Here is a direct quote from our "And Just Like That . . . " post, dated April 9, 2009: "[The Chief] will also, of course, recap what is inevitably going to be a debacle of an NFL draft for the Detroit Lions."
Do not get me wrong, I love . . . nay . . . LOVE to be right (just ask my family or, more importantly, my Better Half). However, believe you me, I would l-o, l-o, l-o, l-o-v-e to have been wrong about this one. Unfortunately, what transpired last Saturday and Sunday might well have been the most obvious thing in the history of obvious things. After all, what did William Clay Ford, Sr. do after he fired Matt Millen, arguably the worst GM in the history of sports? He replaced him with Martin Mayhew, Millen's right-hand man during his tenure. And people wonder why Ford Motor Company is in so much trouble?
Let me get this out of the way: I get why they drafted Matthew Stafford. I do not necessarily agree with the pick, but I get that the Lions did not want to be known as "The Team That Passed on Stafford" in the event he becomes a franchise quarterback. But being taken early in the first round has, historically, been a curse for quarterbacks. John Elway, Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan, those are the exception, not the rule. And answer me this, Mr. Ford: how can you be willing to pay a player $78-million over the next six years (with $41.7-million guaranteed) when he has taken the exact same number of snaps in the NFL as I have? [Do not get me wrong, I am a "rare" physical specimen and could have just as easily won as many games for the Lions as their quarterbacks did last year . . . but I digress] I have nothing against Matthew Stafford. For obvious reasons, I hope he turns out to be one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. But would I have taken him with the first overall pick?
No way! Granted, the Lions have so many holes they could have drafted a player at any position and it would have helped them. But why go with quarterback when (1) everyone is saying Daunte Culpepper looked great at the mini-camp; (b) your track record with "skill position" players over the past ten years is by no means great; and (iii) you have no offensive line to block for him? Having a fit, healthy, and confident Culpepper means you have a very serviceable, if not, above-average quarterback in your system. Culpepper was at his best in Minnesota when he had the deep threat of Randy Moss to lob the ball to and you have that here in Calvin Johnson, the only skill position pick the Lions got right. Culpepper has had the entire offseason to learn the new offense and there is no reason to think he can not perform better this season than he did last. Now, if the Lions came out and said they were not going to start Stafford at all this season, I might feel better. But we know that is not going to happen when they are paying the kid that much money and they need to sell tickets (paging Joey Harrington).
Speaking of Joey Harrington, let us take a moment to look back at the Lions' first round picks since 2000 (when the Millen regime took over): 2000 - Stockar McDougle, OT (currently a free agent); 2001 - Jeff Backus, OT (has never missed a game in career, 128 consecutive starts); 2002 - Joey Harrington, QB (back-up for N.O. Saints, 4th team of career); 2003 - Charles Rogers, WR (15 games, 36 catches, 4 TDs over 3 seasons; no longer in league); 2004 - Roy Williams, WR (59 TDs over 4+ seasons; traded to Dallas), Kevin Jones, RB (now with Chicago, what to do with his old jersey . . .); 2005 - Mike Williams, WR (about what you would expect from a Trojan, no longer in league); 2006 - Ernie Sims, LB (has started all 48 games during 3-year career, 456 tackles, defensive captain); 2007 - Calvin Johnson, WR (stud); 2008 - Gosder Cherilus, OT (pronounced GOS-der, SHARE-uh-luss; started 13 games as a rookie and played in all 16).
As you run through that list, a pattern begins to emerge. With the exception of one "skill position" pick (Calvin Johnson), the best first-round picks made by the Lions have been on the offensive line or defense. Those picks remain a productive part of the team. So after an 0-16 season, why would you not want to play it safe and take a player that was guaranteed to make a difference? Jason Smith or Aaron Curry sure would have looked good in those "snazzy" new uniforms. But as I said before, I can at least see why they drafted Stafford. And why worry? The Lions still had another first round pick and, while most draft experts thought this was a weaker draft class in general, the draft was deep at offensive tackle and linebacker. So that is why it was a no-brainer for the Lions to take Brandon Pettigrew, a tight end, with the twentieth overall pick. Really? REALLY? I recorded the first day of the draft for THIS? Rest assured, the Lions did take an offensive tackle . . . in the SEVENTH round (only 228th overall). But do not worry, Mel Kiper wants us to know that Lydon Murtha has tremendous upside potential. Boy, I feel better knowing (1) Mel Kiper likes this pick, and (b) Murtha is blessed with tremendous upside potential.
Maybe I am missing something with the Pettigrew pick. Everyone is saying that he is the best blocking tight end to come out (a tight end coming out . . . hehehe) in the past five years. Maybe the Lions are planning on going with six lineman all season; interesting strategy.
Thankfully, because I had recorded the draft, I could fast forward through everything to get to the Lions second-round pick. With James Laurinaitis and Rey "I Really Don't Have to Want to Like a Trojan" Maualuga still on the board, the Lions were destined to pick the new anchor of their defense for years to come. That is, of course, why they picked Louis Delmas, the top safety in the draft. Okay, if Delmas proves to be the second coming of Bob Sanders, this pick will not bother me as much as, say, oh, I do not know, Brandon Pettigrew. Seriously, I almost threw my remote through the television.
In the end, the Lions' draft looked like this:
1st Round - Matthew Stafford, QB; Brandon Pettigrew, TE
2nd Round - Louis Delmas, S
3rd Round - DeAndre Levy, OLB; Derrick Williams, WR
4th Round - Sammy Lee Hill, DT
6th Round - Aaron Brown, RB
7th Round - Lydon Murtha, OT; Zach Follett, OLB; Dan Gronkowski, TE
You read that right. All those holes to fill and the Lions drafted a wide receiver in the third round and ANOTHER tight end in seventh round. I have done zero research on what I am about to say, but I am roughly 93.724% positive it is an accurate statement: the Lions are the first team to draft two (2) tight ends in the same draft. I will get my "research department" to look that up eventually.
Different year, same story with my Detroit Lions. It is hard to believe that twenty years ago the Lions took Barry Sanders in the first round. I know things can not get any worse, but I really thought the Lions might be ready to make a change for the better for once, to start moving in the right direction. I guarantee the Lions will win a game this season, but, looking at their schedule, that might not come until week eight against the St. Louis Rams. That means their losing streak could reach twenty-three games (Week 17 of 2007 season through Week 8 of 2009 season). Ouch. And if that happens, if the Lions start 0-3, 0-4, or 0-5, then you know we will see Stafford early on. And if that happens (is there an echo in here?), I guess we will see if Stafford is everything the management thinks he is, or if he will assume his place along side Joey Harrington as a promising young talent whose confidence was destroyed by an owner who could not afford to leave that much money holding a clipboard on the sideline.
Congrats to you William Clay Ford, Sr., Martin Mayhew, and Tim Lewand. You did what no one thought was possible. You drafted as if Matt Millen was still running the show, ensuring the Lions will fail to have a winning record for the ump-teenth consecutive season (or 9th, whatever) and will miss the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season. At least you are consistent.
While I try to find a sliver of hope somewhere in the Lions' 2009 draftees, I can not help but wonder if there is anyone out there who is happy the Lions selected Stafford first overall. Who am I kidding? Of course there is: Sam Bradford.
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