The Los Angeles Rams agreed on Saturday to pay an award to acquire Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions, but at least three other teams were prepared to do the same. Hours after reports indicated that several others sought to negotiate for the 12-year-old veteran, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that at least three clubs have actually made offers for Stafford – and each has included a first-round draft pick, and more. These teams, by Rapoport: The Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers.
In total, according to Rapoport, Lions had more than six formal commercial offers for Stafford, which was the number one choice in the 2009 NFL Draft. But Chicago, Carolina and Denver were “among a handful of teams” outside the Rams who made the most aggressive moves for veteran QB. The Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Football Team were also in the mix, as NBC Sports’ Peter King previously reported, but may or may not have offered Stafford choices in the first round.
Although Stafford is now locked up in Los Angeles, where he represents a clear upgrade from former number one of choice – and the new Lions QB – Jared Goff, the fact that the Bears, Broncos and Panthers have made legitimate attempts to acquire it speaks to your respective wishes for new callers.
Former Chicago first-round player Mitchell Trubisky is set to hit the free agency in March, and the 2020 acquisition, Nick Foles, seems destined for an expensive reserve role. The Broncos publicly supported former runoff player Drew Lock, although his decline in 2020 apparently rekindled the team’s quest for a long-term response. And the Panthers, despite signing a lucrative three-year deal with Teddy Bridgewater before 2020, openly hinted at looking for a more reliable or high-level replacement this season.