| 18 July 2010
The local beat writers have a hard job covering the Lions. It's even harder during the summer down time, when there isn't much in the way of actual "news" to report.
Drew Stanton catching 40 winks...holding a clipboard takes it out of you!
We saw an example of their struggling to say something relevant on Sunday. We saw a pair of the beat guys write pretty much the same article, about the same player...while telling us something long-suffering Lions fans have known for quite some time.
Hill, a backup quarterback acquired in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers, recently extended his contract through the 2011 season. That means that Stanton, currently Detroit's No. 3 quarterback, will likely be playing elsewhere after this season.
Tim Twentyman at the Detroit News:
But when it comes to re-signing Stanton, I get the sense the Lions are ready to admit that it was a mistake to take the Michigan State product in the second round of the 2007 draft, and they'll likely try to develop another young prospect or sign another veteran to play behind Stafford and Hill in 2011 -- if there's football in 2011.
Really? Drew Stanton is not likely to be a member of the Detroit Lions after this coming season? Breaking news...this is not.
Matthew Stafford is the clear number one. Shaun Hill is locked in as his backup for the next two seasons. Drew Stanton is...well, he's a total afterthought who doesn't have a future with the Lions beyond 2010...or even past this coming training camp.
Actually, I've been saying Stanton doesn't have a future with the Lions for the last year. So has every other Lions blogger...and fan...and MSU grad...and NFL talking head...and pretty much anyone else who knows even a little about the NFL. It's beyond obvious Stanton doesn't have a role on this team other than running the scout team during the week, and looking stylish in a baseball cap on Sunday afternoons.
Stanton still has the stench of Matt Millen all over him, which is a big reason the clock is ticking on his remaining time in Detroit. The fact he's done little of note when given the opportunity is a bigger reason. Remember his first and only NFL start against the Niners last December? If you don't, it's likely due to your performing trepanation upon yourself.
Need to forget the past decade of Lions football? Trepanning should do the trick!
The pug ugly numbers Stanton put up (11-21-130-0 TD-3 INT-31.9 rating) against the Niners sealed his fate, and nailed his ass to the bench for the rest of the season...and for what little time remains of his Lions career.
Drew Stanton was the wrong quarterback, taken by the wrong franchise, run by the wrong GM, coached by the wrong offensive coordinator, all at the wrong time.
The Lions are now fixing the multitude of mistakes made during that era full of wrong. One of those mistakes happens to be drafting a local kid who's just not cut out to be an NFL quarterback...of which the Lions must take much of the blame.
The previous regime, led by the crazy as a loon Mike Martz, did their damnedest to screw with Stanton's mechanics and mindset. Let alone their letting him rot on IR after suffering a minor knee injury during his rookie training camp, just so Martz could have his pet project J.T. O'Sullivan as the backup. If anything can be blamed for ruining Stanton's career, it was his being given the mushroom treatment as a rookie.
He's never recovered, though it can be argued it wouldn't have made a difference if Stanton has been left alone by Millen's coaching minions.
Stanton may yet prove to be, at the very least, a capable NFL backup. Too bad it was never going to happen in Detroit...even if the beat guys are just writing about it now.
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