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Duane Burleson / Associated Press
The Los Angeles Rams have struck a blockbuster deal with the Detroit Lions dropping the first domino in this year’s quarterback carousel.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelisserothe Rams sent quarterback Jared Goff, their 2021 third round, 2022 first-rounder, and 2023 first-rounder to the Lions in exchange for quarterback Matthew Stafford. The deal is only official in the new competition year.
After the Rams lost to the Green Bay Packers in the division round of the 2020 playoffs, NFL Network’s Steve Wyche reported that a source told him Goff and head coach Sean McVay needed “marriage counseling.”
McVay and general manager Les Snead had been noncommittal about Goff as their starter for the 2021 season. Now we see why they wouldn’t care about the immediate future of the team.
Goff appeared to peak when he threw for 4,688 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions en route to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2018 season. He was thrown for 42 touchdowns and 29 interceptions in the last two campaigns.
The Rams chose to run for Stafford, who has been dealing with injuries for the past two terms, although he can still swing the ball all over the field and move a little more than Goff in the pocket.
Let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers on the deal.
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Matthew StaffordBen Margot / Associated Press
Matthew Stafford should feel relieved. Last week, he and the Lions agreed to part ways, which opened up discussions for a trade Pelissero.
The Lions moved quickly, and Stafford gets a one-way ticket after 12 seasons with a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since 1992. Although he has made three post-season trips with the club, Detroit has not been able to have a complete team around him.
For the most part, Stafford had to put the offense on his shoulders. He played with just one 1,000-yard rusher – Reggie Bush in 2013 – and one defensive unit scoring in the top 10.
Stafford will join a club that secured a playoff berth in three of the four seasons under McVay, who has also carried out a top-10 ground attack in three campaigns. In 2020, the Rams finished with the top-scoring defense under former defense coordinator Brandon Staley, who accepted the Los Angeles Chargers’ head coach job earlier this month.
Still, with two star backs in cornerback Jalen Ramsey and defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Stafford probably doesn’t need to score more than 30 points to win games. He gets an additional attack and a decent defense.
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Jared GoffAssociated Press
In Los Angeles, the wheels quickly fell off the Jared Goff train. Two years after a Super Bowl performance, the Rams cut ties with him after consecutive inconsistent seasons.
In 2020, Goff threw for 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In December, he broke his right thumb and was out of the Week 17 game against the Arizona Cardinals. John Wolford started and led the Rams to victory.
While Goff was allowed to play against the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round, McVay chose to start Wolford, who went down early in the game with a neck injury. Los Angeles won the game, but some wondered why Goff didn’t start when he was healthy enough to pass for the game.
The Rams foreshadowed their decision to turn the page about Goff’s tenure as starting quarterback. Now he’s going to a franchise that’s in rebuild mode. Off-season, the Lions hired general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell to take over Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia, respectively.
Goff will try to reinvent himself under a freshman full-time head coach with a franchise that hasn’t had playoff success for nearly three decades.
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Sheila Ford Hamp, the main owner of Detroit LionsPaul Sancya / Associated Press
Brad Holmes rose into the ranks of the Rams organization, working his way from a scouting assistant to the director of scouting in college. He signed a five-year contract with the Lions to oversee what appears to be a remodel.
Holmes is familiar with Goff, who selected the Rams in 2016 with the # 1 overall pick. He will also purchase premium draft picks to refresh the roster in the coming years.
The Lions faced an aging quarterback with two years to go for a good price. Detroit will have two first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, and Holmes could use that concept capital to fill in blanks in the roster or pack them up to move up for a quarterback.
As we go into the 2021 campaign, the Lions have a solid placeholder with the quarterback in Goff. If he’s not the man, the front office can change course because of the future journey. After the 2022 campaign, Detroit could release Goff and save $ 23.9 million in cap space, per Over the Cap.
If the Lions make early design choices, the franchise could take a positive turn in the coming years. More importantly, Detroit has flexibility because of the compensation it received for Stafford.
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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle ShanahanRoss D. Franklin / Associated Press
The San Francisco 49ers lost twice as a result of this blockbuster deal.
For starters, the 49ers were believed to have an interest in Stafford, according to NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco, and NFL analyst Chris Simms believed the veteran quarterback would have fared well in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s (h / t Maiocco) system.
“Him in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, to be totally sincere and honest about that, yeah, I think Kyle could kind of rein him in to take away some of the mistakes,” said Simms. “That can be a very dangerous offense.”
In 2020, 49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo fought an ankle injury and struggled through six games, throwing seven touchdown passes and five interceptions, so we shouldn’t be surprised at the team’s willingness to find an upgrade on the position.
The 49ers missed Stafford and will see him in the division twice a year as the starting quarterback for the Rams.
San Francisco might have a shot at a quarterback like Deshaun Watson if the Houston Texans decide to trade him, but that could come at a much higher cost now that the market has been established, leading us to our final winner.
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Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun WatsonEric Christian Smith / Associated Press
The Lions swapped 32-year-old Matthew Stafford, whose impending break with the team became public. Yet Detroit was able to recoup a third round and two first-rounders for him.
Deshaun Watson asked for a trade before the Houston Texans hired head coach David Culley, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. But Texan’s new general manager, Nick Caserio, isn’t interested in moving Watson, according to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop.
Nevertheless, he could potentially land a huge deal for a dynamic 25-year-old quarterback on the rise. In 2020, the Texan quarterback registered 4,823 passing yards with 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions on a 4-12 squad.
Watson helped lead the Texans to the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. He’s also a triple Pro Bowler. Stafford has only earned that award once in 12 campaigns.
The Texans are getting many offers for Watson this low season. With the Lions package for Stafford, Houston can raise the bar for their disgruntled signaler. Caserio could easily push for three first rounders and a starter in return for his franchise player.