Matthew Stafford Georgia Homecoming: Rams Super Bowl QB to Falcons?
Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Matthew Stafford left the Peach State 14 years ago as the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Now, there's maybe a chance he could return to quarterback the state's NFL team.
According to NFL insider Michael Lombardi, the Los Angeles Rams have been shopping quarterback Matthew Stafford in potential deals to teams looking for signal callers.
"I know that the Rams have called teams trying to move Matthew Stafford," Lombardi said in an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show."
Could one of those teams on the other end of the Rams' phone calls be the Atlanta Falcons?
With over $66 million in cap space this season, the Falcons certainly have the room to get a deal done. But is it smart on their part to trade for Stafford?
He's guaranteed to make $57 million on the deal even if he doesn't play another down for the team, which would be a huge dent into the team's future for a veteran coming off an injury.
At 35-years-old, Stafford is coming off a spinal cord contusion that limited him to just nine games. And even when he was healthy, he underperformed. He threw for 2,087 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions before landing on Injured Reserve
That being said, the last team that traded for Stafford won the Super Bowl. That's not saying the Falcons would hoist the Lombardi Trophy all because Stafford returns home, but it's an upgrade from what the team currently has with second-year pro Desmond Ridder.
There's a chance the Rams could simply cut Stafford and take on the dead cap just so they can begin their rebuilding process sooner. In that case, acquiring Stafford would be much more reasonable and the Falcons would be able to dictate the price.
While the Rams' logic to move on from Stafford makes sense, general manager Les Snead appears likely to keep his signal caller in Tinseltown.
“We’re going to definitely rely on Matthew," Snead said on Thursday. "He’s definitely one of our pillars. He’s definitely someone we’re going to rely on as we remodel this.”
Regardless of what happens with Stafford, it looks like another quarterback should be on the Falcons' radar.
Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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