I'll be heading out to Allen Park to commence draft-weekend coverage shortly – after I post this blog and cut the grass – but a couple quick thoughts on last night's deal and where the Lions go from here.

First, I know there's some shock and even outrage at the contract Matt Stafford got, $41.7 million guaranteed with a reported maximum value of $78 million. Most of that stems from Aaron Curry's well-played declaration that he'd take a Jake Long-type deal to go No. 1 and Lions' fans general frustration with the pick. The truth is, the Lions paid about what they expected it was going to take to sign a quarterback at No. 1.

At the NFL combine in February, I asked general manager Martin Mayhew if the struggling economy would impact salaries at the top of the draft.

“I can't see it happening,” he said. “I mean the salary cap went up. And you see the (Nnamdi Asomugha) contract that was done (for three years and $45 million). I don't see that as impacting. When you talk about the top players, there's going to be a market for those guys and that market consistently, since the beginning of time, has gone up. So unless the cap comes down at some point I can't see the market coming down.”

The Lions zeroed in Stafford early on in this process and, despite reports, were intent on signing him all along. They could have got Curry for less, but they wanted Stafford and will pay a shade over what Matt Ryan made as the top quarterback and third pick overall last year.

Now, what does the Stafford deal mean for the rest of the draft? I take Mayhew at his word that he's determined to choose the best player available. Yes, they'll draft a middle linebacker at some point because they don't have one on their roster, but they won't reach for one in the first round if it doesn't mesh with their board. Ditto for offensive line help and every other position you can name.

Since this is considered a draft deep in offensive skill positions and rush linebackers up top, that might lead to some interesting choices. I'm curious from the fans out there, if say Rey Maualuga and Robert Ayers are off the board, how would you feel about Brandon Pettigrew, the draft's top tight end, at No. 20? What if they land defensive tackle at 20 and then go back to offense for a center/guard combo like Louisville's Eric Wood at 33, ignoring the defensive backfield and middle linebacker spots until Sunday?

There should be plenty of options at both picks, players like Wake Forest cornerback/return man Alphonso Smith, Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis and Boston College defensive tackle Ron Brace, and we all know the Lions have plenty of needs (especially on defense). But with a few hours to kill and only the guessing game to play, I wonder what will it take for you to come away liking the Lions' draft?

A couple points on the hot topic of the day: Aaron Curry's comments that he's willing to taking less money to be the No. 1 pick.

First, team president Tom Lewand has made it clear that the Lions are free to negotiate whatever deal they want with their top draft choice. The union wouldn't be happy with a below-market contract, of course, but they couldn't do anything about it, either. (Publicly, at least. I'm sure agent Andy Ross would hear plenty of backlash behind closed doors.)

“With the No. 1 pick in the draft it's a free-market system," Lewand said earlier this month. "Outside of the restrictions on the rookie pool and the length of contracts and some of those things, there's nothing that dictates the financial terms of the contract. But from our vantage point, we're looking at the best player, who's the best fit for us, and the guy that we think is going to contribute."

Now to be clear, Curry wasn't talking about taking a deal that's worth half the value of what quarterback Matt Stafford would get as the No. 1 pick (I don't think, at least). More likely, he realizes the NFL pay structure (where QBs make more than OL, and OL make more than LBs) and is OK with not bleeding the Lions up top.

For argument's sake, let's say Curry got a deal in line with Jake Long's No. 1 contract from a season ago, five years with about $30 million guaranteed. To sign Stafford, it's going to cost the Lions about $10 million more - as the No. 3 pick last year, Matt Ryan signed a six-year deal with $34.75 million in guarantees.

If you're the Lions and you've already decided that Stafford is a franchise-caliber quarterback you can build around - if they didn't think that, this discussion would be moot - would it be worth it to take a more immediately impactful player at a lesser position to save a ton of money you're not going to be able to spend this year anyway? (Remember, there's no dominant players left in free agency and that $10 million total amounts to a $2-million-a-year prorated cap savings.)

When I first heard of Curry's comments last night, I said yeah, take Curry and pay him less. But the more I think of it in actual terms like those above, the more I don't think it changes what the Lions should do. If they're convinced Stafford is the future, he's the pick.

Say this about Matt Stafford, he's a company man.

The likely No. 1 overall pick was asked what kind of car he drives during an appearance on "The Mitch Albom Show" Tuesday.

“I got a Chevy Tahoe, my old Chevy Tahoe that I've had for a long time, so I'm probably going to have to trade that one out for a Ford if I go to Detroit,” Stafford said.

Stafford paused for a second before adding the “if I go to Detroit” part, but he didn't sound like a deal was done quite yet during the rest of the interview.

Asked about his long-stated desire to become a Lion, Stafford said, “I'm a competitive guy and I love a challenge and I really don't think the Lions are that far off, and hopefully if I get a chance to come there I can help them turn something around."

Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry also made the radio rounds Tuesday, and he gave the cost-conscious Lions something to munch on.

In a segment on Sirius NFL Radio's "Movin' The Chains," Curry said he "sure would" do a pre-draft deal with the Lions, and said he'd go to Detroit even if it was for less than the five-year, $58-million deal Jake Long got as the No. 1 pick last year. That contract included about $30 million guaranteed.

"I'd be more than happy to accept that deal," Curry said.

I'm not sure his agent, Andy Ross, would let that happen, but it's not every day two premier players are angling to become Lions.

General manager Martin Mayhew recently asked Jeff Backus about changing positions from left tackle to guard, a team source said. Backus, the same source said, is open to the idea.

It's not known whether the change will take place – Backus has started every game, 128 straight, at tackle since entering the league as a first-round draft pick in 2001 – but the fact that both sides are comfortable with the move gives the Lions more flexibility this offseason and might make it more likely they'll consider drafting an offensive lineman No. 1 overall.

Both Mayhew and new coach Jim Schwartz have expressed a desire to get bigger and more physical up front, and the Lions have a vacancy at guard after releasing Edwin Mulitalo last week. (Damion Cook, who shared the starting duties with Mulitalo last season, is scheduled to become a free agent.) The Lions return Backus, center Dominic Raiola plus the entire right side of a line (tackle Gosder Cherilus and guard Stephen Peterman) that allowed 52 sacks last year, second most in the league.

“Just because 4/5ths (of last year's starting linemen) are on the team right now doesn't mean that 4/5ths are going to be starting at the end of training camp when we go into next year,” Schwartz said Tuesday. “Like I said, those decisions haven't been made. It's way too premature to read too much into that. You want to have as many options open to you when you go into the season as you can. That includes experience, that includes guys that are familiar with the scheme and everything else.”

While most pre-combine draft projections have the Lions taking Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford with the first pick, three elite tackle prospects also are available in Alabama's Andre Smith, Baylor's Jason Smith and Virginia's Eugene Monroe. Last year, eight tackles went in the first round (including Cherilus) and the Dolphins took Michigan's Jake Long No. 1.

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper predicted last week that “by the eighth pick three offensive tackles are off the board” this year.