Detroit Lions Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

This Date In Transactions History: Lions Hire Matt Patricia

February 5th, 2021 at 12:16pm CST by Zachary Links

In 2017, Jim Caldwell led the Lions to their third winning campaign in four seasons. It wasn’t enough to save his job. The Lions fired Caldwell and replaced him with Patriots defensive guru Matt Patricia, three years ago today.

Patricia had lots of hype heading into this cycle. He also had a longstanding relationship with Detroit GM Bob Quinn, who previously worked in New England. After working his way up through the Pats’ ranks, Patricia served as their DC for six seasons. During that period, the Patriots’ defense never ranked lower than tenth in points allowed. And, of course, his final day with the team nearly ended in yet another Super Bowl ring, before Nick Foles got in the way.

It seems like just yesterday that Patricia was regarded as the perfect fit. It’s a reminder of how quickly things can change in the NFL. After a combined 13-29 record and an ugly Thanksgiving Day loss, the Lions sent the 46-year-old packing. Now, he’s going back to New England to serve in multiple assistant coaching roles on Bill Belichick‘s staff. Meanwhile, the Lions are moving forward with Dan Campbell, who will have Jared Goff leading his offense.

Lions To Hire Todd Wash, Kelvin Sheppard

February 3rd, 2021 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Todd Wash spent eight seasons with the Jaguars, rising to the role of defensive coordinator in Gus Bradley‘s final season and keeping that job throughout Doug Marrone‘s ensuing tenure. Following the Jags’ decision to reboot around Urban Meyer, Wash has located a landing spot.

The Lions are hiring Wash as their defensive line coach, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Additionally, Detroit will add former linebacker Kelvin Sheppard — whose eight-year career ended with the Lions — as a defensive assistant and Seth Ryan as their assistant wide receivers coach. Seth is Rex Ryan‘s son.

Prior to becoming Jacksonville’s DC in 2016, Wash was an NFL D-line coach for the previous eight seasons. He followed Bradley from Seattle to Jacksonville in 2013, previously serving as the Seahawks’ D-line coach from 2011-12. Wash, 52, will work under first-time coordinator Aaron Glenn.

Wash’s Jacksonville tenure became complicated once the franchise began stripping parts from its dominant defense in 2019. Behind their “Sacksonville” defensive line, Jaguars led the NFL in defensive DVOA in 2017. Wash’s defense had the team on the precipice of Super Bowl LII. Despite the Jags’ 3-13 record in 2016, they ranked sixth in total defense. In 2018, the last season in which Wash’s unit had its host of high-end cogs, the Jaguars boasted a top-five defense.

After the franchise gutted the group over the next two years, its effectiveness predictably worsened. Amid its 15-game losing streak, the 2020 Jags edition allowed a franchise-record 492 points. By Week 17, only Myles Jack was left from Jacksonville’s 2017 defense.

A 2011 third-round Bills pick, Sheppard played for five teams through the 2018 season. He started 63 games, primarily for the Bills and Dolphins, in that span and landed with Detroit for the second half of the ’18 slate. Seth Ryan, just 26, spent the past two years as a quality control staffer with the Chargers.

Jared Goff Addresses Trade To Lions

February 3rd, 2021 at 4:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Upon finding out the Rams had included him in their trade package for Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff said he was “extremely disappointed and upset,” according to Sam Farmer and Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. The five-year veteran has come to better terms with the trade in the days since.

The Rams went from parting with considerable draft capital to acquire Goff over Carson Wentz at No. 1 overall in 2016 to giving him a four-year, $134MM extension in 2019 to being noncommittal about his 2021 status. Goff is now bound for Detroit.

“Ultimately, they wanted to go in a different direction,” Goff said, via Farmer. “As the quarterback, as the guy that’s at arguably the most important position on the field, if you’re in a place that you’re not wanted and they want to move on from you, the feeling’s mutual.

“You don’t want to be in the wrong place. It became increasingly clear that was the case. [The trade] is something that I’m hopeful is going to be so good for my career.”

The Lions were able to pry two first-round picks from the Rams because of the lofty guarantees in Goff’s deal. The Super Bowl LIII starter, at least publicly, has not acknowledged a point where his status in Los Angeles went south. Goff finished 22nd in Total QBR in 2019 and 23rd in 2020, dropping from the Pro Bowl perch on which he resided after his first two seasons with Sean McVay.

“That’s the tough part right now is trying to figure that out, when did that happen?” Goff said. “Those are all conversations that I may or may not have, and try to figure it out. That’s the conversation to have.”

Discussions with Dan Campbell and other members of the Lions’ new regime have led Goff to the reported conclusion he will be the team’s 2021 starter. The Lions will have a non-Stafford primary starting quarterback for the first time since their 0-16 2008 season.

While Detroit will likely be linked to passers with its No. 7 overall pick, the team has Goff under contract through 2024. No easy out from this deal exists until after the 2022 season. A year after the Rams took on more than $33MM in combined dead money from Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks‘ departures, they will eat $22.2MM — a single-contract record — in 2021 because of Goff’s exit.

“[Discussions with Lions brass are] what made me go, ‘oh my God, this is how it’s supposed to feel. This makes me feel great,’ how excited they were, how fired up they were,” Goff said. “… As time has gone on over the last few days, and even the end of that night, it becomes a positive and you start to feel really good about yourself again. You start to feel, I don’t want to say relief is the word, but you start to feel happy, grateful, ready for a new opportunity.”

Lions Host DL David Irving On Visit

February 3rd, 2021 at 3:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although David Irving only played in two Raiders games this past season, the former Cowboys defensive lineman continues to generate interest during Super Bowl week.

A day after the Colts brought Irving in, the Lions followed suit. Irving was in Detroit for a visit, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Irving, 27, has run into multiple suspensions — for substance abuse and performance-enhancing drugs — and has only played in four games over the past three seasons. But the potential the former UDFA showed prior to that has likely continued to keep him on the radar. In eight games with the 2017 Cowboys, Irving registered seven sacks. In 15 games with the 2016 Dallas squad that earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed, Irving tallied four sacks and 15 quarterback hits.

Irving has worked as both a defensive end and inside pass rusher in four NFL seasons. The Raiders signed the Iowa State alum quickly after the NFL reinstated him last year but released him from their practice squad, but the veteran D-lineman could have a new home soon.

Goff-Stafford Fallout: Rams, Lions, Suitors

January 31st, 2021 at 9:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean McVay‘s call to Jared Goff informing him of the Rams‘ decision to trade him ended quickly, but the five-year starter will exit a rapidly deteriorating (for him) situation. Both McVay and Les Snead gave suboptimal endorsements of Goff’s 2021 status recently. While the Lions could well draft a quarterback with their first-round pick, Goff is now set up to be the starter in Detroit.

“I’m just excited to be somewhere that I know wants me and appreciates me,” Goff said, via NFL.com’s Michael Silver. “I’m moving forward and couldn’t be more excited to build a winner there. I’m excited about Dan (Campbell) and the whole staff.”

Goff had entered the past four Rams seasons as the team’s unquestioned starter and will now attempt to stabilize his career in Detroit. The Rams will host the Lions at some point next season. Here is the latest from Saturday night’s blockbuster trade:

Several teams made offers for Matthew Stafford. We can add Washington to that list. The NFC East champions presented the Lions an offer featuring more 2021 assets than the Rams offered, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post tweets. It can be assumed Washington was willing to part with its first-round pick — No. 19 overall — but the team’s proposal could not match the unique opportunity the Lions had in leveraging Goff’s lavish contract into a monster Rams package. Washington has Alex Smith and Kyle Allen under contract for 2021, but Smith’s status is far from certain and Allen is coming off a severe injury. Taylor Heinicke is set to be an RFA.
Joining the Panthers, Broncos, Patriots and Washington in pursuing Stafford: the 49ers, Colts and Bears, according to NBC Sports’ Peter King (Twitter link) and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. All of these teams have quarterback questions, though the 49ers have indicated Jimmy Garoppolo will be their starter next season. A Bears deal would have certainly qualified as farfetched, but Chicago made an effort at a rare intra-divisional trade. Mitchell Trubisky is a free agent and obviously has not delivered anything close to what the Bears envisioned when they drafted him. Nick Foles is under contract for 2021, but the Bears, at the very least, will bring in competition for a quarterback they benched this season. The Colts lost Philip Rivers to retirement and have Jacoby Brissett as a UFA-to-be. While Jim Irsay said he would welcome Andrew Luck back, nothing has transpired on this front in a while.
Goff has already spoken with Campbell and other Lions staffers, and Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) the five-year veteran has a physical coming soon. While the Lions could technically fail Goff on his physical and void the trade, Darlington adds that based on Goff’s early conversations with Detroit coaches it can clearly be assumed the former No. 1 overall pick will be the team’s starter to open the 2021 season.

Multiple Offers Emerged In Broncos-Lions Matthew Stafford Talks

January 31st, 2021 at 8:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matthew Stafford listed the Rams atop his destination list, but Mike Klis of 9News notes the longtime Lions quarterback approved the Broncos as a landing spot. And the teams reached the offer stage in their talks.

While the Lions ended up accepting the Rams’ offer centered around two first-round picks, they had interest in both picks and players from the Broncos. The Lions were interested in sending Stafford to Denver because of the Broncos’ No. 9 overall pick, per Klis, who adds Detroit’s new regime was also interested in some of Denver’s young offensive talents.

It is not known which of the Broncos’ rookie-contract wide receivers appealed to the Lions, but Klis adds Drew Lock surfaced in these talks. Lock is coming off a wildly inconsistent season but is attached to a second-round deal that runs through 2022. The Lions instead took back Jared Goff, which allowed them to collect more in trade compensation from the Rams due to the former No. 1 overall pick’s onerous contract, but only will add a third-round pick to their 2021 draft arsenal.

Multiple proposals emerged in the Denver-Detroit talks, but Klis tweets none of the Broncos’ pitches were on the level of the Rams’ offer. Both the Broncos and Lions have new GMs, in George Paton and Brad Holmes, and the teams would have matched up at wide receiver — where the Broncos have three first- or second-round wideouts and the Lions have Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones on the cusp of free agency. It is unclear if Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton or K.J. Hamler surfaced in these trade talks, but Paton ultimately refused to part with the batch of young talents he is inheriting.

Stafford represented an obvious QB upgrade for the Broncos, who have experienced constant issues at the game’s premier spot since Peyton Manning‘s retirement. With Deshaun Watson not being connected to Denver yet, the prospect of the Broncos fielding a Lock-led QB room again is certainly in play. Prior to John Elway‘s exit, the Broncos were believed to be targeting a veteran to compete with Lock. Paton not being tied to Lock may also point to the Broncos giving stronger consideration to using the No. 9 overall pick on a quarterback.

Stafford Did Not Want Trade To Patriots?

January 31st, 2021 at 7:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Lions employ several former Patriots, their centerpiece player is not believed to have wanted to travel the other way in this recently formed pipeline.

Matthew Stafford informed the Lions he did not want to be traded to the Patriots, according to Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston. Other than a trade to New England, Stafford expressed flexibility about his destination, Curran adds. The Rams agreed to acquire the soon-to-be 33-year-old passer for a major haul Saturday night.

The Patriots were interested in acquiring Stafford, Michael Giardi of NFL.com notes. More than six teams sent the Lions offers for Stafford; it is unclear if any Pats-Lions talks progressed to that point.

While the Patriots are undisputedly this century’s most successful franchise and still employ arguably the greatest coach in NFL history in Bill Belichick, the team is low on intriguing skill-position players. Stafford is believed to have preferred a deal to Los Angeles, which presents usual recruiting advantages for free agents and trade candidates. In addition to those advantages, the Rams have two higher-end wideouts signed long-term and multiple promising young running backs.

New England does hold plenty of cap space, being projected to possess nearly $60MM — and that is if the NFL slots the cap at the previously determined $175MM floor. That could create an opportunity for the Pats, in an offseason when few teams will have considerable space. But they will need to look elsewhere for their quarterback answer, with Stafford bound for L.A.

Lions Had 6+ Offers For Matthew Stafford

January 31st, 2021 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions agreed to trade Matthew Stafford to the Rams over the weekend, but not before mulling more than six offers in total, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (Twitter links). A few of those packages included a 2021 first-rounder. Ultimately, the Lions opted for two future first-round picks, plus Jared Goff‘s outsized contract.

The Lions’ choice may reflect some level of confidence in Goff, who has struggled mightily since signing a four-year, $134MM extension with the Rams. Meanwhile, the Rams have secured a clear upgrade at the QB position for the here-and-now. Of course, the deal also shows exactly how hard it was for the Rams to unload Goff’s contract. The Rams mortgaged the future even further with this blockbuster, sacrificing their 2022 and 2023 first-rounders, plus a 2021 third-round pick. They’ll also be saddled with $22.2MM in dead money, while saving $12.4MM on his ’21 cap hit.

At one point, it was reported that 10-12 teams had expressed interest in Stafford. The 49ers – with a once-promising and highly-paid QB of their own — were among the rumored suitors, though it’s not clear if they were among the finalists. At the end of the day, the Rams outbid everyone else, landing the soon-to-be 33-year-old and escaping one of the league’s largest commitments all at once. The Lions, now led by ex-Rams exec Brad Holmes, will have ample ammunition as they remake their roster. As for the Rams — they’ll be without their original first-round pick until 2024, at the earliest.

Rams’ Matthew Stafford To Play On Current Contract

January 31st, 2021 at 9:58am CST by Zachary Links

The Rams pulled off a weekend blockbuster, acquiring Matthew Stafford from the Lions in exchange for Jared Goff and a sizable draft haul. And, after escaping Goff’s monster contract, the Rams and Stafford agreed to keep the veteran’s contract as-is (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).

Stafford has two years and $43MM to go on his deal, and that’s how it’ll stay, even though the market has advanced since he last put pen to paper. For the soon-to-be 33-year-old, finding the best possible fit was more important than money, Rapoport hears.

That’s not to say that the Rams are viewing Stafford as a short-term option. Stafford’s coming off of a solid individual season that included nearly 4,100 passing yards with 26 touchdowns versus ten interceptions. Even at his advanced age, it’s clear that he has plenty left in the tank. Also, the Rams will have significantly less draft capital moving forward, even if they do have an inclination to upgrade under center. Rams GM Les Snead shipped away the team’s 2022 and 2023 first-round picks to dump Goff’s deal. In total, that makes seven consecutive first-round picks traded since Goff’s selection in 2016.

Stafford leaves Detroit with the Lions’ franchise records for passing yards and touchdowns. He also leaves town with a losing record in his 165 starts. Now, he has his best chance to win in ages, and he’ll gladly do it with a below-market contract.

Lions Trade Matthew Stafford To Rams For Jared Goff

January 31st, 2021 at 12:07am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have agreed to trade Matthew Stafford to the Rams, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The deal will send the Lions’ longtime star to L.A. in exchange for fellow QB Jared Goff, plus a slew of draft picks. The exact terms of the trade could evolve in the coming weeks, but here’s what the trade currently looks like:

Rams receive:

QB Matthew Stafford

Lions receive:

QB Jared Goff
2021 third-round pick
2022 first-round pick
2023 first-round pick

The deal cannot become official until March 17th, though Stafford will surely be in contact with his new bosses much sooner. Stafford, soon to be 33, had spent all 12 of his NFL seasons in Detroit. When Stafford and the Lions agreed to go their separate ways, the Colts, Patriots, Broncos, and Washington TBDs were quickly connected to him. Ultimately, the Rams pounced on their chance to upgrade at the QB position and unload Goff’s contract in a historic swap of former No. 1 overall picks.

Goff earned Pro Bowl nods in Year 2 and Year 3 of his pro career, including a 2018 campaign where was under center for a Super Bowl appearance. Things have tailed off over the past two years, despite his high-priced extension. In 2019, he threw a career-high 16 interceptions. He followed that up with just 20 passing touchdowns in 2020 — the lowest total since his rookie year, when he started in just seven games.

Stafford, meanwhile, has fallen short of the 20-TD mark just once since 2011. Aside from his injury-filled 2019 campaign with just 19 passing touchdowns, he’s been an absolute rock for the Lions. The Rams are now set to add one of the game’s top quarterbacks to one of the league’s most talented rosters.

The Lions, meanwhile, will try their hand with Goff, who won’t turn 27 until October. Not long removed from his NFC title — or his No. 1 overall selection, for that matter — there’s reason to believe that Goff can get back on track. Even if he can’t, the Lions have tons of draft ammunition to work with in their rebuild.

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