What Does Jonathan Stewart Cost?

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Published on October 21, 2011

Thursday night between watching the World Series and helping my wife decide what she's wearing to my nephew's Baptism this weekend I tweeted this:

KCPayne26 Kevin Payne
Gonna throw this out there - If JBest was woozy after Sunday's game, why not send a third round pick to get JStew from Carolina? #NFL #Lions

I got an answer, from my esteemed colleague, Chris Liss. Here it is:

Chris|UNDER|Liss Christopher Liss
@
@KCPayne26 you think a third rounder would get it done?

This was something of a surprise as I was discussing Jonathan Stewart, not someone like Jay Cutler, Alfonso Soriano or Randy Moss. Here are the tweets that followed:

KCPayne26 Kevin Payne
@
@Chris|UNDER|Liss Yes!He'll want a new contract next season n Car didn't re-sign DWil to make Stew #1. Cond-Lloyd 5th rd,Mason 7th rd,Evans 4th rd

KCPayne26 Kevin Payne
@
@Chris|UNDER|Liss Being honest a third rounder was generous, unless you were inferring that was too much.

Chris|UNDER|Liss Christopher Liss
@
@KCPayne26 usually the team with the need overpays, not the other way around.

KCPayne26 Kevin Payne
@
@Chris|UNDER|Liss Outside of Palmer, who has overpaid so far? No one.

Chris|UNDER|Liss Christopher Liss
@
@KCPayne26 right, but the Broncos announced they were moving Lloyd in advance. Jets didn't want Mason, Ravens didn't want Evans.

Chris|UNDER|Liss Christopher Liss
@
@KCPayne26 those were borderline cuts. When a team is using a player and doesn't want to move him, it typically costs more.

@KCPayne26 Kevin Payne
@Chris|UNDER|Liss But Stewart would have commanded higher than a third round pick from a team that barely uses him and will need a big contract?

Chris|UNDER|Liss Christopher Liss
@
@KCPayne26 you realize he was drafted 13th overall, and he's 24 years old?

KCPayne26 Kevin Payne
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@Chris|UNDER|Liss Yes. Then why did the brass give that much guaranteed to DWill? These aren't smart ppl. Thus they don't think much of Stewart.

Chris|UNDER|Liss Christopher Liss
@
@KCPayne26 Don't know why they gave dwill all that dough. Don't know how the pyramids were built, either. But doesn't mean js avail cheap.

First off, I respect Chris' opinion. I realize I could be way off here but it has perplexed me why the Panthers didn't put one of their running backs on the open market at the trade deadline. Maybe in the offseason or before the trade deadline next year they can acquire more than a third round pick, I totally get that. But maybe not and a third round pick now helps them in 2012-2013, when they could be a playoff contender with some added help to the defense.

As far as this season, more teams should have been calling Carolina, teams that could use a legit running back – Cincinnati, Denver and Detroit to name a few. Detroit has a legit chance to not only make the playoffs this year but do some damage. However, since Barry Sanders (I call it the curse of Sanders) they have not had a legitimate force at running back and I think they missed a golden opportunity to acquire one.

The argument between Chris and I isn't if the Lions should have inquired about Stewart and made a play for him, it's rather would a third round pick have gotten it done. What do you think? And for the record the more I've thought about it this week, I see Keiland Williams (25-years-old) making more of an impact than Maurice Morris (smaller and 31-years-old).

Finally, you can follow Chris on Twitter @Chris|UNDER|Liss and myself @KCPayne26.