OK, so maybe it wasn’t really that dramatic or important; nevertheless, to Cowboy Fans it was the lowest of lows.  The first Monday Night Football game appearance for the Cowboys, at the Cotton Bowl against the St. Louis Cardinals and a national TV audience (and Dandy Don, Howard and “Whoa Nellie”) in attendance – and the Cowboys laid the hugest of eggs, losing to the Cardinals 38-0.

Keep in mind, the Cowboys were no longer “Destiny’s Darlings”, two years removed from back-to-back NFL Championship losses to the Green Bay Packers – they had lost in the first round of the play-offs the previous two years to the Cleveland Browns.  Their record had fallen to 5-4 and there were cries for Tom Landry’s head – how in the world could they continue to lose with a roster full of Pro Bowl talent?

History tells us that loss had a galvanizing effect – the Cowboys became a team, winning their last 5 regular season games.  In the play-offs, they defeated a very talented Detroit Lions team in one of the hardest-hitting games I have ever witnessed 5-0, and then went on the road to defeat the San Francisco 49’ers in the NFC Championship 17-10.  They lost in Super Bowl V to the Baltimore Colts 16-13 on Jim O’Brien’s last second field goal, but the tone was set for the following year.  Dallas sent fewer players to the Pro Bowl the next two years than any of the previous six years.

Flash forward to December 28, 2008 – even after losing to Baltimore the previous week, Dallas was playing for a play-off spot; due to improbable results from earlier in the day, so was Philadelphia.  The Cowboys laid yet another huge egg, interestingly enough another 38 point loss (final score 44-6).  This time, however, there were no additional games to attempt to right the ship.  Will this loss have the same galvanizing effect on this version of the Dallas Cowboys?  Only time will tell – but history does have a way of repeating itself.

A week gone by, UDFA’s signed, and plenty of time to think about the Raider’s Day 2 picks. Let’s start at the begining…

#71 – Matt Shaughnessy, DE Wisconsin. ShauNASTY may not be bringin speed off the edge, but is a stout prescence against the run – a large area of need. There are Raider fans out there (myself included) who hoped that this would be the focus of the draft. A HAMMER at SS is a big help, but we all know that run defense starts at the line. I had DE set as a top need for pirmarily this reason – we need help setting the edge against the run if we want to improve as a team. We’ve got Terdell Sands, Gerard Warren, and, according to Coach Cable, Ryan Boschetti as stout run-defending tackles (Kelly will hopefully bring Sapp-style sacks), so we needed some help on the end. He’ll be competing though,  to take his place amongst 5 DE’s currently on the roster.

#124 – Louis Murphy, WR, Florida. So, maybe I needed to set our WR need, not only at a P1, but also as a multiple need! We received this pick from the Pats, and surprise surprise, this guy is a speed-demon. Murphy, the anchor of Florida’s track team, was left in the dust startdom wise, to Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow. He comes to Oakland with a love of football and a set of wheels (sub 4.4 40), solid hands, but a bit of a slight frame. He has a great attitude, which really seems to be the focus of this draft.

#126 – Slade Norris, DE/OLB, Oregon State. SLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADE!!!!! Schottey, the Lions correspondent, was kind enough to search his database of players when this pick was made, and came up with this beautiful statement, “Ok, I give up.” Now, Mike isn’t a Raider fan, but there was plenty of that sentiment around Raider Nation (a lot of, “Who is this Kid” and “Another big reach?”) but we welcome him, and his sweet sweet vampire slaying name. In all seriousness though, a speedy linebacker (really don’t see him competing for the SAM LB spot, which we sorely needed), that will make his bread and butter on special teams. My best guess is that he is here to attempt to fill int he shoes of the late Marquis Cooper, a huge loss this offseason.

#199 – Stryker Sulak, DE/LB, Missouri. The Raiders, apparently have decided to change their focus from football, to sweet sweet jersey selling names. I hope this and the last pick pan out, I can see an NFL network replay touting the LB corps of Stryker and Slade, but I digress… Sulak had some great production, but one number sticks out in particular – the 14 forced fumbles (6 his senior year). This, to me, shows an incredible drive and knack for changing the game. This kind of attitude will be a fantastic supplement to our current D. He’ll most likely start out on Special Teams, but if he keeps his motor running, we could really use this kind of nastiness and ball hawk mentality on our defense if we want to return to the SnB days of old (aka – “Lynn Swann, soft”).

#202 – Brandon Myers, TE, Iowa. Potentially Zach Miller’s new BFF. Coach Cable has been mentioning pairing Miller up with another TE to free him for some passing. Miller is a great blocker for being such a credible receiving threat, but faulty tackle play has resulted in his numbers not being what they could. Myers is mostly a blocker, and a solid one at that, lending a lot of power to our two TE  sets could be the “power running” that Mr. Davis suggested was needed. Pass blocking too, should get some more help, allowing for Miller to get a few more routes his way.

All in all, we drafted some high character, high motor players. Maybe not what all the “experts” predicted (I know for sure that our drafttek.com rankings will have the Raiders at the bottom, due to a lot of reaching, but hey – I’m confident that a few years down the line, the retro-grading process, the Raiders will get a fair shake out of drafttek.com . Our defense, and overall football team needs an attitude adjustment. The culture of loosing faded at the end of last season, which is most evident in hanging on to a 4 quarter lead when we are playing for pride and the other team is playing for a playoff spot. Hang tough Raider Nation, we’re on our way back.

To grade a team’s NFL Draft immediately after its conclusion is utter folly – I am no more clairvoyant than Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, Mike Mayock or Rick Gosselin.  Three years of a player’s results should be the absolute minimum to even attempt the process.  However, there are two areas that can be analyzed:  1) team needs fulfillment and 2) value of the pick.

The Jacksonville Jaguars fell short of their goals during the 2008 season – Jack Del Rio has already begun the process of ensuring that does not happen again, in the area of personnel acquisition (and deletion) to mold the roster for success.  For the grades, please click below . . .

1^st Round

A            #8 – Eugene Monroe (OT):  There were 4 top LT prospects in this year’s draft and Jacksonville snagged the one that is most ready to play in Monroe.  Even though the Jaguars acquired the former Eagle tackle Tra Thomas, he is 34 years old and has played in the league for 12 years.  This was also a value pick, as Monroe was ranked #4 among all prospects (regardless of position) on our Big Board.

2^nd Round

A            #39 – Eben Britton (OT):  Never too much of a good thing?  Those of you who read my “Big Uglies” series know what I think about offensive linemen – offensive strategy, formation, running versus passing, doesn’t matter – if my big guys whip your big guys, I’m gonna win!  Britton was the #28 prospect on the Big Board, so this was a value pick as well.

3^rd Round

C+          #72 – Terrance Knighton (DT):  Another position of need, as John Henderson needs a running mate with the Jaguar DL losses during the off-season.  Knighton was a reach in value, as he was ranked #220 on the Big Board – there were 8 defensive tackles with a higher grade still available when Jacksonville made the selection.

D            #73 – Derek Cox (CB):  After losing Drayton Florence to the Bills, CB became a position of need for the Jaguars.  And in today’s NFL cornerbacks are just like closets in a house – you just can’t have too many of them!  Cox has the measurables to succeed in the NFL, but will have to be “coached up” to contribute, based on his level of competition in college.  We rank 450 prospects for the NFL Draft, but Cox was not among them.  There were 36 cornerbacks ranked above him available at the time of the selection.

4^th Round

A            #107 – Mike Thomas (WR):  Jacksonville has a need for speed at the wide receiver position, as most of their receivers are of the possession variety.  They got a fast, shifty playmaker in the form of Mike Thomas.  This was also a value pick, as Thomas was ranked #81 on our Big Board.

5^th Round

A            #144 – Jarett Dillard (WR):  This route-running technician adds to the previously mentioned position of need.  Dillard may lack straight-away speed, but is quick out of his cuts and leaves defenders grasping at air.  Another value pick for the Jaguars, as we had Dillard rated at #109 on our Big Board.

6^th Round

C+          #180 – Zach Miller (TE):  The Jaguars have a number of big bodies on their roster, but few with the pass-catching ability of Miller, who projects as more of an H-back.  Miller was a reach, as we had him ranked at #298, but there were only 8 tight ends available at the time of the selection that were ranked ahead of him.

7^th Round

A+         #250 – Rashad Jennings (RB):  Jacksonville lost their long-time leader, Fred Taylor, to the Patriots so a running back to combine with Maurice Jones-Drew was a priority.  Rashad Jenning is excellent, excellent value at this 7^th Round pick, as he was #83 on our Big Board – maybe the steal of the draft!

B            #253 – Tiquan Underwood (WR):  Another wide receiver with speed to burn, Underwood adds numbers to a Jaguar priority.  This pick is not too much of a reach, as Underwood was ranked #241 on our Big Board.

Summary

To arrive at a cumulative score, the 1^st Round was 7 points, the 2^nd Round was 6 points, etc. to come up with a percentage rating to multiply by the average grade for each round.  The Jaguars’ cumulative grade for the 2009 NFL Draft was B+ (right on the cusp of an A-).  Jacksonville utilized the draft well to fill its needs!

To grade a team’s NFL Draft immediately after its conclusion is utter folly – I am no more clairvoyant than Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, Mike Mayock or Rick Gosselin.  Three years of a player’s results should be the absolute minimum to even attempt the process.  However, there are two areas that can be analyzed:  1) team needs fulfillment and 2) value of the pick.

The Arizona Cardinals followed up their surprising run through the playoffs that ended one game shy of completion with an excellent draft.  Ken Whisenhunt continues to add pieces to the puzzle that should allow the Cardinals to compete at a high level in the NFC West.  For the grades, please click below . . .

1^st Round

A+         #31 – Chris Wells (RB):  Running back was a definite position of need for the Cardinals after losing J.J. Arrington in free agency and the uncertainty surrounding Edgerrin James.  Ken Whisenhunt wants to establish a toughness to the Cardinals’ attitude and a back that can get the tough yardage for another first down is essential.  The value was good, as Wells was ranked #16 on our Big Board.

2^nd Round

B-           #63 – Cody Brown (OLB):  Another position that was high on the priority list, as Arizona is converting to a 3-4 defensive alignment in 2009.  Cody Brown is a fine player – the only question I have is from a value perspective.  The Big Board had Brown ranked at #85, which is a bit of a reach – there were questions about Michael Johnson’s intensity (#39) but no such questions about Lawrence Sidbury, Jr. (#72), both still available at the time of Arizona’s selection.

3^rd Round

A+         #95 – Rashad Johnson (FS):  Another position of need, as center-field free safeties that can quarterback a defense are worth their weight in gold.  Johnson’s intangibles are off the charts and his preparation and anticipation more than make up for any lack of athleticism.  Excellent value, as he was ranked #66 on the Big Board.

4^th Round

C+          #131 – Greg Toler (CB):  Although not a position of particular need for the Cardinals, in today’s NFL cornerbacks are just like closets in a house – you just can’t have too many of them!  Toler has the measurables to succeed in the NFL, but will have to be “coached up” to contribute, based on his level of competition in college.  He was ranked #179 on the Big Board and there were 7 cornerbacks ranked above him available at the time of the selection.

5^th Round

A            #167 – Herman Johnson (OG):  Arizona got the biggest of the “Big Uglies” in Herman Johnson – offensive line was a definite need for the Cardinals, although tackle and center may have been a higher priority.  This was a value pick, as Johnson ranked #74 on our Big Board – you think Beanie will enjoy running behind Herm?

6^th Round

B            #204 – Will Davis (OLB):  Once again, a priority since Arizona will deploy the 3-4 defensive alignment this year – from day one on our simulations, I had the multiple choice option for OLB.  Although Davis was a bit of a reach (#291 on our Big Board), there was quite a run on pass-rushing hybrids and only one OLB was on the board with a higher grade than Davis when Arizona made the selection.

7^th Round

B+          #240 – La Rod Stephens-Howling (RB):  “Who?”  This pick sent me scrambling, as I graded 450 players on our Big Board and did not have him on the list.  After viewing some clips, I may have made an omission – this young man could be the second coming of Darren Sproles.  He should definitely be a contributor on special teams, a nice pick-up this late in the draft.

A-           #254 – Trevor Canfield (OG):  And another “Big Ugly” that fell in the draft – once again, the need at center and tackle was not filled, but exceptional value as Canfield ranked #115 on the Big Board.

Summary

To arrive at a cumulative score, the 1^st Round was 7 points, the 2^nd Round was 6 points, etc. to come up with a percentage rating to multiply by the average grade for each round.  The Cardinals’ cumulative grade for the 2009 NFL Draft was A-.  Arizona continues its successful turn-around!

Dallas Cowboy Apologist

To grade a team’s NFL Draft immediately after its conclusion is utter folly – I am no more clairvoyant than Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, Mike Mayock or Rick Gosselin.  Three years of a player’s results should be the absolute minimum to even attempt the process.  However, there are two areas that can be analyzed:  1) team needs fulfillment and 2) value of the pick.

The Dallas Cowboys reverted to a draft strategy from 1995 that failed and brought the team to a level of mediocrity for the following ten years – draft back-up, role and special team players.  Please understand, I am not diminishing the value of special teams – I am promoting it, as I believe special teams truly are 1/3 of the game.  My point is the most successful special teams have starters from other platoons, and a “starter’s mentality” or ego or swagger is necessary for team success.  A team should draft players that can earn a starting role via their production on special teams.

Jerry Jones believes he is Bill Belichick – his moves, however, are those of Klem Kadiddlehopper!  For the grades, please click below . . .

1^st Round

F            Roy Williams (obtained in a trade with Detroit) – I started to give an “Incomplete” grade, but on further analysis discovered the following:  the total points for the draft choices used to acquire Williams (1^st, 3^rd, 6^th, less 7^th) equals 1,032.2.  Throw in another 3^rd round choice and you have the points to move up to #10 for Michael Crabtree – or keep the 3^rd, add another 7^th and move up to #19 for Jeremy Maclin.  Now, if either of those rookie wide receivers drafted in the 1^st round had the following statistics in their first year (19 receptions for 198 yards and 1 touchdown), what grade would you give them?

2^nd Round

F            Trade Down – Sean Smith of Utah, who plays both cornerback and safety (1 – team needs fulfillment) and was the 36^th ranked player “regardless of position” on our Big Board (2 – value of pick) was available when the Cowboys were on the clock with pick #51.  (Yours truly thought so highly of Smith that he had a consistent “Grab” placed on him if he were to fall to #51.)  To add insult to injury, the trade with Buffalo netted a 3^rd round pick (#75 – 215 points) and a 4^th round pick (#110 – 74 points) and for all non-math majors reading this blog, a total of 289 points for those 2 picks ends up 101 points shy of the 390 for pick #51.  101 points is the value of an early 4^th round pick!

3^rd Round

C-           #69 – Jason Williams (LB):  Williams may indeed become a starter for the Cowboys on defense and his measurables should make him an instant contributor on special teams; however, the reason he satisfies the team needs fulfillment is due to a 1^st round mistake the Cowboys made on Bobby Carpenter in the 2006 Draft.  Due to Carpenter’s inability to compete for a starting position, Dallas reached for Williams (ranked #103 on our Big Board, 4^th round value), thus not satisfying the value of the pick.

D            #75 – Robert Brewster (OL):  Brewster, like Williams, may become a starting player in the future and as anyone that has read my “Big Uglies” series knows, offensive line should be a need in every draft due to the time required for development.  The value of the pick was even worse than Williams, as Brewster was ranked #261 on our Big Board (7^th round or UDFA value); at the time of the selection, there were 33 offensive linemen on the board with a higher draft grade than Brewster – this is how they use the pick acquired in the aforementioned trade with Buffalo?

4^th Round

B+          #101 – Stephen McGee (QB):  You could question the team needs fulfillment as it applies to the quarterback position for the Cowboys; nevertheless, I would submit that a team needs to have a developmental quarterback on the roster every year.  The position is too important and Ron Wolfe made a living out of drafting quarterbacks every year for Green Bay, if for no other reason than trade bait (see Matt Cassel, New England to Kansas City).  McGee is good value, as his Big Board ranking was #89, and if the Cowboys do employ the Wildcat formation this year, they have their trigger-man.

F            #110 – Victor Butler (LB):  The Cowboys did everything possible to make the trade with Buffalo a catastrophic failure.  Butler is an extremely undersized DE, utilized as a speed rusher in college, and at 6’2” and 248 lbs. it is questionable whether he has the size to play OLB in a 3-4 alignment.  He lacks the speed, agility and instincts to be able to cover in space and is strictly a special teams candidate.  As for value, he was ranked #279 (UDFA) on the Big Board as an OLB for a 4-3 alignment.  At the time of the selection, there were 25 linebackers on the board with a higher draft grade than Butler, including Lawrence Sidbury, Jr. (#72) who the Cowboys brought in for a visit.

D            #120 – Brandon Williams (DE/LB?):  Williams would be an excellent fit as a DE for a 4-3 alignment; however, unless he bulks up by 40-50 pounds, he will not be a 3-4 DE.  Williams does not have the speed, agility or instincts to play OLB, so he will be a situational pass-rusher when the Cowboys employ a 4 man front in their nickel and dime coverages.  The value was not as bad, as Williams ranked #132 on our Big Board; however, the aforementioned Sidbury was still available at this pick as well.

5^th Round

A-           #143 – DeAngelo Smith (CB):  In today’s NFL, cornerbacks are just like closets in a house – you just can’t have too many of them!  This is a position of need for Dallas, even though they drafted Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick last year – keep in mind, they lost Pacman Jones and Anthony Henry during the off-season.  Smith also provides good value, as he was ranked #119 on the Big Board and has kick/punt return ability as well.

A            #166 – Michael Hamlin (SS):  The safety position for Dallas has been an extremely high position of need since the retirement of Darren Woodson.  Dallas signed Gerald Sensabaugh to a one year contract during the off-season, but needs play-makers in both safety positions.  Hamlin was ranked #107 on the Big Board and has a chance to compete for a starting position on defense.

D            #172 – David Buehler (PK):  Here’s a head-scratcher for you – you have a Pro Bowl kicker on the roster and you spend a 5^th round draft choice for a kick-off specialist?  Granted, Nick Folk did not have a lot of touchbacks, but much of that can be blamed on the directional kick-off strategy of the former special teams coach, Bruce Read.  I do not believe the Cowboys are a deep enough team to justify carrying an additional kicker, although Buehler did do more bench presses than many of the linemen at the combine.

6^th Round

C-           #197 – Stephen Hodge (SS/LB):  Too slow for safety, too small for linebacker – let’s hope Hodge can be half the special teams demon that Keith Davis was.  Another reach, as Hodge was ranked #229 on the Big Board.

C+          #208 – John Phillips (TE):  Tight end is not a position of need for Dallas due to Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett; however, since they normally carry only one true fullback, the TE position is utilized in a number of different ways.  Phillips has a big frame (6’6”) that can carry more mass than his current 251 lbs. and is a strong blocker.  The value is there, as his Big Board rank was #189.

7^th Round

A+         #227 – Mike Mickens (CB):  Ditto my previous analogy of cornerbacks and closets – IF Mickens has recovered from his left knee torn meniscus and cartilage damage suffered in Cincinnati’s game versus Louisville, this could be the steal of the draft.  Mickens was ranked #75 on the Big Board and was worth the gamble this late in the draft.

C-           #229 – Manuel Johnson (WR):  Wide receiver may or may not be a position of need, as Dallas has a number of young wide receivers that need to challenge this year.  A small, quick slot receiver is a good call, as all the receivers on the roster are 6’ or taller and weigh in the 200 lb. + range.  The question is value, as his Big Board rank was #347 and at the time he was selected there were 13 higher ranked wide receivers available.

Summary

To arrive at a cumulative score, the 1^st Round was 7 points, the 2^nd Round was 6 points, etc. to come up with a percentage rating to multiply by the average grade for each round.  Any way you slice it or dice it, the Cowboys’ 2009 Draft Score comes out to be a D.  For Cowboy Fans everywhere, let’s hope history does not repeat itself – but I, for one, am concerned!

a) First Pick announced! Detroit selects OT Jason Smith!!

Here’s what you do! Go to the “Grab and Lockout” page, and enter Jason Smith in the grab column with Detroit as the team. Be sure and select the proper position, OT. If you put in the wrong position (say OG), the remainder of Detroits draft will be affected – the model will continue to have high priority on OT. Then go to “Start Simulator” and simulate!

The model thinks St Louis will take Eugene Monroe next

Second pick announced! St Louis picks OT Eugene Monroe!!

Here’s what you do now . . . Nothing! No need to put Monroe on the grab list if he’s the actual selection for St Louis.

c) Third pick announced! Kansas City picks LB Aaron Curry!!!

This actually presents a challenge for you the ODS user. Will Kansas City use Curry on the Inside or Outside. You need to decide.   If you pick OLB34, then the ODS will set the Chiefs OLB34 need to “9” and no further OLB34’s will be chosen. However ILB’s may be chosen according to the team needs priority at ILB, which is pretty high. We think he’ll be an ILB for Kansas City, so that’s what we’ll pick. Go to “Grab and Lockout” and grab Curry for Kansas City with an ILB designation. Run the sim, and we see Seattle is projected to take Michael Crabtree.

d) Fourth pick announced! Seattle selects WR Michael Crabtree!!

As in the 2^nd pick, there is no need to do anything here.

Let’s move along to Cleveland then. You see that the model like Brian Orakpo for the Browns. You are not so sure, you would like to see what the ODS model’s 2^nd choice might be.

ODS Cleveland 2^nd choice: Go to “Grab and Lockout” and put Brian Orakpo on the Lockout list, then go back and rerun the Simulation. This time the ODS’ choice for the Browns is CB Malcolm Jenkins. You think that maybe selection #5 is too high for a CB so you decide to lockout Malcolm Jenkins as well. Resimulate again and this time the ODS has Cleveland taking Everette Brown as the 3rd choice.

e) Fifth pick announced! Cleveland selects Brian Orakpo!

Now we need to go back and clean out the Lockout List. Go ahead and remove Orakpo and Jenkins from the Lockout list and then simulate. Cleveland is back to picking Orakpo. Looking ahead, the model thinks that Cinci may take BJ Raji next, but the P4 is indicative that the Bengals are not getting a key need.

f) Sixth pick announced! A trade!! Denver trades #12 and #48 to Cincinnati for #6. They select QB Matt Stafford!!

(Self-aggrandizing) Well this trade just killed 95% of mock drafts out there. Here’s what you are going to do: go to the “Draft Pick Order” page. Select Cincinnati from the dropdown list on the RHS, then click on “Denver” over in the Round 1 column. Cincinnati will appear there in red. Now go to pick #48 and click on Denver again. Again Cincinnati will appear in red.

Now let’s do Denver: select Denver from the dropdown list, then click on “Cincinnati” in the Pick 6 box in the Round 1 column. Denver will appear in red.

Now go to “Grab and Lockout” , and put Denver in the Grab list along with Matt Stafford. Go ahead and simulate! Looking ahead,  the ODS says that Cinci takes RB Knowshon Moreno at #12,  then OT William Beatty and OC Eric Wood in the 2^nd round.

And so wraps up our first in a series of Draft Day ODS primers. We’ve used most of the ODS tools in this example. Next time we’ll look at the Offensive and Defensive Needs.

Warren Hauck

ODS Specialist

1) On the “Start Simulator” page, there is a checkbox that says “Include Drafttek Baseline Grabs and Lockouts”.  I would just go ahead and keep that checked.  If you un-check it, then all the Grabs and Lockouts from our Team Correspondents will be removed and the ODS will be picking on pure logic.  This is fine and dandy, but you’ll need to remember to uncheck the box each and every time through to get consistent results.

2) The Team Needs – Cleveland has a Priority 2 for CB.  Lets say they select Malcolm Jenkins at #5.  There is no need to go into the team need page and manually change the CB Priority, it will automatically change to Priority 9, unless there is a multiple code.

You can mess with the Team Needs for What-Ifs involving future speculations.  But for actual picks that you’ve entered on the Grab List, no need to bother with the Team Needs.

-Warren

nclude DraftTek baseline Grabs and Lockouts.

nclude DraftTek baseline Grabs and Lockouts.

Matthew Stafford has signed a 6 year, 74 mil (78 w/incentives) contract with 41.7 mil guaranteed.

Congratulations are due to both Matthew Stafford and agent Tom Condon for getting the historic deal done before the draft. All indications are still that a deal had been made in principal with Aaron Curry and if Detroit had been physically on the clock, would’ve selected the Wake Forest LB.

Detroit fans–for the most part–are not happy about two things.

1) Where was the supposed leverage? Condon got just about everything he wanted in this deal. The whole point of talking with multiple picks is supposedly to get the best possible deal.

2) After chants of “Don’t draft Stafford”, the organization that has angered fans with constant skill position picks instead of drafting the BPA has done it again. Lions’ fans have long memories. Stafford is not going into a situation with a lot of fan support.

The mantra of Denzel Washington in “Remember the Titans” was “Be Perfect.” That is my only advice for Matthew Stafford. As of yet, you have not impressed the Detroit fan base, but you will be given every chance to. Speaking for Lions’ fans, I have to say this. We will support you and wish you the best. This is a blue collar town. No one will ever fault you for giving 100%…Make Detroit forget about Chuck Long, Andre Ware, Joey Harrington. Prove to Detroit that Martin Mayhew is everything Matt Millen isn’t. We will not excuse you but we will support you.

Here’s the skinny. Conflicting reports are coming out of Allen Park. Dave Birkett is reporting a deal is done and (team president) Lewand met with Ford today to get a deal done. Tom Kowalski (MLive) has two sources saying that is false. Normally I prefer reading Birkett but Killer is the standard of Lions’ beat reporters. It doesn’t really matter in the end who has the better sources…It could all be a smoke screen.

So once again, nothing has happened. Don’t believe something has happened until you see Stafford/Curry/Smith in a Lions’ jersey.

My take is this. I believe right now, they have made the choice on Stafford but do not want to pay him like he wants to be paid. I believe they are ready to take Curry as well. All things being equal at this point I still believe Curry is the more likely pick because of economics and negotiations. His talent is better and Lewand will argue that Stafford needs to sign with Detroit because he’ll otherwise fall to Seattle or LOTS farther. Stafford/Condon aren’t going to budge.

Stay tuned the actual report should be in the next day or so. Friday at the latest.

UPDATE: 9:30PM

The Lions have a agreement in principle with Aaron Curry but have given Stafford a Friday deadline to come to terms. Stafford IS THE PICK if he meets the Lions at their asking price.