Lions Radio: 'Right Now, It Looks Like Brad Holmes Hooked His Boys Up'

One year after trading Matthew Stafford, the Detroit Lions will now have two first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

However, it appears it is the Los Angeles Rams who are the winners of the trade one year in, having just won the Super Bowl and led by Stafford. The Lions made the commitment to building for the future and have plenty of time to right the ship, but in the present, their trade partner looks to have gotten the better end of the deal.

Stafford finished his first ever Super Bowl appearance 26-for-40 for 283 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. With under 2:00 left, he fired the game-winning touchdown to eventual Super Bowl 56 MVP Cooper Kupp.

The Lions, meanwhile, finished 3-13-1 in their first year under new leadership in general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell. Holmes came to Detroit from the Rams, where he worked in a variety of roles, including scouting.

Speaking on "The Valenti Show With Rico" on the Lions’ flagship radio station 97.1 The Ticket, host Rico Beard said the outside impression is that Holmes may have helped out his former team.

“It looks bad, because Holmes left his former team and looked like he just handed them, ‘You take this, we’ll take this second-round pick from you," Beard said. “It’s not a good look for Brad Holmes. Now, we’ve got to wait to see who that person is in the draft. But, yeah, they lost this trade. As of now, the Rams gave up a second-round pick and a first-round pick next year to win the Super Bowl.”

Filling in for host Mike Valenti, Jim Costa took it a step further by cementing the point that the Lions wasted a special talent in Stafford. In 12 seasons, the Georgia product was 0-3 in the playoffs for Detroit. In his first season out of Motown, he went 4-0 and led the Rams to the top of the metaphorical mountain.

“Matthew Stafford, first year out of Detroit, Super Bowl champion,” Costa said. “Discussion over, debate's over, the Lions wasted him, on to the next one.”

Both hosts agreed there is still time for Holmes and the Lions to hold up their end of the bargain, but this depends on their ability to draft well in April.

The Lions were sent a third-round pick in 2021, first-rounders in 2022 and 2023 and quarterback Jared Goff in exchange for their former franchise quarterback. Goff was up and down, the third-round pick in 2021 became Ifeatu Melifonwu and returns on the final two picks are yet to be seen.

"Right now, it looks like Brad Holmes hooked his boys up," Beard said, near the end of the segment.

How these draft picks turn out will ultimately determine the Lions’ return on the Stafford trade. But, as of right now, the Rams look like the clear-cut winners with Super Bowl rings on their fingers.