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Did Lions' Lewand hint team is ready to draft Matthew Stafford?
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If the fans who turned out to greet the Lions new uniforms today can be believed, the Detroit faithful do not want to see Matthew Stafford coming to town.
MLive.com reports that fans chanted "Don't draft Staf-ford" today in a news conference attended by team president Tom Lewand. They also yelled "Cur-ry, Cur-ry," an homage to Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry's chances of being the first player selected overall.
But do Lewand's comments suggest that the team may be favoring Stafford.
"Our sincere hope is that (the fans are) going to be very happy, not only this weekend but, more importantly, a year from now, two years from now, three years from now, when the people we select this weekend are part of that cornerstone of the franchise that we're confident they'll become," Lewand said.
Stafford, an underclassman, may not be ready to start this season. If he's the first player selected, he could sit behind a veteran such as Daunte Culpepper as a rookie.
MLive.com suggested Lewand's comments might be intended to soften fans' apparent preference for Curry, who could make an immediate impact at linebacker.
"If we look at just next year, I think that's short-sighted. I think we have to look at -- whether it's the first pick, the 20th pick, the 33rd pick or the 82nd pick -- you need to look at guys who can come in and contribute long-term for this franchise," Lewand said. "And that's the goal. When we talk about building our franchise through the draft, that's what you look at. It's not the quick fix, it's not who can come in and help immediately - although that's important and you want that, too. But if you look only at that, you're missing the forest for the trees.''
Buzz up!Like this story? Share it with Yahoo! Buzz
If the fans who turned out to greet the Lions new uniforms today can be believed, the Detroit faithful do not want to see Matthew Stafford coming to town.
MLive.com reports that fans chanted "Don't draft Staf-ford" today in a news conference attended by team president Tom Lewand. They also yelled "Cur-ry, Cur-ry," an homage to Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry's chances of being the first player selected overall.
But do Lewand's comments suggest that the team may be favoring Stafford.
"Our sincere hope is that (the fans are) going to be very happy, not only this weekend but, more importantly, a year from now, two years from now, three years from now, when the people we select this weekend are part of that cornerstone of the franchise that we're confident they'll become," Lewand said.
Stafford, an underclassman, may not be ready to start this season. If he's the first player selected, he could sit behind a veteran such as Daunte Culpepper as a rookie.
MLive.com suggested Lewand's comments might be intended to soften fans' apparent preference for Curry, who could make an immediate impact at linebacker.
"If we look at just next year, I think that's short-sighted. I think we have to look at -- whether it's the first pick, the 20th pick, the 33rd pick or the 82nd pick -- you need to look at guys who can come in and contribute long-term for this franchise," Lewand said. "And that's the goal. When we talk about building our franchise through the draft, that's what you look at. It's not the quick fix, it's not who can come in and help immediately - although that's important and you want that, too. But if you look only at that, you're missing the forest for the trees.''
