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One thing you can count on with the Detroit Lions is that they are never, ever boring. Follow the latest news including injuries, roster moves and more here daily from Oakland Press beat writer Paula Pasche. Plus you'll find regular commentary about the team.

3/26/2009

Lions don't have bargaining power, No. 1 pick's about football

It's a good move for the Lions to begin contract dialogue with their top couple choices for the No. 1 overall pick. It should help them get a deal done before the draft and eliminate all the July hand-wringing that comes with a possible holdout. But don't think for a second that gives the Lions a leg up in the bargaining process.

Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford and Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith are logically the top players on the Lions' draft board. Both play premium positions, both would fill immense areas of need, and both are represented by the same CAA Football agency.

Stafford and Smith have different agents – Stafford signed with Tom Condon, Smith with Ben Dogra and Michael Lartigue – and they have their own financial interests in having their client go No. 1. But to think the Lions will be able to play one against the other is naïve. Stafford and his people will know exactly where the Lions stand with Smith, and vice versa.

Now maybe the Lions' flirtation with Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji as the No. 1 pick is serious – I tend to think he's more an option if they trade down a few spots (interesting side bar: Raji has the same agent as Mark Sanchez) – and maybe Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry is still in the mix, though as of Tuesday night the Lions had not opened contract dialogue with his agent Andy Ross.

But as it stands now, unless there's meddling from above, it looks like the Lions will make their first choice in April's draft based on football reasons and football reasons alone. That's a good thing. (Usually.)

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10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am getting so close to just not caring anymore. Take Stafford and have another 500+ point defense, if they get it wrong in this draft, I don't think next years or the year after really matter. This is an extremely imprtant draft, and I just wish the front office would realize how crazy they are driving their fans.

11:00 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I pray they are just prepping Curry's agent to take less. If that was the goal, this is the right thing to do, to pretend less interest at first.

2:44 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

excellent read on past and current qbs and their completion percentage coming out of college as it relates to their success rate in the nfl:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AoJb2hceQRa0aVzM8KRY1dFDubYF?slug=ys-qbcompletionpercentages032609&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

3:40 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

found a youtube video with mcnabb and peppy on the george lopez show. peppy looks GREAT too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCsvPyBmUtw

4:08 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

anon
that was a pretty good article about the comp %, but it seemed they went soley off the % to determine who will be the best QB this year. I really think Stafford will be the best QB this year and next, he has all the intangibles coming out, he is a jr but he still started 3 seasons. IF he can just make some better decisions he would be a great NFL QB IMO, but the Lions still should not take him. THey have too many other holes, and if they do take him #1 that is the complete opposite of what Mayhew and Schwartz said they wanted to do when they got here.(Get bigger, stronger, run the ball and stop the run. It would be a slap in the face to all the fans only months into their tenure.

6:16 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hope someone is around to give Mel Kiper a hug when the Lions pass on Matthew Stafford and he falls out of the top ten and is drafted behind Sanchez. Good grief, I'd probably feel the same way without my pumpkin pie!
Could the Lions just let the clock run out and turn in a pick after STL, KC, or SEA pick? Would this save them money or not? Just curious as to how that would affect the contracts at the top of the draft.

6:47 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

^that's what i've been thinking and wondering about too.

i think that might be the way to go if they can't get someone signed by draft day.

7:05 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

We should NOT listen to Kiper... just look at Big Mike Williams or Andre Ware as examples of Kiper missing and the Lions failing.

7:31 PM 
Blogger Paula Pasche said...

Passing on the top pick is within the rules, but it won't work. First, it's not a good move for Mayhew's career. Second, the agent for whoever the draft pick is still will want his client treated (and paid) like the No. 1 pick. That'll just engender more hard feelings.

Even without a deal, the Lions are still best taking the top player on their board.

8:29 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Then the obvious answer is to look at E. Munroe with the 1st pick!

8:00 PM 

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