Matthew Stafford Wouldn't Fit Bears But Others Would
It appears nine or 10 teams have called the Detroit Lions about quarterback Matthew Stafford.
According to an NFL Network report by Ian Rapoport "...almost a third of the league" has contacted the Lions about Stafford and if the Bears are not one of them then they really were wasting everyone's time by saying they had to get the quarterback position right at their postseason press conference.
This is because their goal has to be to leave no stone unturned in their quest to find the right quarterback, whether in free agency, a trade or the draft.
On the other hand, this is one acquisition they'll never make so they should give nothing more than a perfuctory glance at it.
For one, the Detoit Lions are not trading Stafford to another team in the NFC North unless the deal was a complete fleecing. They're not taking the chance of getting burned by Stafford for maybe the three, four or five years he could remain in the league —he's going to be 33 years old in a few days.
According to Rapoport the Lions "...should be able to get at least a first-rounder there from wherever he goes."
This would be a fleecing. Stafford will be 33 years old and has never proven he can lead a team to anything worth having.
There should be one word from the Bears to whichever team consummates such a deal and starts Stafford on opening day: Enjoy.
Stafford's statistics far outweigh his performance. He has eight 4,000-yard seasons and the Bears have none in their history, which often gets tossed out there at Bears fans.
Yet, Stafford has eight 4,000-yard seasons because he's had to have them. Many quarterbacks could do this if they were faced with what he's annually faced. It's not hard to pile up yardage when you're constantly behind in games and trying to throw underneath soft zone coverage.
The Lions have had no defenses and often times no running game. All they've had is Stafford and they've had to constantly throw. Many quarterbacks could pile up big yardage numbers like this, too.
It's often pointed out how Stafford has 31 comeback wins and 38 game-winning drives. If he was better, then maybe they don't need to be making comebacks.
Stafford's career completion percentage is 62.6%, barely better than Nick Foles and below Mitchell Trubisky.
If Stafford has been a QB teams be willing to cough up a first-rounder to get at age 33, how is it that the Bears have beaten him in nine of his 19 starts against them?
They could surely attain a similar record by re-signing and starting Trubisky. In fact, Trubisky's Bears have dominated Stafford's Detroit teams.
This isn't to say Stafford would be on the Bears bench if he came to Chicago. It would depend on who else they had on the roster.
There are more serious veteran options for the Bears who aren't Mitchell Trubisky and could be available via trade or possibly through free agency. These are players who aren't already in their division and wouldn't cost them three first-round draft picks or more like Deshaun Watson.
Sam Darnold
He's had only two-plus years to prove himself because mono took away a big chunk of one season. Because he hasn't done anything of note to date, and the Jets are apparently going to draft a quarterback in Round 1, he should be available for a very reasonable draft pick. His salary isn't a big burden, as it's still his rookie contract. Put him in the mix with Foles and a rookie quarterback. It would be another Matt Nagy reclamation project, much like Alex Smith was.
Alex Smith
They might not need to trade anyone to put him together with his former quarterbacks coach, Matt Nagy. Smith might be cut for cap purposes, and if he wants to continue his career it's hard to see how he'd command a huge asking price after his leg injury. A quarterback room of Smith, Nick Foles and a rookie learning would be far preferable to last year's grouping.
Derek Carr
More mobile and less injury prone than Stafford has been, Carr has been at the peak of his game since he's had better coaching under the Jon Gruden family. He turns 30 this offseason and so he has three years more to give than Stafford. He's also cheaper at $18.9 million a year average cost. If Stafford's 3,759-yard average impresses you, then you'll really like Carr's 3,842-yard average. He's not exactly immobile and has a good friend on the team already in Khalil Mack. Is he even available for trade? For the right price, Gruden would get rid of any quarterback so he could go get a new one.
Matt Ryan
Trading for Ryan would require some creative financing and restructuring like with Foles last year because he's got a cap figure of $40 million for 2021. If they're interested in him, they just need to wait. It's possible he gets cut by the new coaching regime after June 1, although this won't offer extensive savings to a cash-strapped team. It would offer them some savings, though.
Jimmy Garappolo
While Garappolo figures to be more of interest to New England because of his past experience there, he does have Chicago ties. It's where he's from, and he's an Eastern Illinois product like Ryan Pace. Garappolo gets criticized at times and it's difficult to see why San Francisco would want to part ways with him. He has a career passer rating of 98.9 and averages a phenomenal 8.2 yards per attempt. His health, or lack thereof, has been the only issue. Garappolo's deal is not a real problem with some creative financing. He has a base salary of $24.1 million due next season but the magic of prorating bonus money over future years would let the Bears or any other team delay his cap hit for 2021.
Cam Newton
This would appear unlikely even though Newton is likely to be a free agent. After all, if they wanted him they could have signed him last year. His mobility and experience running RPO would be of benefit, but there is a real question about his passer efficiency. Matt Nagy wants it up in the high 90s. Newton's rating last year was barely better than Nick Foles at 82.9. If the Bears want to run that style offense they used last year, though, Newton could be possible option and played for a cap cost last year of only $1.6 million last year.
Tyrod Taylor
A free agent who hasn't been a starter for three years and would be a low-budget approach, Taylor's production was fairly impressive for some losing Buffalo teams.
Odds for Matthew Stafford's Next Team
SportsBettingDime.com
San Francisco 49ers +250
Indianapolis Colts +300
Denver Broncos +350
Washington +500
Carolina Panthers +750
New Orleans Saints +1500
Houston Texans +2000
Pittsburgh Steelers +3000
NY Jets +3300
Chicago Bears +5000
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
