Schwartz: It's 'paramount' that Lions find a quarterback - but how?
DANA POINT, Calif. -- The NFC coaches met the media for breakfast Wednesday as the NFL owners' meetings concluded, and with his team holding the No. 1 pick in the draft, Lions coach Jim Schwartz had a healthy audience around his table.
Reporters from across the country tried to pin him down on what the Lions will do -- or at least gain a little insight -- and Schwartz continued to give colorful answers without tipping his hand.
Schwartz again called quarterback the most important position, but emphasized there were many ways to get a quarterback. He again said everything is make-or-break with the No. 1 pick, but said he didn't want to play it safe, either. As general manager Martin Mayhew has, he declined to talk about the Lions' needs.
What is Schwartz's response when people say the Lions need to take a quarterback?
"I think that's paramount," Schwartz said. "We need to find a quarterback. I've been on the record saying quarterback is the most important position on the team. But there's a lot of different ways to get that quarterback. ...
"I think what's important is that you do have a guy. We need to be long-term at that position. We need to have a guy that's that guy."
Schwartz referenced his news conference during his second interview for the Lions job, when he was asked what he would do with the No. 1 pick and he said: "It's probably time to find a replacement for Bobby Layne." The Lions have had only one Pro Bowl quarterback and one playoff victory since they traded Layne to Pittsburgh in 1958.
"It was a little bit tongue in cheek, but it also sort of played to what you said: You need to find that guy," Schwartz said. "Lot of different ways to skin that cat, though."
So will the Lions play it safe at No. 1 and take a left tackle or linebacker?
"I might go for it on fourth-and-one every once in a while," Schwartz said. "I don't know if safe is part of the criteria for the No. 1 pick. You want to feel comfortable with the guy and things like that, but I don't think that when you look at that, you say, 'Hey, look, this is safe.' Safe choice, a little bit, sounds like compromise."
http://www.freep.com/article/20090326/spor...rback+-+but+how?
DANA POINT, Calif. -- The NFC coaches met the media for breakfast Wednesday as the NFL owners' meetings concluded, and with his team holding the No. 1 pick in the draft, Lions coach Jim Schwartz had a healthy audience around his table.
Reporters from across the country tried to pin him down on what the Lions will do -- or at least gain a little insight -- and Schwartz continued to give colorful answers without tipping his hand.
Schwartz again called quarterback the most important position, but emphasized there were many ways to get a quarterback. He again said everything is make-or-break with the No. 1 pick, but said he didn't want to play it safe, either. As general manager Martin Mayhew has, he declined to talk about the Lions' needs.
What is Schwartz's response when people say the Lions need to take a quarterback?
"I think that's paramount," Schwartz said. "We need to find a quarterback. I've been on the record saying quarterback is the most important position on the team. But there's a lot of different ways to get that quarterback. ...
"I think what's important is that you do have a guy. We need to be long-term at that position. We need to have a guy that's that guy."
Schwartz referenced his news conference during his second interview for the Lions job, when he was asked what he would do with the No. 1 pick and he said: "It's probably time to find a replacement for Bobby Layne." The Lions have had only one Pro Bowl quarterback and one playoff victory since they traded Layne to Pittsburgh in 1958.
"It was a little bit tongue in cheek, but it also sort of played to what you said: You need to find that guy," Schwartz said. "Lot of different ways to skin that cat, though."
So will the Lions play it safe at No. 1 and take a left tackle or linebacker?
"I might go for it on fourth-and-one every once in a while," Schwartz said. "I don't know if safe is part of the criteria for the No. 1 pick. You want to feel comfortable with the guy and things like that, but I don't think that when you look at that, you say, 'Hey, look, this is safe.' Safe choice, a little bit, sounds like compromise."
http://www.freep.com/article/20090326/spor...rback+-+but+how?
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