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Duane Burleson / Associated Press
The Los Angeles Rams struck a highly successful deal with the Detroit Lions that brought down the first domino on this year’s quarterback carousel.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Rams sent quarterback Jared Goff, his choice of the third round in 2021, the first round in 2022 and the first round in 2023 to Lions in exchange for quarterback Matthew Stafford. The deal will not be official until the new year of the league.
After the Rams’ defeat by the Green Bay Packers in the 2020 divisional playoff round, Steve Wyche of the NFL Network reported that a source told him that Goff and coach Sean McVay needed “marriage counseling”.
McVay and general manager Les Snead did not commit to Goff as a starter for the 2021 season. Now, we see why they did not attribute the immediate future of the team to him.
Goff appeared to be reaching his peak when he pitched for 4,688 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions en route to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2018 season. In the past two campaigns, he was launched to 42 touchdowns and 29 interceptions.
The Rams chose to pivot for Stafford, who has dealt with injuries in the past two periods, although he can still throw the ball across the field and move a little more than Goff in his pocket.
Let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers in the business.
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Matthew StaffordBen Margot / Associated Press
Matthew Stafford must be relieved. Last week, he and the Lions agreed to part ways, which opened discussions for an exchange, for Pelissero.
Lions changed quickly, and Stafford gets a one-way ticket after 12 seasons with a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since 1992. Although he made three postseason trips with the club, Detroit was unable to put a team together complete around it.
Most of the time, Stafford had to put the offense on his shoulders. He played with just a 1,000-yard rusher – Reggie Bush in 2013 – and a defensive unit that ranked in the top 10 in scoring.
Stafford will join a club that has secured a place in the playoffs in three of the four seasons under McVay, who has also played in the top 10 in attacking the ground in three campaigns. In 2020, the Rams ended with the highest scoring defense, under former defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who accepted the position of coach for the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this month.
Still, with two star defenders in cornerback Jalen Ramsey and defender Aaron Donald, Stafford probably won’t have to score more than 30 points to win games. He will have a quick complementary attack and a decent defense.
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Jared GoffAssociated Press
In Los Angeles, Jared Goff’s train wheels fell off quickly. Two years after a Super Bowl appearance, the Rams severed ties with him after inconsistent consecutive seasons.
In 2020, Goff launched for 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In December, he broke his right thumb and missed the team’s game in Week 17 against the Arizona Cardinals. John Wolford started and led the Rams to victory.
Although Goff was released to play against the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round, McVay chose to start Wolford, who suffered a neck injury early in the game. Los Angeles won the competition, but some wondered why Goff didn’t start if he was healthy enough to prepare for the game.
The Rams foreshadowed their decision to turn the page on Goff’s tenure as a full-back. Now, he goes to a franchise that is in rebuild mode. In the off-season, Lions hired general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell to replace Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia, respectively.
Goff will try to reinvent himself under the command of a full-time first-year coach with a franchise that has not been successful in the playoffs for nearly three decades.
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Sheila Ford Hamp, principal owner of Detroit LionsPaul Sancya / Associated Press
Brad Holmes rose through the ranks with the Rams organization, progressing from scouting assistant to university scouting director. He signed a five-year contract with Lions to oversee what appears to be reconstruction.
Holmes is familiar with Goff, whom the Rams selected with the No. 1 overall choice in 2016. He will also acquire premium draft options to renew the list for years to come.
The Lions negotiated with an elderly quarterback with two years left in their business for quite a while. Detroit will have two choices in the first round in 2022 and 2023, and Holmes could use that draft capital to fill in the gaps in the squad or pack them up to become a quarterback.
Going into the 2021 campaign, Lions have a solid space as a quarterback in Goff. If he is not the guy, future draft choices allow the front office to change course. After the 2022 campaign, Detroit can release Goff and save $ 23.9 million in cap space, for Over the Cap.
If Lions make initial draft choices, the franchise could take a positive turn for years to come. Most importantly, Detroit has flexibility due to the compensation it received for Stafford.
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Head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Kyle ShanahanRoss D. Franklin / Associated Press
The San Francisco 49ers lost twice as a result of this successful business.
For starters, the 49ers were believed to have an interest in Stafford, according to NBC Sports Matt Maiocco, and NFL analyst Chris Simms believed that the veteran quarterback would have done well on coach Kyle Shanahan’s system (h / t Maiocco ).
“Him on Kyle Shanahan’s offense, just to be totally real and honest about it, yes, I think Kyle could control him a little bit to eliminate some of the mistakes,” said Simms. “This can be a very dangerous offense.”
In 2020, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo struggled with an ankle injury and fought for six games, throwing seven touchdown passes and five interceptions, so we shouldn’t be surprised by the team’s willingness to find an upgrade in position.
The 49ers lost Stafford and will see him in the division twice a year as a full-time Rams defender.
San Francisco may have a chance for a quarterback like Deshaun Watson if the Houston Texans decide to trade him, but that could come at a much higher cost now that the market has been defined, which brings us to our last winner.
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Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun WatsonEric Christian Smith / Associated Press
The Lions exchanged 32-year-old Matthew Stafford, whose imminent separation from the team became public. But still, Detroit was able to regain a choice from the third round and the first two for him.
Deshaun Watson requested an exchange before the Houston Texans hired coach David Culley, according to ESPN Adam Schefter. But new Texas general manager Nick Caserio is not interested in moving Watson, according to ESPN Sarah Barshop.
However, he could potentially get a big deal for a rising 25-year-old dynamic quarterback. In 2020, the Texans quarterback recorded 4,823 yards of leading league passes with 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions in a 4-12 team.
Watson helped lead the Texans into the playoffs in two of the past three seasons. He is also a Pro Bowler three times. Stafford has only won this award once in 12 campaigns.
Texans will receive many offers for Watson this off-season. With the Lions package for Stafford, Houston can raise the stakes for its disgruntled caller. Caserio could easily press for three players in the first round and a starter in exchange for his franchise player.