The New York Giants' release of linebacker Aaron Curry prompts our now-annual reminder of the murky top of the 2009 draft.

As longtime readers might recall, we had a vigorous and largely inconclusive debate about whom the Detroit Lions should select with the No. 1 overall pick. There was a loud cross-section of fans who wanted Curry. Some hoped the Lions would fortify their offensive line with Baylor left tackle Jason Smith. And while quarterback is always a popular choice, not everyone was sold on whether Georgia's Matthew Stafford was worthy of that draft positioning.

Stafford hasn't convinced everyone yet, at least based on the continuing debate about his mechanics. But the Giants were Curry's third team in five years, and you wonder if there will be a sixth.

Smith, meanwhile, was traded last season by the St. Louis Rams to the New York Jets. He spent part of training camp this summer with the New Orleans Saints before he was released. He has since re-signed with the Jets, officially his fourth team change in five years.

The 2009 draft was an especially brutal exercise for many teams. But I'm not sure any of us anticipated that two of the three players the Lions were considering at No. 1 overall would be clinging to their NFL lives just five years later.