Late last week, the Lions and Matthew Stafford agreed to go their separate ways this offseason. Already, teams have started reaching out to the Lions to talk trade, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
Stafford, 32, has spent all 12 of his NFL seasons in Detroit. The Colts, Patriots, Broncos, and Washington TBDs would all be logical landing spots for him, but it’s not clear which of those clubs have contacted the Lions so far.
Stafford popped up in trade rumors last year, but GM Bob Quinn denied that he was on the block. Now, there’s a new regime in Detroit, led by head coach Dan Campbell and GM Brad Holmes. After hiring former Chargers coach Anthony Lynn as their OC, they’re prepared to overhaul the offense.
The veteran managed to play in all 16 games this year, no small feat given his 2019 back injury. Still plenty productive, he’s also mighty affordable. Stafford’s contract runs through 2022 with base salaries of just $9.5MM and $12.5MM. Owed a $10MM roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year, the Lions are looking to trade Stafford before the March due date.
In 2020, Stafford posted a 26-10 TD-INT ratio while ranking 15th in QBR. It was a solid bounce-back from his ’19 slate, which ended with a total of eight starts.
Colts or 49er’s
Patriots, SF, Rams
It won’t be the rams
Coleman I don’t know if the Rams have enough to get it done draft capital wise but Stafford with his talent and contract would seem like a good fit for a win now Rams team with a bunch of money dumped into a QB already.
No one is trading a 1st for Stafford
A lot of teams would trade a first for a known quality quarterback. Desperate teams might even do multiple. Stafford has always been an above average QB, has experience and consistent play in different schemes, and has demonstrated all the abilities of a franchise QB.
Stafford is worth a late first rounder this year and a third next season if your a win now team who has any semblance of a running game and are just missing a quarterback, bears are kidding thinking they are win now but they should make that trade, colts actually have a good team and should definitely make that trade, bears are the 20th pick and colts are 21st and neither team will be able to pick stafford in those spots
Patriots
The only way BB trades for him is if the Lions eat 1/2 his salary and the Lions accept a #2 Draft pick and Stephon Gilmore.
I would like to see the Pat’s resign Cam Newton as the Emergency QB and develop him as a wide receiver/ all purpose back 6’5, 245 running back. (Derrick Henry 6’3-247). I bet Cam would consider that challenge if he doesn’t find another QB gig. $10 M, over a 2 year guarantee with incentives worth another $5-10 M.
Take some pressure off Edelman.
If N’keal Henry can’t make it with the Pats as a wide receiver consider making him into a Tight End at 6’4 currently 225–get him up to 245. If he makes the roster this year as a wide out it will be a miracle.
Madmc I kind of became a Cam fan this past year even though I’m not even a Pats fan for his candid postgame interviews but comparing him to Henry based on his height and weight just doesn’t compute. Lot of people out there that size who aren’t in the NFL or close. I’ve seen him catch one NFL pass maybe he’s caught one or two more but that’s it. He’s big, strong, and fast FOR A QB. But for another skill position the comparisons and what’s expected are totally different. You don’t pay a guy 10m to give that a shot especially towards the twilight of their career(the incentives I’m not concerned about he’s never hit them). My hope for him is he ends up somewhere where they bring him in to push their own QB or maybe(god forgive me)he’s a backup and performs better with better weapons. It’s QB or bust for Cam but I’m hoping it’s QB the league needs his personality in the game
So your implying Stafford is a 10M QB? I don’t think so. 20M is a cheap rate for a franchise QB. Furthermore Gilmore has 0 remaining guaranteed money left on his deal, and at a cap hit of almost 20M, he is almost a certain cap casualty. Cam switching positions is laughable, don’t get me wrong, his play this year was laughable too. I’m a Pats fan, I saw it. Harry as a TE? SMDH.
Niners. Let’s go. Sorry Jimmy, but the best ability is availability.
availability or not, Stafford is way better then that bum Jimmy G. Go hole a clipboard somewhere.
Two Time Super Bowl Champion Jimmy Garoppolo.
Oh yeah, I thought I remember seeing him there taking notes holding the clipboard.
He did nothing in either of them
He’s as much of a SB winning quarterback as Carson Wentz is
…except Garrappolo was not the likely league MVP who led his team to the number 1 seed that set them up for a Superbowl run. That’s just not a good analogy at all.
What a shame the Lions could never put a team or coaching staff around him. As a Vikings fan I always wanted Stafford on my team.
I’ve always wanted to see this guy win. He was put in a poor situation.
He could have left years ago lol. His own fault for staying.
Hindsight is 20/20. He was committed to helping the team he signed with win a championship. Believe it or not there are some players in this league that do that and not just latch on to the next contender just to get a ring with no effort.
You state this even though Stafford is doing exactly that. Wow.
Wow what? He’s in his thirties and he gave them all the time he could give them. Now he’s making a well thought out choice and the team that he stuck with for years is taking the high road and making it happen. Wow.
You do realize that the definition of futility is repeating the same thing expecting different results right? Evidently not.
Ummm, actually that is the definition of insanity, not futility. Good try though. I can see the home schooling went well for you.
LOL
Same story, different decade – Barry Sanders.
Calvin Johnson
I think the Washington TBDs is a great name!
i was thinking the same thing
Niners won’t trade for him. They can’t afford to give up a lot of draft capital for a pretty sideways move. They’re losing too many guys this offseason. Pad Statford is just a less injury prone version of Jimmy G.
Nah, they will – they’ll give up a 3rd in ’22 and some token guy off the current roster. That’ll give the Ford’s ammo to say they’re still competing, despite getting bent over in the deal.
Isn’t getting bent over a preferable situation in SF?
$33MM in 2021..if Detroit gets someone to eat that and give them picks they have my vote for GM of the year.
$33mm is the cap hit for 21? I like how this article posts it so nicely showing the base and roster bonus, but leaving out the bigger more important number.
Probably because that only matters for the Lions. The Cap hit for the new team is only $20 Million. They did give the important numbers.
dtrain… Boom.
Right on Dtrain. You’re absolutely right a rebuilding Lions team has no reason to worry about cap hits next season. Love it when people who like to bash the writers get what they are trying to dish out
Hope it’s the 49ers. Frees up Jimmy to come back to NE
No thanks. He’s made of glass.
Do you watch the Lions?
Stafford has never had a severe injury like Jimmy Glass-Knees Garroppalo
He’s tough as nails.
Colts or Broncos
Broncos….he’s Elway’s kind of guy…
I think this is Denver all the way. Sutton , Hamler, Jeudy , Fant …. fantasy value goes up big time. I think Elway is fed up with drafting qbs … go get a veteran
Elway did go out and get a veteran by the name of Joe Flacco if I recall…didn’t make a difference.
And Case Keenum. And Brent Osweiler (although Osweiler was more a half season wonder when acquired).
Is Brent related to Brock?
Thing is, Elway won’t be making this move. It’d be George Paton, at least officially. If Denver does trade for Stafford, it shows that Elway likely is still making the calls and Paton might not be running the team, because this is a move a brand new GM does not make.
Of course, we should remember that Paton had a long history with the Vikings. He saw Stafford twice a year for a while. That may make such a move easier to argue for-or argue against. Thing is, Denver said that they want to bring in “competition” for Lock, which indicates free agency or draft as a source for a QB. If you trade for Stafford, there’s no way that you don’t start him. I think Paton would rather draft someone and take stock of the team for a year than replace his quarterback outright without seeing him play.
Im hearing that the most common drafts picks being discussed are a 1st and a 3rd for him.
That’d be an absolute miracle for the Lions to pull off, unless it’s like a bottom of each round kinda deal and both in ’22. This organization doesn’t make the smart moves, they don’t do things right. They get themselves screwed over, and pretend to be smarter than everyone else while they do it.
As a life long Lions fan, this may be the most accurate thing I have ever read on here.
Im going off what my local radio in Texas said. They asked a bunch of GMs and that is what they would offer.
Hope so!
I wonder what the asking price for Jordan Love is. Aside from trading for Watson, or somehow drafting Lawrence or Fields I would rate Love as one of the better options available. The Packers have lit Rodgers up enough to know that he is their guy for three or four more years, so Love isn’t needed there.
If it’s a wide receiver it would be just perfect.
Colts will give up #1 and #4 this year and a #2 2020..You have to pay to play…
Rightout – I’m not sure how well you know Ballard & how he operates; but he covets draft picks; especially 2nd rounders. It’s possible they give the #21 pick, but I doubt it. No way he gives future draft picks or a total of 3; if 1 pick doesn’t get it done, it won’t happen.
Only way New England gives up the 15th overall pick for Stafford is if the Lions include Golladay in the package as well. Stafford & Golladay for the Pats 1st & 4th round draft picks. Get it done, Bill!
It’s really too bad Detroit couldn’t do more for Stafford while he was there. He gave his heart and soul to that city. They should retire his #9. I wish him the best wherever he ends up.
Lions dictate where he goes based on who the new staff wants as their QB. Crazy.
People thinking Stafford isn’t worth a first rounder and some change are insane.
LMAO that anyone thinks the Lions are getting anywhere near a first round pick with no leverage to keep him if they don’t like the offers. I’ll say Colts.