What will the Detroit Lions do about their quarterback depth in 2020?
Option 4: That #3 overall pick.
Why they might: People are concerned about Stafford’s health. While the franchise appears as committed to Stafford as he’s been for them, there is also still that vocal minority of fans who want the team to move on after a decade of ups and downs.
There are also plenty who are really excited about Tua Tagovailoa and think he’s a can’t miss franchise-altering prospect who will finally vault the Lions into contention. It’s not clear where Bob Quinn stands on that viewpoint, which is for the best as he weighs his choices with the potentially precious #3 scratch-off ticket in April.
Drawbacks: No matter how good Tua is, the team isn’t going anywhere next year or in three years with him alone, whether at starter or backup. Especially if it means forsaking a potential game changer at another position when you already have a very good quarterback for five more years if he’s protected.
Add to that, any injury concerns about Stafford should be just as great if not greater as it relates to Tua. A bad ankle sprain and gruesome hip injury put him out for much of 2019, and it’s anyone’s guess how he comes back from surgery and holds up next year and beyond.
Likelihood: Fairly low, but considering the Lions’ draft history, it’s hard to rule anything out.
Others to keep an eye on: Joe Burrow (LSU) if he inexplicably falls to the third pick. Justin Herbert (Oregon)
Which is the best option?
Of course we can’t know that answer right now, but I can say pretty confidently that the worst one is doing nothing and heading into 2020 with the same lack of depth at quarterback. If it were my call to make, I’d be heavily considering taking a QB in the second or third round of the draft, as well as scouring the free agent market for a good deal on a young-ish veteran.
dark. Next. Matthew Stafford at 40,000: 40 memorable moments
Nothing against Jeff Driskel or David Blough, but 0-8 is 0-8 any way you slice it, and neither performed when the game was on the line. As for the 3rd pick in the draft, I don’t see how a team that supposedly wants to win immediately could go and make that call, no matter how good you think Tua will be.