Tag: Aaron Curry (Page 4 of 4)

Lions to trade No. 1 overall pick?

March 25, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

Lions’ GM Martin Mayhew says he’s open to trading the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.

When asked specifically about Jay Cutler and if Mayhew would consider trading the top pick for the unhappy Broncos quarterback, he didn’t shoot down the idea.
“We’re open to all options with that pick,” Mayhew said during a break at the NFL Annual Meeting.
“Obviously, it has value to us, and if it has value to somebody else, then we can talk about that.”
On Sunday, Lions president Tom Lewand told Tom Kowalski of Booth Newspapers in Lansing, Mich., that the team was looking forward to discussions with “agents of players we’re interested in.” Speculation elsewhere has identified the Lions’ leading candidate as Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith.

Before Lion fans start doing back flips about the possibility of trading out of the No. 1 slot in hopes to acquire more draft picks and essentially get better value for their selections, trading out of the top spot isn’t like shopping for toilet paper. It’s just not that easy – especially when there isn’t an elite prospect that multiple teams are after. (I know Aaron Curry is a stud, but he’s still not a prospect that multiple teams are going to trip over in trying to trade for the No. 1 pick.)

The last time the No. 1 overall pick was successfully traded was in 2001 when the Chargers dealt the top selection to the Falcons for the 5th overall pick, a third round pick and a second round pick in 2002. But Atlanta wanted Michael Vick and didn’t know if he would slide to No. 5 if they waited. Guys like Curry, Matthew Stafford, Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe aren’t going to garner that kind of attention, so I would imagine that the Lions will still be drafting out of that slot come next month.

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2009 NFL Mock Draft Version 1.0

March 19, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

It would probably be good for me to do an intro to this piece, but I’m going to skip all the foreplay and just get right to the action. And let’s be honest – you probably wouldn’t have read the intro anyway.

Below is my first mock draft of the year. You can disagree all you want, but just make sure you go into detail in the comments section so I know you care. I hate those bastards that trash my work and don’t have the common courtesy to tell me how much of a moron I am in print…

Let’s mock!

1. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
Jason Smith (Baylor), Eugene Monroe (Virginia) and Aaron Curry (Wake Forest) are all possibilities for new GM Martin Mayhew with this pick. But the offensive tackle and linebacker positions are deep in this year’s draft – the quarterback position is not. Mayhew can get his franchise quarterback in Stafford, select an offensive tackle at No. 20 and then fill the middle linebacker need in the second or third round. There, I just fixed the 0-16 Detroit Lions in less than 100 words.

2. St. Louis Rams: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
If Smith goes No. 1 to the Lions, then I fully expect the Rams to take Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe. With the jettison of long-time veteran Orlando Pace this offseason, St. Louis needs to address their need at left tackle and they’ll do so with either Smith or Monroe depending on who’s available. If it’s Smith, then they land one of the most athletic offensive lineman in the draft.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
The Chiefs could really use a right tackle to pair with last year’s first round pick, Branden Albert, but Curry would be too good to pass up here. GM Scott Pioli put a premium on versatile defenders while he was in New England, and that’s exactly what Curry is. The Wake Forest product could play either outside or inside in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme and is easily the best defensive prospect in this year’s draft.

NFL, NFL Draft

2009 Mock Draft 2009 NFL Draft 2009 NFL Mock Draft Aaron Curry Aaron Maybin Al Davis Alex Mack Alex Smith Alphonso Smith Andre Smith Anthony Stalter Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons B.J. Raji Baltimore Ravens Brandon Pettigrew Brian Cushing Brian Orakpo Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears Chris Beanie Wells Cincinnati Bengals Clay Matthews Cleveland Browns Clint Sintim Darius Butler Darrius Heyward-Bey Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Duke Robinson Eli Manning Eugene Monroe Everette Brown Green Bay Packers Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars JaMarcus Russell Jason Smith Jeremy Maclin Josh Freeman Kansas City Chiefs.Knowshon Moreno L.J. Smith Malcolm Jenkins Mark Sanchez Matthew Stafford Miami Dolphins Michael Crabtree Michael Oher Minnesota Vikings Mock Drafts New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets NFL Mock Drafts Oakland Raiders Percy Harvin Peria Jerry Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers Plaxico Burress Rey Maualuga Ron Brace San Diego Chargers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks St. Louis Rams Tampa Bay Bucs Tennessee Titans Tyson Jackson Vonte Davis Washington Redskins

Seahawks trade Julian Peterson to Lions for Cory Redding

March 15, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

The Seahawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson to the Lions for defensive tackle Cory Redding and a fifth round pick according to FOX Sports.com.

The deal raises questions about Detroit’s draft-day plans. The Lions hold the top overall pick and Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry had been suggested as a candidate for that spot.
The Seahawks gave Peterson a $54 million, seven-year contract three years ago after their Super Bowl appearance in Detroit. Peterson became an expensive asset because linebacker Leroy Hill got $8.4 million guaranteed this year with a franchise tag and Lofa Tatupu signed a $42 million contract a year ago.

Peterson will team up with Ernie Sims and give the Lions a solid outside linebacker duo. They still need to find a middle linebacker, however, and now address the hole they’ve created on their defensive line after trading Redding.

As the article suggests, this move probably means that Curry won’t be the top pick. Unless there’s a sleeper candidate out there (B.J. Raji?), the Lions will probably choose between Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford and Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith.

NFL

2009 NFL Draft Aaron Curry B.J. Raji Cory Redding Detroit Lions Ernie Sims Julian Peterson Matthew Stafford Seattle Seahawks

Lions meet with Baylor OT Jason Smith

March 10, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

The Lions recently sat down and talked with Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith.

The Lions took a break from free-agent visits Monday to meet with college prospect Jason Smith, an offensive tackle from Baylor who’s among a handful of players vying to be the No. 1 overall selection in April’s draft.
Smith arrived in Detroit on Sunday and spent most of Monday in Allen Park meeting with front-office officials and coaches.
Teams are limited to 30 private visits at their own facilities before the draft. So the Lions, with five picks among the first 82, including two first-rounders, figure to host other top candidates the coming weeks. Most draft prospects have yet to take part in pro-day workouts at their college campuses.

Despite popular belief, if a team meets with a prospect before the draft it usually is a red flag that they won’t be selecting that player. Obviously that’s not the case every single time, but teams usually don’t like to tip their hand as to which prospects they have their eyes on, so they’ll avoid those players like the plague.

But the Lions realistically have their eye on their players: Smith, Matthew Stafford and Aaron Curry. Now, there could be a sleeper prospect that people are overlooking (Eugene Monroe maybe?), but those appear to be the three players that Detroit is focusing on. That said, it would behoove them to meet with all of those players since they have the No. 1 pick. Nobody selects in front of them in the first round, so it doesn’t make sense to try and throw other teams off. Plus, the Lions have said this entire time that they will negotiate a deal with the player that they will select before the draft. So who knows – maybe Smith is the pick.

NFL, NFL Draft

2009 NFL Draft Aaron Curry Detroit Lions Jason Smith Matthew Stafford

Athlete Profile: Aaron Curry

March 6, 2009 / Jeff Dooley

Aaron Curry, a 6’2″, 250-pound linebacker out of Wake Forest University, has parlayed his physical tools, a great senior season and an eye-opening combine workout to make himself the can’t-miss pick in April’s upcoming NFL draft.

What a difference two years makes.

Back in 2007, Curry returned to Fayetteville, N.C. after a season that saw him finish second in team tackles with 83, only to find out that his mom, Chris, had been evicted from their family home.

After telling his family story during last week’s scouting combine, NFL teams know now that in addition to all of his football skills, Curry is a resilient and family-oriented young man. He says that his no. 1 priority after signing his pro contract is to buy a house for his mom.

Curry’s physical tools are astounding. He’s bulked up to a formidable 250 pounds after weighing under 200 coming out of high school (a big reason why he only received scholarship offers from Wake Forest and East Carolina University – he picked Wake for its academics). He’s a playmaker as much as he is a consistent run-stopping force. During his junior year, he returned three interceptions for touchdowns, bringing back the picks for a school-record of 226 total yards.

In a “three questions” interview with ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert, Detroit Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz (the man helping to decide who the Lions will pick with the draft’s no. 1 overall pick) described Curry’s unique skill set.

“He plays ‘Sam,’ but it was interesting at Wake. He played an on-the-ball ‘Sam’ linebacker, which not a lot of people play anymore. You have to be really strong. But they also put him out in space … almost like a nickel back. Those are two almost mutually exclusive skill sets.”

Curry’s versatility, coupled with his fortitude, athleticism and undeniable playmaking ability has NFL scouts salivating, and in a draft littered with uncertainty, the Wake linebacker is becoming more and more of a hot commodity. For teams picking at the top of the draft that might have reservations about say, Georgia QB Matthew Stafford or Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree, the reliable Curry could emerge as the preferred option.

Regardless of where he lands in the draft, or how fat his rookie contract is, don’t expect Curry to forget about his challenging days after his sophomore year, when he crashed at friends’ houses after learning of his mom’s eviction. He described it as a motivating factor to reporters at the combine.

“Those are the moments you think about in the fourth quarter when there’s a play that needs to be made and you have the opportunity to provide for your family for the rest of their lives.”

The latest on Curry

Almost every draft expert has Curry going in the top 5 picks, although where exactly he will land is up for debate.

SI.com’s Don Banks has him going no. 1 to the Detroit Lions

Todd McShay of ESPN’s Scouts Inc. predicts Curry will be the third pick, going to the Kansas City Chiefs in his Mock Draft for ESPN Insider.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Cleveland Browns taking him at no. 5

Curry on the web

DraftCountdown’s scouting report

Curry’s web diary for SI.com