Jets Reportedly Inquired With Lions About Trading For Matthew Stafford

What if Matthew Stafford was traded to the Jets this weekend rather than the Rams?

According to one NFL insider, it was briefly a possibility. 

New York checked in with the Lions about their veteran quarterback on Friday, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. It was late in the day, per Breer, long after an assortment of other franchises had reached out.

Detroit circled back with the Jets the next day, but "talks didn't go very far," according to Breer's report.

What the Jets Can Learn From the Rams Trading For Matthew Stafford

The fact that negotiations didn't escalate between two teams isn't necessarily a surprise. New York has plenty of options going forward when it comes to quarterbacks and Stafford wasn't at the top of their list. That said, it's a good sign that the Jets are doing their due diligence, checking in with other teams about available assets just in case a solid deal happened to present itself. 

Stafford ended up going to the Rams on in a trade that sent two future first-rounders, a third-round pick and Los Angeles' quarterback Jared Goff back to Detroit. It's hard not to wonder what the Jets would have offered in a deal for Stafford.

Would it have been something similar? Perhaps a package including at least one of New York's first-round picks from this year's draft along with a later-round selection down the road and 23-year-old Sam Darnold.

The Lions already have the seventh pick in this spring's draft. Have to imagine it would've been tempting to add the second overall selection from New York.

Now that New York held off from going after Stafford, they can continue to position themselves for a different blockbuster this offseason. If they can't land Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans, the Jets will either stick with Darnold or draft a quarterback in the first round.

MORE ON MATTHEW STAFFORD AND DESHAUN WATSON:

• How the Rams trading for Matthew Stafford could impact a Jets trade with the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson
• Deshaun Watson Trade Proposal: Would Three First Round Picks From Jets Be Enough?
• Jets Acquire 49ers' Jimmy Garappolo in This Deshaun Watson Three-Team Trade Proposal

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