Other Trade Offers for Matthew Stafford Emerge
In this story:
As the dust begins to settle surrounding the Detroit Lions' and Los Angeles Rams' massive trade involving quarterback Matthew Stafford, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer unearthed some juicy information in his weekly MMQB column.
There were plenty of rumors and speculation swirling, as to what other teams offered for Stafford.
Ultimately, the new Lions regime chose to send Stafford to the Rams for two future first-round selections, a 2021 third-round pick and quarterback Jared Goff -- quite the return for the soon-to-be 33-year-old signal-caller.
In Breer’s column, he reports that the Rams, San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts were Stafford’s top choices -- and in that order.
Not that Stafford could nix a trade elsewhere, but the Lions appeared to want to do right by Stafford while maximizing his return. The Lions even had a couple of other favorable options on the board.
Both the Washington Football Team and the Carolina Panthers had their 2021 first-round picks on the table.
The Panthers’ first-rounder is one pick behind Detroit at No. 8 overall, and they were willing to send a late-round pick, as well.
Meanwhile, Washington holds the No. 19 overall pick in the first round, and packaged a third-rounder with it in an attempt to sweeten the deal.
Those two teams were the front-runners for quite a period of time.
Despite the Colts and 49ers being among the favorites in the Stafford sweepstakes for odds-makers, neither ever officially offered a first-round selection in the upcoming draft.
The Colts considered a mix of draft picks and players, but never put the 21st overall pick in the package. Meanwhile, San Francisco never ended up making a formal offer.
© Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
There were discussions at the Senior Bowl between the two teams, and by the time the 49ers circled back on Saturday, it was realized the price tag they were willing to pay was too low, relative to the competition.
Among the other teams interested, the Denver Broncos wanted to swap some picks around with Detroit. They too also realized their proposal would not outmatch what the Lions were being offered.
The Chicago Bears also called. But, for probably obvious reasons (playing in the same division as the Lions), nothing ever materialized between the two sides.
The New York Jets also checked in on Stafford’s price tag, but talks didn’t go too far.
Lastly, it was reported that there was one organization that Stafford didn’t want to join -- the New England Patriots.
Considering ex-Lions head coach Matt Patricia is back on their staff, it doesn’t seem like a coincidence why Stafford didn’t want to go to the vaunted franchise. Bill Belichick was ready to send a second-rounder with a player to Detroit for Stafford.
To add a little more intrigue, the Broncos, Panthers and Bears all offered more than just a first-round pick, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Who you want to believe on conflicting reports is up to you.
All in all, there were plenty of suitors for Stafford's services. Some teams bowed out early, knowing that he was out of reach.
At the very least, the Lions were going to get a first-round pick, plus something more.
Depending on how much value you place on draft picks this season, the Lions receiving two first-rounders -- albeit probably in the latter half of the first-round in 2022 and 2023 -- was the best offer.
Adding a 2021 third-round pick and a young, once-promising quarterback in Goff, the choice was probably an easy one for Lions general manager Brad Holmes & Co. to make.
With where the Lions are at in a rebuild, they need all the future draft capital they can get.
Yes, Goff might have been a salary dump, but the Lions appear to be happy with Goff as their quarterback for at least the near future.
Technically, the trade can't be official until the new year. No matter the case, it actually happened, and it's still a little surreal.
After 12 seasons, the Lions and Stafford are no more.
More from SI All Lions:
Dan Campbell Reveals 'He Prefers a Mobile Quarterback'
Opinion: QB Jared Goff Is Only a Bridge Quarterback
Campbell: 'Why Are They Playing Slow?'
Roundtable: Stafford Era Ends in Detroit
Social Media Reacts to Stafford Trade, Lions Acquiring Goff
Grading Detroit Lions Coaching Hires
Get the latest Detroit Lions news by joining our community. Click "Follow" at the top right of our SI All Lions page. Mobile users click the notification bell. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @DetroitPodcast.
