Here’s Your Paycheck Mr. Stafford…

*From the Associated Press*
DETROIT — Quarterback Matthew Stafford agreed to a six-year deal with the Detroit Lions, who will make him the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft today, his agents told The Associated Press last night.
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Tom Condon and Ben Dogra, who both represent the Georgia star, said the Lions will pay Stafford $41.7 million guaranteed and up to $78 million altogether.

Quarterback Matt Ryan, the No. 3 pick last year by Atlanta, got a six-year, $72 million deal with $34.75 million guaranteed.

Stafford’s guaranteed money tops the record of $41 million the Washington Redskins gave free-agent defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth two months ago.

Detroit desperately needs a quarterback to help turn around the NFL’s first 0-16 team, which has had the worst eight-year stretch in the league since World War II. Stafford was a three-year starter at Georgia.

Courtesy of the Associated Press

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Lions Negotiating With Stafford…

From Jon Clayton, “Negotiations between the Detroit Lions and Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford have intensified but as of Wednesday night there was no deal, multiple sources said.

The Lions want to have a deal in place for the draft’s first selection before Saturday, and they have narrowed their focus on Stafford, Baylor tackle Jason Smith and Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry. Curry’s agents met with the Lions in Detroit over the weekend and left with confidence they would be able to work out a deal with the Lions.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Lions focus turned to Stafford, who has indicated he would love to play in Detroit. According to sources, the Lions and Stafford’s agents Tom Condon and Ben Dogra were exchanging proposals Wednesday night with hopes of reaching an agreement.

Figuring out the right contract numbers remains critical. Last year, Condon and Dogra negotiated a five-year, $57.5 million deal for tackle Jake Long, who was drafted No. 1 by the Dolphins. They also got Matt Ryan a a six-year, $72 million deal when he was drafted No. 4 by the Falcons.

Because quarterbacks receive a premium salary because of the value of their position, Stafford would be expected to make more than Long, but it may be hard for the Lions to top the Ryan contract by much.”

– John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com

Courtesy of ESPN

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SportsGuru’s 2009 Mock Draft Part I…

With the 2009 NFL Draft looming, I figured I’d hop on the bandwagon and do my own mock draft…take a look below… Part I includes picks 1 through 10…

#1 Pick – Detroit Lions

And with the #1 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions choose……Matthew Stafford out of the University of Georgia. Stafford is a QB with tremendous arm strength and football saavy. He and Calvin Johnson, Megatron, should get along just fine. With some quick development, Stafford can make a Matt Ryan-esque impact in Detroit in the next two years. As long as Detroit focuses on the defensive end of the ball, the Lions should see quick improvement. They may not win 6 or 8 games, but anything’s better than 0-16 right?!? A deal should be in place for Stafford by Saturday’s draft starting time…

#2 Pick – St. Louis Rams

And with the #2 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams choose……Jason Smith out of Baylor University. Smith is a stud Left Tackle that fits perfectly into St. Louis’ current void (it is enormous) on the left side of their offensive line with the recent absence of Orlando Pace. This pick makes perfect sense. The Rams should do anything to help out Steven Jackson who has taken a beating over the past few years with no run blocking in the trenches. Save the man some body parts St. Louis…

#3 Pick – Kansas City Chiefs

And with the #3 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs choose……Aaron Curry out of Wake Forest University. Curry is a highly touted Outside Linebacker out of a much improved 2008 ACC. Dominant in the middle of the field, Curry will help bolster the lack of defensive skill that K.C. currently has. That way, the Chiefs can keep Matt Cassel on the field…

#4 Pick – Seattle Seahawks

And with the #4 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks choose……Mark Sanchez, Quarterback, out of USC. There is tons of speculation as to what Seattle will do with this pick, but there shouldn’t be. Though they have some holes on the defensive end, Seattle needs somehow who can stay healthy and provide a future for Bobby Ingram, TJ Whosyourmomma and company. Yes, Hassleback has some left in him, but he’s getting older and has been recently injury prone. Having Seneca Wallace as your backup isn’t the brightest spot a team could have. Take a shot on Sanchez and let him at least learn for a year or two before taking the reigns from Hassleback. No reason not to here…

#5 Pick – Cleveland Browns

And with the #5 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns choose……Michael Crabtree out of Texas Tech University. The highest praised WR in the ’09 draft, Crabtree can fill Donte Stallworth’s role in the receiving core alongside Braylon Edwards and hopefully a Brady Quinn-led offense this year. If the Browns are smart, they can take some pressure off of Joshua Cribbs to be a go-to-all-the-time offensive weapon. Worst case scenario, if the Browns pull the trigger and actually get the guts to trade Edwards, Crabtree can quickly step into the #1 role and make an immediate impact. DeShean Jackson prototype anyone?!?…

#6 Pick – Cincinnati Bengals

And with the #6 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals choose……Andre Smith out of the University of Alabama. This Offensive Tackle is one of the missing links in protecting Carson Palmer’s life in Cincy. With so much talent, Palmer’s ability gets erased having only a second or two every down to get rid of the ball, let alone accurately and effectively down the field to Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson. It’s about time Cincy decided to help out the Palmer-Johnson connection. This addition has been a long time coming and has lots of upside…

#7 Pick – Oakland Raiders

And with the #7 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders choose……Eugune Monroe out of the Grape, the University of Virginia. Monroe is an excellent OT with great footwork and suprising speed off the line. With DMac, Darren McFadden, in the backfield, anything to open up holes in the running lanes is a plus for ‘Da Raidazzzzzz…..

#8 Pick – Jacksonville Jaguars

And with the #8 and most intriguing pick in the First Round of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars choose……Jeremy Maclin out of Missouri. This Tiger set all kinds of Conference Records as only a freshman and provides an addition to a much needed hole alongside newly-acquired Torry Holt at the WR position. Many say that the Jags will take Sanchez, if he were still here, but that makes no sense. If they were smart, the Jags would fit in Maclin here and then draft Sam Bradford next year in the 2010 draft. They have too much invested in David Garrard already. WR works here…

#9 Pick – Green Bay Packers

And with the #9 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers choose……Brian Orakpo, a monster out of the Hook’em Horns University of Texas. Orakpo is an explosive pass rusher that will tag team with Aaron Kampman in Lambeau for a dangerous sack combination. Orakpo has lots of upside and scouts absolutely love his footwork, strength, and ball hawking ability. He’s addicted to the gym and seemingly gets bigger by the day. All this is great news for an ineffective Packer defense…

#10 Pick – San Francisco 49ers

And with the #10 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers choose……Clay Matthews out of USC. Matthews would be a surprise to go this early but like many other teams, the 49ers need a better pass rush. Who better here than Matthews who can also cover ground against the passing game? Considered gritty and field-smart, Matthews will get playing time right away and could also fill in at the Defensive End position if necessary…

New Lions Logo, Same ‘Ole Lions…

On Monday afternoon, the Detroit Cubs….I mean Lions, revealed their new 2009 NFL Team logo. What’s the difference from the old logo? Well, after further review…just the addition of teeth to the Lion in the actual logo. Not too exciting…and no more intimidating. Though they are the “Lions,” Detroit certainly has not scared anybody in years (If this were the Wizard of Oz, the famous saying would now only be “Tigers and Bears Oh My!”). Shoot, to boost ticket sales and bolster their offense, they should do anything they can to bring Barry Sanders out of retirement.

Courtesy of foxsports.com

With a new logo, the Lions’ organization is hoping to have a new swagger and new results out on the football field. After likely signing Matt Stafford during Saturday’s 2009 NFL Draft, the Lions will indeed make an improvement at the Quarterback position. However, let us not forget, they can’t stop anybody on defense! The Stafford-Megatron Calvin Johnson connection will likely be fun to watch….until they score and Detroit ends up on the other side of the ball. Good luck Detroit, hope that new logo does a lot for you this year…I wouldn’t bet on it…

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Let’s Take A Ride On The Cutler Carousel…

Spinning….spinning….spinning…..dizzy yet?!? Well, I think the people of Denver and the rest of us NFL fans are. Jay Cutler, JUST PICK SOMEBODY! If Cutler comes out and says that he wants to play somewhere, HE’LL GET WHATEVER HE WANTS! Why? Because though he’s a crying baby, he still has an absolute rifle for an arm and is 13-1 when his defense gives up 21 points or less. That’s not too much to ask now is it defense? He’ll be a winner (and a pain in the locker room) if he goes to anyone who faintly knows how to defend an opponent.

As of now, everyone on earth is speculating as to what will happen with Cutler and which team will give up some assets to get him. Let’s play out a couple of scenarios…starting with my Jaguars, of course…

If Washington makes a play for Cutler…

Daniel Snyder will do it, don’t test him. Though he should already be starting Colt Brennan, the Skins will finally relieve themselves of Jason Campbell and their first round draft pick for their “new” franchise quarterback. How many times have we heard that? Shuler, Rypien, Frerotte, geez. This would just be great for the media…and Snyder’s reputation.

If Cleveland makes a play for Cutler…

Cleveland, say goodbye to Brady Quinn. Quinn and the Browns’ 1st Round pick will be trade material for Cutler. The NFL’s pretty boy finally gets a starting nod and Derek Anderson officially becomes a backup or gets an outright cut by the Browns. Cleveland, can you exist with Cutler AND Lebron James?

If Detroit makes a play for Cutler…

Matt Stafford, welcome to Denver. In order for the cubs (they’re certainly not good enough to actually be called Lions) to get Cutler, they’ll likely swap him for their #1 draft pick. If so, Stafford flies to Colorado instead of Michigan after Draft day.

Now, there’s word that Denver wants TWO FIRST ROUNDERS for Cutler?!?!?!? Are you kidding me? He’s good, but not that good. But you know what this means…Daniel Snyder will be the only owner stupid enough to give up that much to go get him. I’m sorry Redskins fans, but unfortunately your “boss in the booth” has this reputation and just simply isn’t that bright. Be honest…all he is cash and he’s ready and willing to throw it around…whether it makes sense or not. If Snyder has any inklin he can give up his franchise to go get Denver’s QB, he’ll do it without thinking twice…until he realizes in two years that it hasn’t worked out and that he sacrificied the organization to do so. Sound familiar Mr. Snyder?

Where the carousel will stop, nobody knows…for now. But isn’t it fun to speculate on ridiculous scenarios? I think so. Why? Because no one’s ballsiest enough to actually do it in the National Football League…