QB Matthew Stafford will be in Allen Park on Monday when the Lions open their off-season program, as he has almost every other day since the end of last season's 4-12 finish.
Stafford always has been a diligent worker, but in his first few years in the league he spent large chunks of time rehabbing in Florida, or in his native Texas or adoptive Georgia training the winter away.
This year, he has made it a point to stay local, working out at the Lions' facility, meeting with coaches and general manager Martin Mayhew, even helping woo running back Reggie Bush in free agency.
"There is not a guy that's done more for this franchise in this off-season than Matthew Stafford," president Tom Lewand said at the team's town-hall meeting last week. "The guy's been in the building every day. He's been living here the entire off-season. He's been working out, he's helped us recruit free agents, he's been involved on a daily basis in trying to get ready for the season, and he would do anything to help us be successful."
This can only help Stafford's relationship with his teammates. It's good to see him focused and in a leadership role after the Lions' disappointing season. He'll be a nice value in the middle rounds as the last few fantasy QB1s start to fall off the board.
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