Drew Stanton, the odd man out in the Lions' quarterback mix now that No. 1 pick Matthew Stafford is on board, spoke about that draft choice and his lack of anything resembling an opportunity in his two seasons in Detroit after the Lions' OTA workout Tuesday.

“It's one of those things that's going to be an uphill battle, I'm aware of that,” Stanton said. “But it's a challenge that I'm going to have to try and overcome. But you get challenged every day you come out on this football field. It's not just me, there's a lot of other guys. And the draft's going to change everybody's playing field, we're aware of that, and you got to come in here and perform.”

Stanton took the No. 2 quarterback reps behind Daunte Culpepper Tuesday, but he'll no doubt be relegated to third string when Stafford is eligible to return to the team in two weeks. Culpepper is the starter for now, and the Lions are sending Stafford the film and script of the six offseason workouts he'll miss in order to keep him up to speed.

Culpepper declined to speak to the media Tuesday, and Stanton said no one from the organization has said let him in on their plans for his future.

“Hopefully we'll get a better understanding of what direction we're headed in, but that's not going to change what I'm about and who I am and how I go about my business,” he said.

He said he has no plans to ask for a trade or his release, and said “that's not even a fair question” when asked if he'd have a more realistic opportunity to succeed somewhere else.

In his first two seasons, Stanton has played in just three games and attempted 17 passes. He was stashed on injured reserve as a rookie, had his mechanics overhauled by Mike Martz, and is on this third offensive coordinator and third quarterback coach as a Lion.

“I'm still here, so until I'm no longer here and don't get a shot, that's when we can look back and say that, but right now I'm a Detroit Lion and as long as that is a fact then I'm going to go about my business,” Stanton said. “This is only going on my third season, so it's one of those things that it doesn't always happen the same way for everybody in this league. Not everybody's Matt Ryan, not everybody's Peyton Manning, some people are Tom Brady. Everybody else has a unique case. It's one of those things if you continue to work hard good things are going to happen.”

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?

Not everyone's sold on Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford as the No. 1 overall pick. I had a chance to catch up with a coach who had the chance to evaluate both Stafford and last year's top quarterback, Matt Ryan, during their college careers. He said Ryan was clearly the more impressive player.

“I don't think Stafford was better than Ryan was,” the coach said. “In the warm-up for Ryan pre-game, I was like, 'Whoa, that guy's got a gun.' Stafford didn't impress me during the pre-game nor did he impress me during the game.”

He said Stafford, despite his undeniable physical attributes, did most of his damage in the short-passing game and on bubble plays, and that defensively his team played plenty of press coverage but did nothing Stafford wouldn't have expected in the gameplan.

“He threw the bubble, but any quarterback can throw that. You and me can throw that pass,” the coach said. “(Ryan) threw the deep ball real well against us. He threw some one-on-one where he had the confidence to just put it in there and throw it. ... He had the arm also and was able to chuck it deep and the confidence to put it in there. I don't know Stafford did.”

Stafford, USC's Mark Sanchez and Kansas State's Josh Freeman are the top three quarterbacks in this year's draft. All left school with one year of eligibility remaining.

Typically, early-entry quarterbacks haven't fared well in the NFL. Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger is the only underclass signal caller drafted this decade to live up to expectations, and the coach I talked to said Roethlisberger's intangibles are much better than Stafford's.

“If you were a corner and he'd see you coming – Stafford when he sees you coming would start running,” the coach said. “Ben Roethlisberger had the instinct that he'd stay right there and he knows you see him and then he would step at the last second and boom you'd miss. If you're a corner that can run and I start to move, now you got me. If I pretend like I don't see, I dodge you at the last second and get out of the way. He's got a knack for it.”

Still, if the Lions are set on drafting a quarterback, the coach said he'd prefer Stafford to Sanchez.

“He's a good player, he's got a strong arm, but I don't think he's got – I don't know, there's something about him,” the coach said of Stafford. “I'm sure he'll be a good player, but is he a first-rounder?

“I like him better than the guy at USC, though. I haven't watched him a lot, but just the one year experience would worry me if I was going to take him.”

NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said in a conference call Wednesday, if he was running the Lions he'd take Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe No. 1 overall.

“The way I look at the quarterback position is it's the most important position in the NFL,” Mayock said. “But you better make sure you're going to bang the table and believe in the guy if you're going to take him in the top 10 like I did with Matt Ryan a year ago. He was my No. 1 guy the whole year for a reason. I don't feel the same way about (Matt) Stafford, so if I'm the Lions I take Eugene Monroe and I worry about the quarterback position either at No. 20, trading up from 20, next year, whatever. But me personally, I couldn't afford to take a shot at No. 1 where if I'm wrong I think I set the franchise back another five years.”

Mayock said he prefers Monroe to Baylor's Jason Smith because Monroe is a better pass blocker.

“Best feet of any tackle in the draft,” he said. “His feet remind me of Joe Thomas, and in the NFL the one thing I've learned is that your run blocking's not as big a deal, you better protect your quarterback, and I think Monroe's the best pass-protection left tackle in this draft.”

The Lions have welcomed both Monroe and Smith, plus Stafford and Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, in for visits in recent weeks. Smith is considered a hair better prospect than Monroe by most analysts, and there's some debate whether his more physical style better suits the Lions' new “get-big” philosophy. Regardless, both are expected to be top-five picks.

As for quarterbacks, Mayock has USC's Mark Sanchez rated No. 1 at the position, but he said Stafford, Sanchez and Kansas State's Josh Freeman are all worthy of first-round picks.

“I've been very positive of all three of them and I like all three of them, but I wouldn't bang the table for any of them like I did for Matt Ryan last year,” Mayock said. “Matt Ryan was my No. 1 guy on the board all year long. But amongst those three, Freeman reminds me of Joe Flacco both on and off the field, and I think if I had to pull the trigger in a top-10 pick with a quarterback I would take Sanchez because I would feel like his floor is higher than the other guys.”

I spent about 20 minutes talking Aaron Curry with Wake Forest linebackers coach Brad Lambert earlier today, but I'll save the details of that conversation for tomorrow when I'm bogged down with NCAA tournament coverage and all this Jay Cutler-Matt Stafford talk subsides (somewhat, at least).

For now, one more post on Cutler and Stafford. More of a question, actually. If you're the Lions, which quarterback do you prefer and why?

I can make the case for both guys. Cutler is 25, a Pro Bowler and one of the top two young quarterbacks in the game (along with Matt Ryan). He has a rocket for an arm and a box full of tools the Lions have salivated over for years, and I'm not as worried about the immaturity issues as some. Granted, he hasn't handled this situation perfectly, but that's what happens in the NFL when someone needs to engineer a trade.

Stafford has even better tools than Cutler, including his own fully-equipped Howitzer, and by all accounts impressed the Lions in his private workout Tuesday. There are questions about his NFL readiness, but he started more college games than Ryan (34 to 32) and likely would sit half or more of next season behind Daunte Culpepper.

If things were equal, if the No. 1 pick was the only compensation it took to land Cutler, I'd want the more proven commodity. But that's not the case, not with four, six or eight teams bidding for the quarterback. It'll probably cost the Lions three picks – remember, their second first rounder (No. 20) is less attractive than Washington's (13), New York's (17), Chicago's (18) or Tampa Bay's (19) – including a high choice next year, and they might need to involve a third team to get any deal done.

Admittedly, Cutler and Curry or Baylor's Jason Smith – assuming the Lions hold on to No. 1 – is as good a draft haul as any imaginable. But the Lions have said time and again, including today, that they intend the build long term and through the draft, and if they're sold on Stafford this is the time to make good on their word.

Now that the Matt Cassel-for-Jay Cutler, Detroit-Denver-New England threesome has fizzled out and Cassel is a Chief, two questions remain: Why didn't the Lions want Cassel, and who will be under center when Detroit opens the season next year?

The Lions have been mum on yesterday's trade news, but reading between the lines it's clear they weren't enamored with Tom Brady's pressed-into-action backup. Kansas City acquired Cassel for the 34th pick in the draft, the Lions own No. 33 (plus two first-rounders), and it's reasonable to assume they could have outbid the Chiefs had they wanted Cassel bad enough. For those who say KC got a steal because of new general manager Scott Pioli's relationship with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, a) that's not how it works in the ruthless NFL, and b) what about new Lions coach Jim Schwartz's ties with Belichick? Wouldn't it have made more sense to move the quarterback to another close friend outside the division (even if he wouldn't have been able to stick it to another Belichick disciple, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels, twice a year)?

To be fair, Tampa Bay, it seems, was willing to outbid both the Lions and Chiefs for Cassel in an effort to ship him to Denver for Cutler, who in my eyes is neck-and-neck with Matt Ryan for the best young quarterback (three years or less) in the league. But back to Cassel for a minute, the fact that he went for less than the going rate – Matt Schaub cost two second-rounders and a swap of firsts two years ago – suggests teams weren't anxious to pay a possible one-year wonder franchise money.

Cutler, meanwhile, is now the hottest commodity on the market even though Denver insists he's staying put. He's 25, has all the requisite tools, and his relationship with McDaniels and the Broncos is strained at best. So what are the chances the Lions land Cutler? In a straight-up swap, probably not good. It'd be suicide for Denver to deal Cutler without getting a quarterback in return, and now that Cassel is off the market there aren't many options. Matt Stafford I guess would qualify, but Mike Shanahan wasn't fired so the Broncos can rebuild.

For now, Daunte Culpepper remains the starter in Detroit and the failure of this deal leads me to believe he'll be there when the season begins. Dan Orlovsky is likely headed elsewhere in free agency, Drew Stanton isn't in the mix, and as of Saturday the Lions hadn't set up visits with available signal callers like J.P. Losman, though they'll surely add a veteran this offseason if Orlovsky doesn't re-sign.

Stafford and Mark Sanchez remain in the mix as first-round draft picks, and now that Kansas City's acquired its quarterback there's a chance one could slide to 20 if the Lions pass on both at No. 1. Even if it's not in the first round, I'd expect Detroit to take a quarterback somewhere in April's draft.

In the bigger picture, it'll be interesting to see where Cassel and the Chiefs go from here. Remember, Lions owner William Clay Ford promoted Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand after the season without so much as interviewing outside candidates. Pioli should have been in the mix. Now, he's made the biggest splash of the offseason while the Lions are still charting their course at quarterback.

NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, one of the best in the business, had a teleconference this afternoon from the Senior Bowl to talk draft prospects. With the first question he took, he addressed what the Lions might do with the No. 1 overall pick.

“The first thing the Lions have to address in my opinion is whether or not there's a franchise quarterback in this draft," Mayock said. "From the film work that I have done on the underclassmen, and it still needs to be more exhaustive, I think Matthew Stafford is an exciting talent that can make every throw in the book. I've seen him in person, I've seen him on tape. My two concerns are occasional accuracy issues and pocket awareness and presence.

"And please keep in mind that (Joe) Flacco and Matt Ryan were fifth-year players and stepped in with tremendous ability and mental toughness, but five years in college. And now you're looking at Matthew Stafford with three years, (Mark) Sanchez a one-year starter, (Josh) Freeman, wonderfully talented kid. That's a long way of saying I'm not sure we got a top-10 quarterback in this class."

Asked what defensive players might be worth taking 1-1, Mayock mentioned Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry.

"Aaron Curry is the quintessential safe pick," Mayock said. "Smart, tough, aggressive. He's a guy that's played at a high level in the ACC and is not going to cause you any problem. Worst-case scenario will be a very, very solid player, but with the No. 1 pick I wouldn't be surprised if they try to move down a little bit. Again it's way too early to be projecting this stuff, but if I'm the Lions I'd like to get as many picks as I can because I've got a lot of issues."

Admittedly I'm reading between the lines here, but I wonder what Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazer's comments Monday from the Senior Bowl mean for the future of the Lions.

In case you missed it, Frazier told the Free Press and News that he and Lions management “had a difference of opinion in how we saw the current Lions and going forward.” He didn't specify what the difference was, but presumably it had something to do with how close the Lions are to contention after going 0-16. Just a guess here, but Frazier, who played the Lions twice last year, thinks the team is further away than general manager Martin Mayhew and team president Tom Lewand, who helped Matt Millen assemble the talent at hand.

If Mayhew and Co. think the Lions are just a few pieces away, maybe that means Daunte Culpepper will be back next year. Surely being that close they wouldn't want to start anew with a rookie quarterback, who, unless he's Matt Ryan, will need a year or two to develop, thus keeping the Lions in their state of perpetual rebuild. (Remember, Mayhew signed Culpepper with at least one eye towards 2009: Get him in the system, knock the rust off and let him rip next year.)

Maybe that means they think they can add starters with picks 1, 20 and 33, and with a year of seasoning that'll be enough to challenge for the NFC North in 2010. No other team in the division is in great shape for the future, though the Packers at least have their presumed franchise quarterback aboard in Aaron Rodgers.

Without question it means the front office is comfortable going forward with the scouts and processes already in place to evaluate talent. An assistant general manager still needs to be added, but only one scout was let go since the end of the season.

Mayhew reiterated last week that the Lions need to “upgrade this roster.” How much and in what areas remains to be seen.

In case you missed it, the Lions all but locked up the No. 1 pick in the draft over the weekend. Kansas City won at Oakland, giving the Chiefs two victories this year. That means the Lions at 0-12 would have to win two of their final four games to slide out of the No. 1 spot. (Cincinnati at 1-10-1 currently has pick No. 2.) Not gonna happen.

It's pointless to start breaking down the draft in December, especially since no one knows who'll be making picks for the Lions, but I've received a few emails on the subject so I want to highlight a few names/scenarios the Lions will be faced with come April.

In all likelihood, they'll have to choose between a potential franchise quarterback, either Oklahoma's Sam Bradford or Georgia's Matt Stafford; the top offensive tackle available (likely Alabama's Andre Smith); or defensive help (USC linebacker Rey Maualuga or Alabama defensive tackle Terrence Cody). Bradford, Stafford, Smith and Cody are all underclassmen, but with labor uncertainty and their status as probable top-10 picks I would expect all to forgo their final seasons of eligibility.

If the current regime is in place, I think the Lions go defense first and try to win with Daunte Culpepper at quarterback. If not, it comes down to whether the new decision-makers view Bradford or Stafford as a franchise-caliber, Matt Ryan-type quarterback. If the answer on either is yes, you can bet that's your No. 1 pick.

I've heard all the arguments against taking a quarterback No. 1 – the Lions have too many other holes to fill; the hit-and-miss nature of taking a quarterback No. 1; the cost associated with signing that pick – and while they're all grounded in truth, the fact is top-flight signal callers don't come around every day and they're the single biggest predictor of NFL success. The last five Super Bowl winners have employed four of the game's best quarterbacks in Eli and Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger.

The Lions' draft needs could change in the coming months if, say, Scott Pioli takes over as general manager, hires Josh McDaniels as head coach and signs Matt Cassel as a free agent. But if Stafford or Bradford grades out as a future Pro Bowler, he'll be worth the gamble at No. 1 – especially when you consider how well Ryan and Baltimore's Joe Flacco have played as rookies this year (both are 8-4).

Trivia question to start off today's blog: Who was the last quarterback to start the season-opener of his rookie year against the Lions?

Answer: The immortal Terry Baker, the former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in the 1963 draft who led the Los Angeles Rams to a 23-2 loss and never started again. Baker in fact, played just 17 NFL games the rest of his career before drifting off into the sunset.

Not that I think Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan is bound for anywhere near the same fate as Baker, but I bring this up to illustrate just how rare it is for a rookie to open the season at quarterback in the NFL. Ryan, the third pick in April's draft, has a bright future ahead of him. I saw him live last year in the Champs Sports Bowl, and while he didn't have an amazing game, he made all the throws you'd want from an NFL quarterback. His former teammate at Boston College, Gosder Cherilus said Ryan is one of the fiercest competitors he's ever met.

"In '06 he broke his foot against Central Michigan, first game, played the whole season with a broken foot," Cherilus said. "He had surgery afterward, so that tells you enough about the kid. Great competitor, great kid."

Cherilus, the Lions' first-round pick at No. 17 overall, said he talked to Ryan during training camp and planned to text him this week. The two are good friends from their BC days and might get together Saturday night in Atlanta if their schedules permit.

"At the end of it, I want to say, 'Hey, Matt, great game, but we're 1-0,'" Cherilus said.

It's a little early for predictions. I'll usually save those for Saturday with the rest of my NFL picks. But I'll get this way out of the way now. The Lions will win Sunday and spoil the debuts of Ryan and Falcons coach Mike Smith. It won't be the pushover that some expect. Michael Turner is a good running back who'll give the Lions fits. But Ryan is bound to make one rookie mistake that will come back to haunt him.