the last thing, and I'm getting sick and tired of it.

[Icness]

The Lions just had the best draft class in team history and you want to rip Mayhew? They got 5 legit NFL starters and a very good special teamer. Delmas is a Pro Bowl player, Pettigrew will be a borderline Pro Bowler if healthy, Stafford is a true leader and played through a lot of injuries and still showed lots of promise. Levy is the best MLB since Earl Holmes' 1st year and he's only going to get better.

If you're not sold on Stafford that's fine, but if you want a replacement or competition you sure as heck don't want it from the draft. He needs, and will get, an upgraded veteran mentor/pusher, likely Kerry Collins. In his first year Stafford showed a heck of a lot more than most first-year QBs. He's not going to be an All Pro right away, certainly not behind that line with those receivers.

Stop listening to the Huge Show and step back for a minute. This team has progressed light years in the last 12 months, and Martin Mayhew deserves a lot of that credit, so does Jim Schwartz. It's real funny--people in MIchigan are so darn negative towards those two but across the league they are extremely respected for what they've done so quickly with so little to work with. They replaced 37 players and of those 37 departures only 7 made another active roster last year, that's how freaking deep the hole was.