Stafford Files

Excuse me! Ummm over here! Hey, Hey, look over hear. Stafford, Stafford listen up quickly its not to late! I did some research! Stafford Stop!!!!! Someone send this to Stafford, NOW! Tell him to wait and see if the Lions turn it around like the Falcons or Dolphins and don't have the number one pick!

Stafford here is a quick, but excruciating look at the history of the Lions. This is also for any dawgs fan looking forward to an "alumni" going pro, especially as the number one pick.

Stafford, this starts in 1989. However, I jump a year ahead. In 1990 the Lions drafted Heisman winner Andrea Ware, great, sounds like a club who drafts winners. Well, Ware was ranked by ESPN as the number one Heisman BUST! Wondering what that has to deal with you Stafford, look at the history of this franchise that could pick you.

1989 Lions draft USC draft pick QB Rodney Pete, who was selected ALL-ROOKIE football digest. In 1989 Lions also drafted a small running back named Barry Sanders and DB Ray Crockett. Looks like the Lions have established a great foundation. Seems like a franchise that would support your strong arm and surround you with a strong running game you are accustomed to.

That brings me back to Andrea Ware, one year later after drafting Pete, the Lions drafted that Heisman winner Andrea Ware. WOW, back to back great draft picks right? Woops, I forgot to mention that Ware was a quarterback. So back to back years Lions draft a quarterback. Reminds me of a time were we drafted consecutive Wide Receivers. Oh, Hey Lion fans, did you know that Scott Mitchell was drafted in the same year by the Dolphins.

Stafford, Mitchell was a Free Agent Lions brought in after a remarkable year he had filling in for Marino. Lions fans and his performance ran him out of town, well, I shouldn't say ran (by the way Lions drafted Rob Hinckley three picks before Mitchell, which was the same year we drafted Ware, yeah right, who cares).

Now, we have two young quarterbacks biding for playing time. But guess what the Lions do after a couple years, they bring in Eric Kramer (not drafted by Lions, but a FA) and he ends up guiding them to the playoffs. Our QB's of the future are warming benches now. Did I mention our second round pick the year before ('92) we brought in Kramer was Jason Hanson, Lions kicker to date. Stafford, you catching a clue yet? Not yet, okay, hold on.

Lions next quarterback pick before the sixth round doesn't come to Rutgers quarterback Mike McMahon (didn't have a college winning record) in 2001. Then go back to the 1999 draft where Lions passed on Culpepper, who is the number one quarterback on the Lions roster now!

Stafford I hope you aren't thinking well I am going to change that. The reason I say that, the Lions drafted Joey Harrington in 2002, the year after McMahon. Now with two young QB draft picks on their depth chart again they go and draft some skill players. The Lions draft Michigan State's Charles Rogers and USC Mike Williams. Not to mention Roy Williams WR and RB Kevin Jones. Last time they did that, Barry panned out but QB's didn't.

Williams squared gone! Jones and Rogers gone! So Stafford as you can see the Lions will try and support you with some skill players. But if they don't work out, they will go and draft you a back up or a kicker.

Then Lions did it again in '05, by drafting QB Dan Orlovsky, Dawg fans or Stafford if you don't know who he is just You-Tube his name. He is running out of bounds to get safetied against the Vikings.

Convinced to be the number one pick yet? I forgot to mention they drafted Drew Staton a couple drafts back in the second round after Orlovsky and Harrington. Did I mention Stafford the Lions also have Drew Henson on the depth chart. He played with Tom Brady at UofM and for the Yankee's. He was cool till Matt Cassell came around and actually played well in the NFL.

As you reportedly said it was okay to be drafted by the Lions. Think! You will be joining a roster with a former second round QB pick from '07, fifth round QB pick in in 05' and FA Drew Henson and Culpper. That roster doesn't have the '02 first round QB pick on it anymore. See, Stafford you don't fit.

You don't even have to throw a pass, run a 40, lift a weight, take a test or anything to see you don't fit in Detroit. If you want the money then fine! If you want to play then no! The Lions have never surrounded a drafted QB with skill players or skill players with a drafted QB. If they don't like you after a year or two they have proved to draft another QB!

I am not a Sam Bradford or a Tim Tebow fan or even hope they become Lions. Yet, for your own sake Stafford, if they stick around another year in college, the Lions wouldn't blink an eye at drafting one of them. Even if you are on the Lions depth chart.

Stay Stafford! Not because I am a dawg fan, because I am the farthest from. I am not even a fan of the QB's mentioned prior. I am a Lions fan and I'd hate to see anyone else suffer!