Stafford in Control of Lions' QB Battle?

Sometime in the next month or so, the Detroit Lions will have to decide what to do with rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford, the 2009 No. 1 overall draft pick.

Do they ease him into the rotation, letting him bide his time behind veteran Daunte Culpepper, aiming for 2010 as Stafford's true unveiling? Or do they throw him to the wolves right away, hand him the starting job in Week 1, and let him learn on the go with a rebuilding team coming off an 0-16 season?

At least one member of the Detroit media believes adamantly that the latter option will win out. MLive's Tom Kowalski says that there's no doubt Stafford will be Detroit's starter -- not only because the Lions want to build for the future, but because the former Georgia Bulldog is plenty capable of handling the job.

The kid's a little cocky. He's good, and he knows it. His teammates know it, the coaches know it, the front office knows it and, if veteran Daunte Culpepper is paying attention, he knows it, too.

Culpepper and Stafford are in a battle for the starting quarterback job in Detroit. For now, Culpepper has the No. 1 spot, but he's not going to have it for long.

Kowalski qualifies his statement the ways you'd expect: Culpepper isn't necessarily underperforming, Stafford will probably make a bunch of mistakes if he's the starter, and the Lions aren't going to be very good anyway.

Yet none of that keeps Kowalski from hammering home the idea of Stafford as Detroit's guy.

It's not just Stafford's rocket arm or overall athleticism, which is impressive, but it's his decision-making, quick release, knowledge of the offense, leadership and his overall presence.

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Those who say Stafford should sit and get some seasoning while Culpepper leads the team into the regular season simply don't get it. Or they haven't watched Stafford perform in practice.

Now we're getting down to the nitty-gritty. Stafford has performed admirably in Detroit's offseason workouts, and more than that, his teammates have accepted him as a possible guiding force. If Stafford's progress continues pushing forward in the coming weeks -- and especially in Detroit's first two preseason games -- then it would be pretty hard to keep him out of the lineup.

No offense to Culpepper, but it's not like Stafford is trying to unseat Tom Brady or Peyton Manning.

That said, there are reasons to like Culpepper in this battle as well. As Kowalski points out, Culpepper hasn't done anything to lose the job. He's reportedly shed 30 pounds since last season and is back playing under Scott Linehan, the Lions' new offensive coordinator, and the guy who led Minnesota's offense during the Culpepper-to-Randy Moss glory days. Culpepper's also trying to prove that he's worthy of a new contract, and even a starting spot, come 2010.

The Lions simply have to decide whether Culpepper's ability justify keeping Stafford on the sidelines.

Despite Kowalski's argument, though, it's hard to imagine Stafford claiming the job without a couple of stellar preseason gems. Really, nothing's changed since Detroit drafted him No. 1 with the plan to ease him into the lineup -- other than Stafford's early justification of that pick with his play in practice.

But that's really a win-win for the Lions (yes, Lions and win were just used in the same sentence). If Culpepper maintains his adequate play, and Stafford's ascension continues at a steady pace, then Detroit can enter the regular season with two capable quarterbacks. Maybe you go with Stafford in Week 1 -- maybe you turn it over to him in Week 7.

Either way, the offense is in good hands. If that's the case, even with Stafford showing signs of future greatness, there's still no reason to hurry him into the lineup.