Matthew Stafford traded to Rams for two first round picks; Lions bring in Jared Goff
The first blockbuster deal of the offseason has occurred: Matthew Stafford has been traded to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two first round picks, a third round pick, and quarterback Jared Goff. Detroit will receive Los Angeles’ 2022 first, 2023 first, and 2021 third along with Goff. Reportedly, there were seven teams interested, but Stafford’s preference of wanting to play in California, and the Rams offering multiple future first rounders, essentially outweighed the other teams’ offers. Since this trade was agreed to “in principle,” it will not officially process until the start of the new league year on March 17th, where the Rams’ journey to potentially hoisting the Lombardi will begin.
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Stafford’s Wish is Fulfilled:
Stafford, who will turn 33 years old on Super Bowl Sunday, is a prolific passer who threw for 26 touchdowns and for 4,084 yards compared to ten interceptions last season. While many considered the Lions to be a train-wreck as they fired head coach Matt Patricia mid-season, Stafford battled through several injuries while managing to start in all 16 games. His new team in Los Angeles will definitely appreciate him, as five straight seasons of average quarterback play from former signal-caller Jared Goff ultimately held the Rams back from winning a Super Bowl as they were only able to score three points in their only trip to the big game in the past decade, despite having an array of playmakers in Todd Gurley (free agent) and Brandin Cooks (now with Houston), and defensive standout Aaron Donald.
What this means for the Rams:
At this moment, the Rams are in win-now mode as they have dealt all of their first round picks from the previous five seasons, and do not possess a first until 2024, indicating that they will likely be compromised in terms of young talent, so trading for Stafford would have to be the final piece to their puzzle as they continue to make their quest to win their second Super Bowl. Los Angeles can thank newly hired GM Brad Holmes, who directed the trade and ironically, he was formerly the Rams’ director of college scouting, so creating a significant deal with his former team would likely infuriate teams such as the Colts and Football Team, who also are in win-now windows with a need for competent starting quarterback play to pair with their well-built defenses. However, of the teams shopping for Stafford, the Rams were the most ready to win a title as they already had the number one ranked defense in terms of yards per play (4.6) and total yards (4,511). While also only allowing a minuscule of yardage, the Rams ranked second in points per game allowed at 19.3, narrowly behind Baltimore (18.5 PPG). Meanwhile, the offensive side of the ball will receive a major boost as the Rams front office has now paired Stafford with the likes of Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, a prominent pass-catching duo, alongside exceptional running back Cam Akers who just broke out into a star runner by tallying over 90 scrimmage yards in five contests last season.
What this means for the Lions:
Lions fans have every right to be frustrated with the organization, as losing your star gunslinger and former number one overall pick completely shatters the outlook for Detroit next season. Considering that the Lions failed to provide Stafford with consistent weapons and even average defenses, Detroit fans should in fact be disappointed in the way his tenure ended in the Motor City, as pairing poor ownership from the Ford family and questionably letting go of veteran coach Jim Caldwell after the 2017-2018 season ultimately set the stage for Detroit to fail their fans, as hiring former New England defensive coordinator Matt Patricia crumbled the team’s attitude as he was unable to build a culture in his three seasons with Detroit. However, the Lions received a massive return for Stafford, as two future first round picks (along with already possessing the number seven overall pick for 2021) will certainly help bolster the team’s youth, and while having Jared Goff as your starter isn’t anything to get excited about, it gives you a low-end bridge option until Detroit drafts the eventual heir to Stafford. Overall, Detroit deserves a round of applause for bringing in an influx of high draft picks, but essentially being incapable of creating a playoff-caliber roster for Stafford outside of three seasons (out of 12) had to be disappointing for the long-corrupt franchise.
Trade Grades:
Los Angeles Rams: A-
Detroit Lions: B-
Editor’s Note: Statistics were provided by Pro Football Reference and TeamRankings.