Quote:It is important to look at all of the details here. First of all why did the Browns and Rams trade down? The Falcons and Redskins called them, that's why. And those teams gave up the farm, not just two picks like most teams would do, receiving plenty of criticism for trading so much. In other words the Browns and Rams received trade offers that were too good to resist. I don't think they ever planned to trade down before getting weird phone calls.

 

Second, how much did drafting a quarterback with the #1 pick help the Lions, Rams, Panthers, and Colts, who obviously would not be so bad if they needed nothing else and also got new coaches? Maybe not the Panthers, but I know the Lions, Rams, and Colts got new head coaches a few months before drafting new quarterbacks. So all this talk about a new quarterback will fix everything is stretching the truth. That said, it is obvious without new quarterbacks, they would all still have losing records.

 

So let's dig deeper. What other positions did those four teams upgrade the same year they picked quarterbacks or since then? Were they all need-based or BAP drafts?   How many other positions were upgraded since they drafted quarterbacks? We have to look at those things too, not just the quarterbacks who were selected.

 

    Regarding the Lions,  the team was coming off an 0-16 season.   That's all anyone needs to know that one off-season wasn't going to lead to immediate substantial tangible improvement.

 

    In the 2009 Draft,   just focusing on the top 4 Rounds,  in addition to the Matthew Stafford selection with pick # 1,   the Lions also had pick # 20 that season as part of the WR Roy Williams trade to Dallas.   The Lions drafted TE Brandon Pettigrew,  who has been a starter with the team when relatively healthy.   Of late,  Pettigrew has been much more consistent catching the ball.   Blocking has been a strong suit for him for the most part during his time in Detroit.   In Round 2,  the Lions drafted S Louis Delmas,  who has been a major asset when relatively healthy.   Unfortunately,  Delmas missed many games in 2011 and 2012 because of knee injuries.   In Round 3,  the Lions drafted LB DeAndre Levy,   who was a solid player until this season.   In 2013,  Levy leads all LB's with 5 Interceptions and is playing at a Pro Bowl level.   The other 3rd Round pick,  who was acquired in the Roy Williams deal,   was Penn St. WR Derrick Williams.   He was a colossal bust.   In the 4th Round,   the Lions drafted DT Sammie Lee Hill,  who was mainly a good # 3 DT during his stay with the team.   The Lions determined that Hill was too expensive to keep in 2013 as an UFA.   He signed with Tennessee.     In essence,  former Jaguar C.J. Mosley replaced Hill at a much lower price than what Tennessee gave Hill.   Everyone of these 2009 picks call be considered BAP's,   as the Lions had more holes than picks.

 

    The way one should view the Matthew Stafford selection is it wasn't going to pay immediate dividends in terms of taking the Lions from 0-16 to playoff contention.  It's worth keeping in mind that Will James was probably the Lions best CB in 2009.   That illustrates the situation the team was in back then.   The Stafford pick was a long term investment.   The fact that the team went to the playoffs in 2011 as a wildcard with a 10-6 record and the Lions currently being in 1st place in the NFCN with a 6-3 record is in large part because of Stafford.  

 

    Being that the Jaguars have a mega amount of salary cap space,   maybe they can turn things around sooner than the Lions did.    However,  the player the Jaguars draft with their 1st Round selection should be viewed much more for what he can do over the next decade than as a rookie or even in his 2nd season.    It should be a player the Jaguars brass believes would warrant being paid as an elite player when it comes time to negotiate his 2nd contract.

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