One of the teams with some informed interest Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions quarterback, is the Los Angeles Rams. The dots between the two are pretty easy to connect.
New GM Lions Brad Holmes and GM assistant Ray Agnew worked at the Rams three weeks ago. Los Angeles needs a better quarterback than Jared Goff to have a better chance of winning the heaviest NFC, or at least Rams head coach Sean McVay and GM Les Snead seem to hold that belief outward.
Finding out a trade between the two teams generates a lot of breaks in the lines connecting these points. Highlights are Rams ’current quarterback and salary cap situation with Goff.
Goff’s contract is a monster of an irresponsible coup. He has money guaranteed for the next two years, which makes the Stafford deal – once the highest in the league – seem like a huge change. Goff costs more than $ 40 million in fully guaranteed salaries and bonuses in both 2021 and 2022.
The Rams don’t have much to offer outside of Goff. Los Angeles doesn’t have a first-round pick in 2021. The Jaguars have the result as a result of Jalen Ramsey’s trade, a swing play for the fences that has borne much fruit. As a playoff team, the Rams also pick later in each round. His first pick on the 2021 NFL draft doesn’t reach number 57 overall.
They could have additional third-round options to deal with once the compensatory selections come out, but that’s not the kind of return the Lions figure would get for Stafford from other contenders. If other teams offer a first-round option as is largely expected, it’s hard to see the new regime shortening just to deal with a family team.
The acquisition of Goff, which led the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance a few years ago, would at least temporarily solve the Lions QB dilemma created by the Stafford trade. But Brad Holmes and his teammates can surely do better than treat Stafford with the Rams.