Peter King thinks Stafford *might* start opener

[GuitarGod19]

Originally Posted by nd1377

You can't pay a QB a guaranteed 41.7 million to sit the bench. IMHO, a first overall drafted QB knows they will be the starting QB of their team no matter what. Stafford needs to start. Culpepper isn't in the future plans of the Lions. The only good thing that could come out of playing Culpepper is if he plays well and then the Lions are able to trade him.

If he doesn't play he doesn't make anywhere near that amount of money...fyi...

[cruzer1]

Here's another article about rumors that Stafford will start...

The Oakland Press Blogs: Lions Lowdown

7/08/2009
Stafford to start rumors

There are rumors floating around that Matthew Stafford will be named the Lions’ starting quarterback for Week 1 before the start of training camp. Now these rumors are likely just that rumors, but let’s hope Stafford is not just handed the job.

Stafford should be named the starter when he is ready to play at the NFL level, not when he is better than Daunte Culpepper. Let’s be honest, beating out Culpepper doesn’t exactly put you in line to make the Pro Bowl.
If Stafford is sent out too early then this town will eat him alive. There were already fans who booed the pick and are just waiting for Stafford to throw an interception so they can say, ‘I told you so.’
Stafford could have the most pressure on him of any No. 1 overall pick in history. Think about it. He is drafted by the first team to go 0-16 in NFL history. Add in the fact that there’s a rookie GM and a rookie head coach, who are both looking to prove they belong.
If that’s not enough, consider the fans he has to win over. The same fans that remember the last two first rounds choices the Lions used on quarterbacks (Joey Harrington and Andre Ware). These fans won’t be won over easily. In fact, it’s likely the exact opposite. There are probably countless fans waiting for Stafford to fall on his face because they have grown accustomed to the Lions losing.
Changing the losing mentality of the Lions won’t be easy for Stafford, but don’t make it any harder by throwing him in too fast and giving him a job he couldn’t have possibly earned in mini-camp. Lets put some pads on before any decisions are made.

[GuitarGod19]

Originally Posted by cruzer1

Here's another article about rumors that Stafford will start...

The Oakland Press Blogs: Lions Lowdown

That article is dead on...he should start when he's ready. But from what I'm hearing that may be NOW.

[nd1377]

Originally Posted by GuitarGod19

If he doesn't play he doesn't make anywhere near that amount of money...fyi...

Lions Secure QB Stafford

The Detroit Lions reached an agreement Friday night with Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford to make him the first pick in the NFL draft on Saturday.

Coach Jim Schwartz introduces the Lions first day draft picks, and Matthew Stafford talks about competing.

The Lions announced the six-year deal with Stafford in a news release Saturday afternoon. The deal is for $72 million, with $41.7 million guaranteed. The contract could be worth as much as $78 million if Stafford achieves all of his playing incentives. The guaranteed money tops the $41 million in guarantees Albert Haynesworth received from the Washington Redskins earlier this offseason.

Can you please tell me what 41.7 million guaranteed means?

[cruzer1]

Originally Posted by nd1377

Lions Secure QB Stafford



Can you please tell me what 41.7 million guaranteed means?

Based on snaps.

[TigersSlappy]

I agree completely with him having to win the job, but this is the clearest argument for that:

beating out Culpepper doesn’t exactly put you in line to make the Pro Bowl

...and unlike JoeySunshine he does seem to be blending with/winning over his team mates which is critical for a QB.

[GuitarGod19]

Originally Posted by nd1377

Lions Secure QB Stafford



Can you please tell me what 41.7 million guaranteed means?

This was posted in May by our very own Cruzer...the minimum Stafford will recieve guaranteed is a touch over $17 million. MOST of his money is based on qualifiers, snaps taken in his case.

AdamJT13: Matthew Stafford's contract

Read on......

[nd1377]

Originally Posted by GuitarGod19

This was posted in May by our very own Cruzer...the minimum Stafford will recieve guaranteed is a touch over $17 million. MOST of his money is based on qualifiers, snaps taken in his case.

AdamJT13: Matthew Stafford's contract

Read on......

Thank you for clearing that up. I thought it was 41.7 guaranteed and then the rest was based on playing time, pro bowls, etc....

I was totally wrong.

[Stormin' Norman]

Originally Posted by nd1377

Lions Secure QB Stafford



Can you please tell me what 41.7 million guaranteed means?

Originally Posted by cruzer1

Here's another article about rumors that Stafford will start...

The Oakland Press Blogs: Lions Lowdown

It's really a shame The Oakland Press has lost Dave Birkett - the new writers are worthless.

I don't understand how following a duo of failed 1st round QB's makes it harder for Stafford to win over Lions fans. It would seem to me that if Stafford doesn't fall on his face, his name will be celebrated - in part - because of the low expectations of Lions fans.

[GuitarGod19]

Originally Posted by Stormin' Norman

It's really a shame The Oakland Press has lost Dave Birkett - the new writers are worthless.

I don't understand how following a duo of failed 1st round QB's makes it harder for Stafford to win over Lions fans. It would seem to me that if Stafford doesn't fall on his face, his name will be celebrated - in part - because of the low expectations of Lions fans.

Although I don't think Stafford will fail...we ARE pretty easily impressed. I mean, when the best QB in recent memory is Scott Mitchell it should be relatively easy to fill those shoes.

[Stormin' Norman]

Originally Posted by GuitarGod19

Although I don't think Stafford will fail...we ARE pretty easily impressed. I mean, when the best QB in recent memory is Scott Mitchell it should be relatively easy to fill those shoes.

I agree - that's why I find the position of the Oakland Press writer so...bizarre.

[TigersSlappy]

Well now I feel better.........

Burning question
Do the Lions have any glimmer of hope after a winless season?
"I really like Stafford. He has a real arm. He can make real throws. You have to have that guy in the NFC. I also like that tight end (Brandon Pettigrew) they got. I do like what they're doing (there)."
-- NFL Network analyst Matt Millen

Lions camp countdown: Lions have nowhere to go but up after winless season - Rick Alonzo, Vinnie Iyer & Tom Kowalski - NFL - Sporting News

[nd1377]

They actually call Millen an NFL analyst.

[djhutch]

Originally Posted by nd1377

They actually call Millen an NFL analyst.

He is.

[nd1377]

Originally Posted by djhutch

He is.

His amazing qualifications include a great rebuilding job with the Detroit Lions where he excelled as an analyst of team needs, talent, etc.

[djhutch]

Originally Posted by nd1377

His amazing qualifications include a great rebuilding job with the Detroit Lions where he excelled as an analyst of team needs, talent, etc.

His qualifications are his 4 Super Bowl rings as a player.

[nd1377]

Originally Posted by djhutch

His qualifications are his 4 Super Bowl rings as a player.

And the rest should be forgotten?

[sagnam]

Originally Posted by djhutch

His qualifications are his 4 Super Bowl rings as a player.

That means he was a good player. His years of management proved that he was terrible at all aspects of football talent evaluation (coaches, scouts, players, etc.). Last I checked an analyst's job was to evaluate the game, not play the game.

[belcherboy]

Originally Posted by sagnam

That means he was a good player. His years of management proved that he was terrible at all aspects of football talent evaluation (coaches, scouts, players, etc.). Last I checked an analyst's job was to evaluate the game, not play the game.

It seems that most analysts are failed coaches or former players (sometimes failed athletes). Andre Ware, Barry Melrose, Dick Vitale, off the top of my head, are analysts I have seen that have not had much success in their careers, outside of television.

[cruzer1]

Matthew Stafford on fast track to be Lions' starting quarterback Week 1 against the Saints - Detroit Lions: News, Blogs, Photos, Audio, Schedule & Stats - MLive.com

Matthew Stafford on fast track to be Lions' starting quarterback Week 1 against the Saints
by Tom Kowalski
Sunday July 26, 2009, 8:00 AM

ALLEN PARK -- In a recent radio interview, Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz was asked about the possibility of rookie Matthew Stafford opening the regular season as the team's starting quarterback.

Schwartz repeatedly stressed the point that fans should not get too far ahead of themselves. He said Stafford has a lot to learn, he is only a rookie, he still has to deal with training camp and preseason games and on and on.

Schwartz is exactly right. He also is wrong.

The reality is Stafford, the first overall pick in the draft, is on the fast track to become the Lions' starting quarterback when the season opens Sept. 13 in New Orleans. So far, Stafford has passed every test with flying colors and cleared every hurdle with plenty of room to spare.

So far.

That is why Schwartz warns of caution. We still are seven weeks away from the opener and anything can happen.

The truth, though, is people in the organization believe Stafford is even better than they thought. And they thought very highly of him to begin with -- making him the first overall pick and handing him $41.7 million in guaranteed money before he broke his first sweat.

Yes, there still is a ways to go and training camp and preseason games can be very effective in peeling away a player's weaknesses. The possibility of a setback or two -- or 10 -- is always there.

That is why the Lions are being so pragmatic about it. They do not want to say anything they might have to retract later and that's why Stafford will be taking No. 2 reps when the Lions opening training camp Friday.

But remember what Schwartz has been saying throughout the preseason, that he only would start Stafford if he met two criteria -- if he was ready and if he was the best. Schwartz said that if Stafford was prepared, but not the Lions' best quarterback, he would not start. He said that if Stafford was the best quarterback, but was not ready, he would not start.

At this point, though, it is become pretty clear that Stafford already has answered one part of that equation.

He is ready. In any way you want to slice it, Stafford is an NFL quarterback.

Whether you talk about his knowledge of the offense, ability to read defenses, his arm strength, athleticism, leadership or presence in the huddle, he's there. The players and coaches already see it.

Whether Stafford will be the best quarterback by the end of training camp is a trickier proposition. Veteran Daunte Culpepper has looked very strong in the offseason workouts, he's in shape and he's reunited with the offensive coordinator (Scott Linehan) who he blossomed under in Minnesota.

As good as Stafford has looked so far (there's that phrase again), it might be difficult for him to be the "best" quarterback after one training camp when he's competing against a 10-year veteran who has 85 career NFL starts.

So, when Schwartz said Stafford had to be the "best" quarterback to be the opening day starter, what exactly did he mean? Did he mean that Stafford has to be the team's best option to beat the Saints or that he has to be the team's best option to lead the Lions to the playoffs in two years?

Schwartz has the luxury of keeping that distinction to himself for the next several weeks and you can bet he's going to wait and weigh all the information before he makes his final decision.

So Schwartz is right when he says it's too early to name Stafford the starter, but he's wrong in telling Lions fans not to get too far ahead of themselves. They're as anxious to see Stafford start as much as the Lions' coaches are -- whether those coaches will admit it or not.

[cruzer1]

Great article...

Lions rookie Matthew Stafford was always ahead of the curve | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

[cruzer1]

Advanced NFL Stats: Should Rookie QBs Start?

May 18, 2009
Should Rookie QBs Start?

Wages of Wins author and loyal Detroit Lions fan Dave Berri recently asked me about research on whether rookie quarterbacks are better off standing on the sideline all season. One of the big questions in Detroit this year will certainly be whether overall number one pick Matthew Stafford should start at QB. The central issue is whether starting a rookie QB somehow harms his long-term development. Does a year holding a clipboard allow rookies to adapt to the NFL and boost their prospects for a successful career?

Names like Boller, Harrington, Couch, Shuler, and Carr underscore the danger of starting rookie passers. But there are also names such as Manning, Roethlisberger, Marino, Elway, and Aikman that indicate that starting as a rookie may not be so damaging to a QB's development.

This is a question I get often but haven’t looked into it because of complications associated with the issue. First, there aren’t that many top QBs to analyze—the sample size is fairly small. Any inference we make needs to keep in mind the small sample. Second, there is a problem of bias in the data. The better QBs would be the ones to earn starting jobs their rookie year, and would also likely tend to be the ones to enjoy successful careers.

The trick would be to properly account for underlying QB potential, which would be quite a trick. If we knew that, that’s all we’d ever really need to know about a QB. There's no perfect way to measure that, but in the end, I think the most reasonable variable to indicate potential is overall draft pick number. It’s something that is established prior to any decision to start or not as a rookie. Also, although it is often an unreliable predictor of career performance for individual QBs, it correlates very well for QBs as a group. In other words, the number one QB might not pan out or even be better than the second QB taken in any particular draft year. But as a whole, the top picks reliably tend to outperform subsequent picks.

Data

I looked at first and second round QBs drafted between 1980 and 2004. I chose 1980 because it is roughly the dawn of the modern NFL passing rules. I chose 2004 to allow at least four years to asses each QB’s performance. Data are from Pro-Football-Reference.com. To measure career success, I used Adjusted Yards per Attempt (Adj YPA). This is passing yards minus 45 yards for every interception, per pass attempt. For QBs with very low pass attempts and spurious Adj YPA stats, I replaced their actual Adj YPA with 3.0 YPA, generally the floor for QBs with a reasonable sample size of attempts. (There is no reason to expect 1989 Chief’s 2nd-round pick Mike Elkins to lose 20 yards for every pass based on only 2 attempts.)

Methodology

The first step is to account for potential using overall draft pick number. The graph below plots career Adj YPA by pick number. The scatterplot is pretty random for any individual QB, but as a whole there is a predictable trend. Top draft picks tend to end up as NFL top passers. I estimated the expected Adj YPA based on pick number. A QB from the top of the first round would be expected to average 5.0 Adj YPA, while a QB from the bottom of the second round would be expected to average 4.1 Adj YPA.



We can see a clear trend. Unsurprisingly, top picks would be expected to end up with better career passing stats than later picks. A linear regression estimates what the baseline expectation should be for each slot in the draft.

Next I calculated the 'Adj YPA above expected' for each QB. Now we can compare QBs who started their first year to those that didn’t, while holding “potential” equal.

But how do we define “started their first year?” How many starts qualifies--4, 5, 11? I don’t know, so let’s start by looking at the whole picture.

Results

We can use that baseline to compare each QB's career Adj YPA. Some QBs did better than expected given their draft slots and some did worse. We can now test if there is a connection between better than expected performance and the number of rookie year starts.



As it turns out, it appears that QBs with more rookie starts tend to enjoy greater career success, even accounting for draft order.

Some of you might have noticed that what I've really done here is a crude multivariate regression. Holding for draft order, I estimated the effect of games started. What if we just do the regression directly?

As expected we get a small negative effect with draft order. (The higher the pick number, the worse the expected stats.) The Games Started variable is positive and significant at p=0.03. The model as a whole has an r-squared of 0.15--small in absolute terms, but considerable given the highly random individual variance in QB careers.

But this is only one way of looking at whether a QB was a starter or not. What if we draw a line at say, 5 rookies starts--below 5 starts he's not a rookie starter and above it he is. The group of QBs with 5 or less starts averages -0.01 Adj YPA above expected, and the group with 6 or more starts averages +0.3 Adj YPA above expected. If we define it at zero starts, those with no rookie starts averaged -0.03 Adj YPA above expected, while those with at least one start averaged +0.02 starts above expected. In fact, no matter where I chose the endpoints of the groups, from 3 to 13 starts, the group with more starts outperforms the group with fewer starts by about 0.4 Adj YPA.

Conclusion

Does this mean teams should rush their rookies out to face the onslaught of NFL defenses to somehow make them better? I really doubt it. If I had to bet, I'd say that we simply haven't fully accounted for QB "potential" using draft order alone. I think the better QBs, those with the best chances of career success, often gain and maintain starting positions earlier.

But at the very least, we can say this: Given this analysis, there is no reason for a coach to arbitrarily keep a rookie QB on the bench. He should start his best QB, rookie or not, and not worry about incubating him under a ballcap on the sidelines. In the end, it should be the coach's qualitative judgment on the readiness of the player.

[BigBoiKzoo]

Again, more backing for what I've said all along. If it's even close between Culpepper and Stafford, Stafford needs to start.

I will concede at this point, he's ahead of where I thought he'd be.

[RedRamage]

Originally Posted by cruzer1

Advanced NFL Stats: Should Rookie QBs Start?

Thanks for that Cruzer... very interesting.

[Stormin' Norman]

Originally Posted by cruzer1

Advanced NFL Stats: Should Rookie QBs Start?

May 18, 2009
Should Rookie QBs Start?

Well it's a shame we don't have a Head Coach that is one of the leaders in the league in statistical analysis.

[belcherboy]

I honestly will HATE to watch the Lions this year if Stafford is not starting. Johnson and Stafford need to start working together as soon as possible, and it looks like Stafford is going to be as good or better than anything we got. The Lions aren't going to be very good this year, but hopefully we will see some big things begin to happen with Stafford and the offense!

Let's make the kid earn his paycheck starting week 1 and see if he can't become a quality QB in the next few years!

[BigBoiKzoo]

I agree belcherboy. Each game I see Culpepper start will annoy me because we ALL know he isn't the future of this franchise. We all also know that the Lions most likely will be lucky to finish with 6 wins which means no playoffs.

[GuitarGod19]

Originally Posted by cruzer1

Advanced NFL Stats: Should Rookie QBs Start?

May 18, 2009
Should Rookie QBs Start?

Start Or Sit?

Couple months late...

[SuperFlew]

Good to see he's working out hard this summer...

How Matthew Stafford Is Spending His Summer Vacation

[BigBoiKzoo]

Originally Posted by SuperFlew

Good to see he's working out hard this summer...

How Matthew Stafford Is Spending His Summer Vacation

Not a fan of the guy, but really? This was most likely taken over the course of a single weekend. It's the off season. If it was the night before a game or during the season, fine. There might be an argument. Everyone knows I'm not a Stafford fan, but I wouldn't even hold those against him. Plus, these girls are far more hot than the ones he got pictures taken with at Georgia.

[nd1377]

Originally Posted by SuperFlew

Good to see he's working out hard this summer...

How Matthew Stafford Is Spending His Summer Vacation

If I remember correctly, this was a predraft test to see how Stafford handles the situation. They wanted to measure his eye for aesthetics, his perception, strength, etc.

[snoogit]

Originally Posted by SuperFlew

Good to see he's working out hard this summer...

How Matthew Stafford Is Spending His Summer Vacation

THANK GOD HE'S HUMAN!

[snoogit]

Originally Posted by SuperFlew

Good to see he's working out hard this summer...

How Matthew Stafford Is Spending His Summer Vacation

And to top it off someone made hot chicks with douche bags today


/jealous, because I want a nice keggar boat.

[cruzer1]

Originally Posted by GuitarGod19

Start Or Sit?

Couple months late...

Sorry about that.

[DTroppens]

If he wins the job in camp, give it to him. If not, he doesn't get it.

[cruzer1]

Stafford not making Lions' decision easy - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Stafford not making Lions’ decision easy

ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Julian Peterson(notes) dropped into coverage, watched the rookie quarterback go through his reads and prepared to pounce. One little tipoff from Matthew Stafford(notes) and the veteran linebacker would be off and running with a prolific interception during a full-team drill at Detroit Lions training camp Tuesday afternoon.

Peterson baited, and waited. Wideout Calvin Johnson(notes) had slipped behind him on a dig route, and he read Stafford’s eyes to see which way to break. Stafford, however, stared unblinkingly at the right sideline, causing Peterson to take a step to his left. As the ball zipped past the spot Peterson had just vacated and directly to Johnson, who had broken inside, Stafford was still looking to the phantom spot on the sideline.

What the … ?

“The kid threw a no-look pass,” Peterson recalled Wednesday, shaking his head. “I was shocked! Calvin just so happened to drop it – he was probably as surprised as I was – but Matt got it in there, man. As rookies go, he’s way ahead of the curve.”

Whether or not the NFL’s answer to Steve Nash is advanced enough to beat out veteran Daunte Culpepper(notes) for the Lions’ starting job is the most compelling question facing this struggling franchise, which is coming off the first 0-16 season in NFL history. After Matt Ryan(notes) (Falcons) and Joe Flacco(notes) (Ravens) stepped in as rookies to lead their lightly regarded teams to the playoffs in ’08, Stafford is a decent bet to continue the trend.

“There is no debating that everything about him has been very, very impressive,” says Jim Schwartz, the Lions’ rookie coach.

As the No. 1 overall pick, Stafford is supposed to be special, and his physical skills have been obvious to the most casual of observers. What has surprised his coaches and teammates is the way he has grasped the position’s responsibilities, from mastering the offensive terminology to projecting a cool and commanding presence on and off the practice field.

“He doesn’t even look like a rookie,” Johnson says of Stafford. “He picked up the playbook very quick; he’s a smart kid. He looks very, very comfortable out there.”

If he feels overwhelmed, Stafford certainly won’t cop to it. “I think I’m playing well,” he says. “Obviously, there are things I can get better at, and I’ve had some bad throws or bad reads here and there. But there hasn’t been a practice or a series of plays where I really feel out of it.”

Yet Culpepper, who made three Pro Bowls in his first five seasons as a starter, isn’t making Schwartz’s decision easy. The 6-foot-4 quarterback has dropped more than 30 pounds since the end of last season and now weighs in the 260 range, as he did during a near-MVP season for the Minnesota Vikings in 2004. Culpepper, says Schwartz, is “moving significantly better” than at any point since the devastating knee injury in ’05 that derailed the quarterback’s career.

“It just shows the dedication he has toward this team,” halfback Kevin Smith(notes) says. “We’ll get Culpepper going. He’s going to be very good for us. And if Matt plays, he’ll be good, too. What it should come down to is, let the best player play, and have the other one ready to step in if needed. It’s a good problem to have, and it’s a good battle right now.”

Reunited with former Vikes offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who now holds that same position in Detroit after a failed stint as the Rams’ head coach, Culpepper has also made a big impression on teammates and coaches. He and Stafford have been splitting first-team reps on a 50-50 basis in camp, and Schwartz insists no decision has been made as to who’ll start.

“We’re charting it about every way you can chart it,” Schwartz says. “We’re going to be objective. Obviously, Matthew is going to be our long-term quarterback, but two things have to happen for him to win the job now: One, he has to be our best quarterback, and two, he has to be ready. When he jumps over both of those hurdles, he’ll be the guy. But for us to go into this process with our mind already made up doesn’t make any sense. We need to see them compete.”

The notion of Stafford emerging as the winner is unsettling to some Lions fans, some of whom lobbied for the team not to draft him. When the franchise unveiled its new logo at a packed suburban Detroit sporting goods store shortly before the draft, fans exhorted team officials to use the first overall pick on Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry(notes), at one point chanting, “Don’t draft Stafford.”

It may have been the first time in NFL history a team made its fan base less excited by taking a quarterback No. 1.

Chalk it up to post-traumatic stress syndrome, in this case a byproduct of the ill-fated Joey Harrington(notes) Era. Harrington, the third overall pick in ’02, became the starter three games into his rookie season and had a disastrous four-year run before being traded. Many Lions fans viewed him as aloof and soft, and he was not especially popular in the locker room.

“Stafford isn’t like Joey was at all,” veteran punter Nick Harris(notes) says. “He’s not tentative. He’s not scared to make a mistake. He’s out there slinging it. He looks loose, and he looks confident.”

Peterson, who played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2005 when No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith was installed as a rookie starter, says of Stafford, “He’s been great, man. I had a former No. 1 quarterback before, and Matt’s way farther along than him. It’s good to have a couple of guys you feel comfortable with at that position, and we’ve got ‘em.”

Culpepper’s fitness drive came shortly after Schwartz was hired in January, when the coach bluntly told him he was too heavy. Culpepper, who started five games after signing with the Lions in November, had mediocre stats (60-for-115, 786 yards, four TDs, six interceptions) and did little to change the perception that he became a less effective player after his ’05 knee surgery. (Undistinguished stints with the Dolphins and Raiders and a short-lived retirement preceded his time with the Lions.)

After the team signed Culpepper to a restructured, two-year contract, Schwartz didn’t mince words.

“If this team had gone to the playoffs last year, and he was as big as he was, it would’ve been one thing,” Schwartz says. “Guys would’ve said, ‘That’s Daunte, he’s our quarterback,’ and it would’ve been no big deal. But I told him, ‘You can’t have the season we had last year and have players look over at you and say, ‘That’s the same old Daunte.’ They had to see change, and to his credit, he made that commitment.”

Peterson, for one, would like to see Culpepper win the job. “They’re both playing good ball right now, and it’s hard to say (who should start),” Peterson says. “But I’d say Daunte, just because he has the wisdom and the experience. You never want to put a quarterback that’s No. 1 overall in a situation that could make or break him in the beginning, because if it goes bad, he might never recover. It’s a delicate situation.”

Schwartz is aware of that line of thought, just as he’s cognizant of another shred of conventional wisdom: It makes more sense to start the veteran and bring in the rookie, if necessary, rather than the other way around, because once you play the rookie, there may be no turning back.

So is that the way Schwartz is thinking?

“Oh, they didn’t hire me to do the easy thing,” he says. “Part of this job is making hard decisions. My skin’s not thin.”

Nor is Stafford’s. Having left high school early and starting for Georgia as a 17-year-old freshman, the kid who grew up on the same street in Dallas as the Lions’ last star quarterback, Bobby Layne, doesn’t sound especially stressed about the prospect of playing right away.

“That’s my No. 1 goal, no question about it,” Stafford says. “If it doesn’t happen, I’ve still got a chance to battle every week, and hopefully I’ll get in there soon enough.”

While attending the ESPYs last month, Stafford was seated directly in front of Ryan, the NFL’s reigning offensive rookie of the year. The advice Ryan gave him?

Recalls Stafford: “He said, ‘Just take care of yourself. Don’t start getting worried about what other people are doing or what people are saying about you. That’s when it gets overwhelming.’ It’s good advice. I’m just staying focused on what’s in front of me.”

Except, of course, when he’s suckering a teammate while throwing a no-look pass.

[Yoda]

He's either going to be really good, or he's positioning himself to be on the very top of a long list of Lions' busts.

[Enor]

I think I'd rather hear the title of the article as "Stafford Making Lions' Decision Easy". Either way, it'd be nice to know what we really have in this kid.

[belcherboy]

Originally Posted by Yoda

He's either going to be really good, or he's positioning himself to be on the very top of a long list of Lions' busts.

If he doesn't make it, it will be THE biggest bust we've ever had. The #1 pick in the draft, a QB, and the only hope for Calvin Johnson. There is SO much riding on this kid because we will invest at least 2 years, probably 3 years into making him a success. So far I am VERY happy with the news, but am also pretty nervous because of the Lions track record with top 5 picks!!

[Stormin' Norman]

Stafford, Matt Ryan, Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers are the next generation of elite NFL QB's.