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The mystery is over, the Lions will take Matthew Stafford with the number one overall pick.  Stafford agreed Friday night to a six-year $78 million contract with $41.7 million guaranteed money.  To put it into perspective, Matt Ryan signed a six-year, $72 million deal with $34.75 million guaranteed.  Experts debated who they though the Lions, the first 0-16 team in NFL history, would take with the first overal pick to help their team.

The Lions desperately needed a quarterback and taking Stafford was a very smart move.  The Lions will continue to rebuild with another first round pick, 20th overall, as well as a second round pick and two third round picks.  Stafford will formally be taken on Saturday when the Lions are on the clock. 

Stafford is ready to start in the NFL but the Lions will most likely sit him behind veteran quarterback Dante Culpepper as he has done well in team workouts this offseason.  Sitting behind a veteran in this league only helps rookie quarterbacks and will allow Stafford to come in and take over the team and become the face of the franchise in Detroit.

The focus of the Draft now turns to the St. Louis Rams, who have the second overall pick.  Sources have said the Rams have purchased a plane ticket for Mark Sanchez to arrive on Sunday, the day that the Rams will introduce their first round pick.  If this move isn’t a ploy, this could be a sign the Rams will be looking for quarterback help as well.  Many think the Rams desperately need a left tackle, but they have addressed that need with moving right tackle Alex Barron over to the left.  They will probably take an offensive tackle later in the draft but takeing Sanchez get’s them set up for years to come.

The Detroit Lions are finalizing contract negotions with their number one overall pick in this years NFL Draft.  The Lions are dealing with Tom Condon and Ben Dogra,  who represent Matthew Stafford and Jason Smith, and have not said who that person would be.  Many sources are saying it would be Stafford.  Smith would be their choice is contract negotiations fell through with the Staffor camp.  Sources say negotiations could be finalized as soon as Wednesday night.

If the Lions take Matthew Stafford, he will most likely be second to veteran QB Dante Culpepper as he has shined quite a bit this offseason.  Stafford would probably be giving a chance to compete for the starting gig, a job that most experts agree he is ready for.

Once the pick is all wrapped up with their giagantic contract, the focus will turn to the holders of the second pick, the St. Louis Rams.  The Rams are expected to take an offensive tackle, Jason Smith or Eugene Monroe, with the pick.  The Rams have moved Alex Barron from right to left tackle and have liked what they’ve seen.  This move allows the Rams to look at possibly taking Aaron Curry, linebacker, or taking the second best available quarterback Mark Sanchez.  Unlike the Lions, the Rams will most likely not sign their pick pre-draft and will not make it available until the Commissioner walks across that stage to the podium.

The Detroit Lions, holders of the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft coming this weekend and an NFL first 0-16 season, unveiled their new logo and uniform changes Monday.  The Lion is now more defined and has teeth, something management is hoping their team with have this upcoming season.  Subtle changes to the logo as well as an italicized slant to the name are changes the organization hope to improve the outlook of their struggling team.

“We will consistently present the Lions as a first-class organization with a clear sense of mission and direction,” Lions president Tom Lewand told the team website. “We have made several significant changes this offseason in accordance with that commitment. The introduction of this new brand identity is another element of that process. Today is an exciting and historic day for this franchise.

“The new identity retains many important aspects of our history in terms of our primary mark and our colors. However, the evolution allows us to present our Lions brand and visual identity in new, versatile and distinctive ways. We stand firmly committed to improving the team on the field. That success is always the most determinative factor of any NFL brand.”

Detriot will make the first overall pick Saturday, April 25th.  See who they pick this weekend here.