Read Sports Geek’s argument that the New York Giants wide receiver battle is the year’s best training camp battle and Bleacher Fan’s argument that the Browns quarterback situation is the most fascinating battle looming in training camp .
Guys and gals, we hope you have enjoyed this week’s round of debates. We’ve enjoyed bringing them to you. As you can tell by our topics this week, the three of us are very excited about the upcoming football season, both professional and college football. Yes, we all love baseball. We also all support three different teams passionately, which makes for interesting behind the scenes chatter. But, nothing gets our juices flowing like those fall weekends!
Today, we are discussing which training camp battle promises to be the most intriguing. After some deep thought (yes, I go there occasionally), I have decided that the quarterback battle up in Detroit between rookie Matthew Stafford and veteran Daunte Culpepper is the league’s best.
Let’s recap the situation if you are not familiar. Stafford, of course, was the number one pick in this year’s draft. He played his college ball at the University of Georgia. Prior to being drafted, he agreed to a six year deal worth up to $78 million – with $41.7 million being guaranteed. (Whether or not NFL draft picks receive too much money is definitely a debate we will look at in the future.)Scouts are mixed on him, and there’s actually some question as to who will be a better NFL quarterback. Will it be Stafford or New York Jets first round pick Mark Sanchez? Stafford, without a doubt, has a cannon for an arm. It’s something that allowed him to get away with suspect footwork and inconsistent accuracy in college. That’s not going to happen in the NFL. Nonetheless, he is the future of the Detroit Lions organization and quite possibly the present.
Culpepper played for the Lions last year after signing with them mid-season. He suffered a shoulder injury that cut short his season, but he appears ready to go in 2009. Culpepper is a former star quarterback, having made the Pro Bowl three times earlier this decade with the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career and he has been floating around the past few years (with a mini-retirement mixed in at the beginning of the 2008 season.) He’s thrown for over 23,000 yards in his career, so there’s no doubting his past credentials. But, he’d be the first one to tell you he is not what he was in his prime with the Vikings.
This also is not really going to be a dirty battle. Both guys appear to get along. Both are saying all the right things in public. Stafford has put in the work over the summer, but then again, so has Culpepper. Let’s face it… a lot of things are up for grabs with the Lions. Coming off a winless season, no one’s job is really safe. With a new coach in Jim Schwartz, everyone is essentially going to starting fresh.
I know this is off the radar a little. The only reason this battle would get any attention is because of Stafford’s status as a number one pick. What Detroit is going to have to decide is do they want to throw Stafford right into the fire and learn on the fly with a bad team (like Indianapolis did with Peyton Manning) or do they want him learning behind an experienced veteran like Culpepper? No matter what, it will be interesting to see how it turns out.
Posted by Loyal Homer 
