After closing last season with a 2-6 record as Matthew Staffordstruggled down the stretch, the Detroit Lions entered the offseason determined to fix their franchise quarterback.
Noted quarterback mentorJim Caldwell has been rebuilding Stafford's confidence, telling reporters that his new pupil has the makings of a championship-level signal-caller.
The Lions have also done Stafford a favor by importing Joe Lombardi to run his version of the high-powered Sean Payton offense in New Orleans.
Reggie Bush, who starred for Payton with the Saints, told NFL Media's Albert Breer on Tuesday that Stafford will "fit in perfectly" with the new offense.
"There is not a lot Matt can't do," Bush said. "I think coach Lombardi's gonna be really good for him. A guy who coached for a great quarterback Drew Brees and under Sean Payton and they've done a lot of great things down there in New Orleans and I was part of that. I think it's going to be a great offense for Matt and it's gonna be a big year for him."
Bounce-back candidates don't get any more obvious than Stafford. One of the NFL's most physically gifted passers, Stafford was a top-10 mainstay on Gregg Rosenthal's Quarterback Index through early December of last season -- when his season crumpled with a subpar receiving corps.
Since the end of last season, the Lions have added veteran second fiddleGolden Tate and hotshot rookie mismatchEric Ebron to complement Bush and Calvin Johnson in a pick-your-poison attack.
We fully expect Stafford to reverse his slide down NFL Network's "The Top 100 Players of 2014" list.
*The end to the latest Around The League Podcast is full of shock and awe. *
