Brian Damage
05-04-2009, 08:48 PM
Apparently, Lions G.M. Martin Mayhew has added “coach” to his ever-growing list of responsibilities.
We say that because, on Sunday, Mayhew said that Daunte Culpepper would be the starting quarterback if the season were starting now.
“He’s got a lot of ability, and I anticipate that if we had something to do today, Daunte would be the guy today,” Mayhew said. “But we’ve got a lot of time to work, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Look, we know it’s the Lions. We know they have a history of doing things that aren’t all that smart. And we recognize that, in the grand scheme of said things that aren’t all that smart, this isn’t a very big one. But, in our view, it’s further evidence of a deep and profound problem with the organization.
Mayhew should know, in our view, not to inject potential meaning into a meaningless statement. Unless there’s a game today, there’s no reason to say who would be the starter at any position.
Also, and as noted above, the depth chart isn’t for the G.M. to determine — it’s for the coach.
But let’s give the Lions the benefit of the doubt, for a change. Maybe Mayhew believes that Culpepper needed a boost, given that he reworked his contract earlier this year under the assumption (justified or not) that he would get a fair crack at being the starter.
But no amount of verbal massaging from Mayhew changes the fact the Lions paid $41.7 million in guaranteed money to Matthew Stafford as the first overall pick in the season after both of the first-round quarterbacks became day one starters.
As several league sources have expressed to us since the draft, the Lions have no choice but to put Stafford on the field. They drafted him in the hopes of selling tickets to a stadium at which they suddenly can’t sell enough of them, and thus they need to use him, just like the Falcons and the Ravens did in 2008 with their brand-new quarterbacks.
What’s the worst that can happen? 0-16? Hey, it’s like getting into a hot bath; after 2008, the Lions and their fans should be used to it.
So, right or wrong, look for Stafford to be the starter on the day that the season starts. And if Culpepper doesn’t like it, he’ll have to take comfort in the fact that, on a day in early May, he would have been “the guy.”
http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/real_scouts/entry/view/23771/lions_mayhew_qb_culpepper_would_start_now
We say that because, on Sunday, Mayhew said that Daunte Culpepper would be the starting quarterback if the season were starting now.
“He’s got a lot of ability, and I anticipate that if we had something to do today, Daunte would be the guy today,” Mayhew said. “But we’ve got a lot of time to work, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Look, we know it’s the Lions. We know they have a history of doing things that aren’t all that smart. And we recognize that, in the grand scheme of said things that aren’t all that smart, this isn’t a very big one. But, in our view, it’s further evidence of a deep and profound problem with the organization.
Mayhew should know, in our view, not to inject potential meaning into a meaningless statement. Unless there’s a game today, there’s no reason to say who would be the starter at any position.
Also, and as noted above, the depth chart isn’t for the G.M. to determine — it’s for the coach.
But let’s give the Lions the benefit of the doubt, for a change. Maybe Mayhew believes that Culpepper needed a boost, given that he reworked his contract earlier this year under the assumption (justified or not) that he would get a fair crack at being the starter.
But no amount of verbal massaging from Mayhew changes the fact the Lions paid $41.7 million in guaranteed money to Matthew Stafford as the first overall pick in the season after both of the first-round quarterbacks became day one starters.
As several league sources have expressed to us since the draft, the Lions have no choice but to put Stafford on the field. They drafted him in the hopes of selling tickets to a stadium at which they suddenly can’t sell enough of them, and thus they need to use him, just like the Falcons and the Ravens did in 2008 with their brand-new quarterbacks.
What’s the worst that can happen? 0-16? Hey, it’s like getting into a hot bath; after 2008, the Lions and their fans should be used to it.
So, right or wrong, look for Stafford to be the starter on the day that the season starts. And if Culpepper doesn’t like it, he’ll have to take comfort in the fact that, on a day in early May, he would have been “the guy.”
http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/real_scouts/entry/view/23771/lions_mayhew_qb_culpepper_would_start_now