Detroit Lions Weblog

MLB Buster Davis Released By Colts, Stafford Wows at Private Workout

Lions fans traditionally attach themselves to players each year that they believe possess talent and, given the team’s long-time lack of legitimate front office credibility, often second guess each player’s eventual ouster from the organization for years to come.

Recent examples of this type of player, whom the Lions eventually passed upon, would be players like RB James Mungro, MLB Buster Davis, DE Bill Swancutt, WR Shaun Bodiford, LB Johnny Baldwin, OL Clint Stickdorn and DE Claude Harriott, etc. Each of these players have showed brief, tantalizing glimpses of promise, usually during the Lions pre-season games.

Regarding Davis, he has been recently released by the Colts and one has to wonder, would the Lions give him another look, despite his failure to deliver upon any of his promise as a former high draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions still have a need at the linebacker position, even if they eventually select LB Aaron Curry with the first overall pick on April 25th.

Matthew Stafford was given a private workout by the Lions coaching staff today. Here are Coach Jim Schwartz’s thoughts on the value of this workout, as opposed to Stafford’s recent pro day.

“We can direct it,” Schwartz said. “We can tell him exactly what to do on a play. We can make him throw into the wind. We can say, ‘Hey these are the throws we want to see.’”

Apparently, the initial reaction to Stafford’s workout was very favorable. Reports indicate that Stafford “wowed” the Lions staff, which consisted of Schwartz, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, and quarterbacks coach Jeff Horton, among others.

Sources described Stafford, as “flawless” according to SI.com, stating that “it was significantly better than his March 19 pro-day workout.”

The Lions had Stafford make a number of throws which all pro QB’s must be capable of making and others were drawn from within the actual Lions playbook. Stafford completed 37 out of 40 passes in today’s workout.

The Lions did reportedly briefly speak to Stafford about “aiming” his passes, “which negatively affected his accuracy.”

According to SI.com:

“Overall, the Detroit brass was very complimentary about Stafford’s work today. The Lions praised his overall passing mechanics and the way he threw the ball”

Many of the observers who attended the workout were given the impression that for the Lions, after the interview process, draft combine, where Stafford set a record with his Wonderlic personality test score, pro-day workout, and now his private workout for the team, drafting Stafford first overall was now a “done deal”.

We’ll see. The endless kvetching and hand-wringing is nearing it’s end. Stafford has certainly made the Lions final decision, despite many Lions fan overwhelming wishes to the contrary, very difficult as the next three weeks are about to transpire.

Will Stafford be holding a newly rolled-out, brand spankin’ new design, Lions “1″ jersey on April 25th? With each passing day, my gut feeling is yes.

Now the 900 lb. elephant in the room remains, how will the Lions, if they eventually choose to select Stafford, which will probably make a large segment of the fan base very unhappy, address their offensive line situation.

I am of the belief, despite any of the Lions thoughts internally, that if you are going to select Stafford, that you had better place an absolute priority upon either drafting a left offensive tackle prospect, or even better yet, in my opinion, pursue and acquire this massive, yet discontented Pro Bowler, Jason Peters.

Peters can block out the sun. He would provide Matthew Stafford with the blindside protection necessary for him to enjoy a legitimate shot at success, rather than him being cast to the wolves, or Bears as it were, like his predecessors usually have been.