Well, there it is. The first big trade of the NFL offseason. Matthew Stafford is finally out of Detroit, but maybe not to the team we thought he’d go to. On Saturday night, Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, with Jared Goff, two future firsts (2022 - 2023), and a third round draft pick.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I really like Matthew Stafford and I’m glad he’s finally out of the hell hole known as the Lions organization, but that is a lot to give up for him.
Usually when you see trades like this, you’ll see the team who is giving up the wanted player throw in a nice little third or fourth round pick or something. In this case, the Lions just gave up Stafford and got three picks and Jared Goff in return.
That being said, ever since Sean McVay and Les Snead have been with the Rams, they have been very Bill Belichick esc in trading first round picks. So much so that the Rams don’t have a first round pick until 2024!
You didn’t trade for Deshaun Watson or Aaron Rodgers, you traded for Matthew Stafford.
Now, I get the reason for the Rams throwing first round picks around willy nilly. The Rams are expecting to be competing for Super Bowls, so these first round picks, in theory, don’t mean a lot to them. But, what if this doesn’t work out? Then you’re stuck in the Houston Texans situation, which no one wants to be in.
I think the Rams are a much better run team than Houston, which isn’t saying a lot, so I don’t think this’ll hurt them too bad in the long run like it did when Houston traded for Laremy Tunsil and traded away DeAndre Hopkins.
Along with willingly trading first round picks, the Rams have also not been scared to flash the check book for their once star players, with Goff is the most recent loss for the Rams in regards to these big contracts.
Others who were given big contracts post that Super Bowl appearance, in Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks, were cut and traded away.
It’s pretty safe to say the extensions given to these once cornerstone players blew up in their face. Todd Gurley was given a four-year $60 million contract, Cooks a five-year $80 million contract, and Goff was given a mouth watering four-year $134 million contract. As I said above, Gurley was cut and Goff and Cooks were traded.
So Goff is out and Stafford is in. Again, I really like Matthew Stafford, but I do not think he was worth what the Rams gave up. Two firsts, a third, and Jared Goff, that’s a lot to give up for Stafford.
Now, is Stafford an upgrade on Goff? Yes, I believe so. Is Stafford an insane upgrade on Goff? No, not necessarily.
I do think Stafford has a better arm than Goff, but he’s six years his senior and has not won a Playoff game in his two attempts in the Playoffs. I am well aware he played for the Lions, but though he’s the reason the Lions won games and were in games, he was also the reason (sometimes) they lost games.
Stafford is in a very similar mold to that of Philip Rivers. A tough as hell quarterback who doesn’t want to miss games and will put up a lot of passing yards, but can force the ball trying to win games, which, again, put the Lions in some precarious situations, similarily to Philip Rivers.
For the Lions, I like this trade. I like that they got a few future firsts, though they probably won’t be extremely high picks, they’re still first round picks, which carry value.
I know the Detroit Lions fans aren’t thrilled by the fact they got Jared Goff, but dude is a good quarterback and has not only Playoff but Super Bowl experience (something Stafford does not have), and though he has regressed since that Super Bowl loss to New England.
As I said in my last quarterback post, “a few years ago, the recently moved Rams drafted Jared Goff with the number one overall pick. A year later, they went 11-5 and the next year they went 13-3 and got to a Super Bowl. A year after that, the Rams signed Goff to a massive four-year $134 million contract, with $110 guaranteed. Everything seemed to be going up for the Rams and Goff. It seems that may have all changed.
Ever since that Super Bowl year, you could see the relationship between Goff and HC Sean McVay has started the way a little bit. The two years since the Super Bowl the Rams have gone 9-7 and 10-6, only making the Playoffs once out of those two years.
The year after the Super Bowl, Goff led the league in pass attempts. In both years since the Super Bowl his touchdowns went down from 32 to 22 and 20 and the interception numbers have gone up from 12 the Super Bowl year to 16 and 13 the next two years.”
For those who don’t know, the Lions current GM, Brad Holmes, was a part of the Rams organization when the Rams drafted Goff with the number one overall pick, so there’s a relationship there and a knowledge of Goff on a little deeper level.
For the Rams, I like that they got Stafford, but I think they may have given up a little too much to get him. This is the kind of trade you make for a quarterback like Deshaun Watson. With the Rams making this trade, what’s Watson’s worth now?
For Stafford, this is by far the best overall team he has been on. The Rams have great weapons outwide, a running game, a decent o-line, and the number one ranked defense from a season ago. Stafford, in his time in Detroit, had good weapons on the outside, they just never had a running game, with only one thousand yard rusher in his time with Detroit, in Reggie Bush.
Because of the Lions lack of rushing attack and defense, Stafford's numbers may have been boosted a little bit. I'm not saying Stafford isn't a baller, but no defense and no rushing attack usually causes quarterback numbers to go up because they're more than likely losing the game. i.e. Jameis Winston in Tampa Bay. (I'm not comparing Stafford with Winston, I think Stafford is way better, but they're comparable situations)
I also like this for the Rams because of the fact they got a lot of money off their books. Again, $43 million guaranteed for Goff over these next two seasons. Now, I don’t know how much the Rams will be absorbing of that, if any, but it’s still a dub for the Rams by getting a majority of that off their books.
I think both teams are winners here. Though the Rams gave up a LOT for Stafford, he is an ugrade at QB. If I had to make a prediction for each team right now (Feb. 1), I'd probably guess the Rams go 11-5 and the Lions go like 5-11 or 6-10. Regardless of who their QB is, the Lions will struggle.
Again, I like Matthew Stafford, and apparently McVay was fixated on him, but it’s not an insane upgrade on what they currently have. Yes, it’s an upgrade, but I’m not throwing the Rams into the Super Bowl just yet.
(also, do you know how many times we are going to see the Stafford/Clayton Kershaw graphic, good lord...)
Editors Note;
With Stafford going to the Rams, that leaves the Colts job open. The most logical QB for the Colts is Sam Darnold. I think the Jets and Danrold need a divorse, and I think the Colts and Frank Reich could really help save Darnold's career by providing him with a great o-line, a running ganme, decent weapons on the outside, and a good defense.
Frank Reich once compared Darnold to Wentz. As we know, Wentz was best under Reich. Maybe Darnold can be the 2017 verison of Wentz that could've won the MVP. I think Darnold in Indy just makes too much sense not to happen.
Other QBs who could go to Indy; Jimmy Garoppolo, (maybe) Matt Ryan, Tyrod Taylor (bridge guy), Jacoby Brissett
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