Does Matthew Stafford want to stay a Detroit Lion?

Keep the cupboard full of weapons

This past draft Quinn selected Kenny Golladay, a wide receiver, and Michael Roberts, a tight end, to give Stafford more weapons. Calvin Johnson’s departure made a big roster problem, the Lions have almost no receivers signed past next year.

Eric Ebron and Golden Tate, the Lions starting tight end and wide receiver, are both free agents in 2019. Tate is the best receiver on the roster. Other than rookies, only recent free agent acquisition Marvin Jones is under contract to 2021. Jones helps to mitigate the loss of Calvin Johnson, but also it shows that Quinn is trying to win by keeping weapons for his quarterback.

Ameer Abdullah, the starting running back, is also only signed through 2019. Other runners: Zach Zenner, 2018, and Theo Riddick, 2020, are coming up on new contracts, too.

There is not much certainty on the roster to make staying a no-brainer. If Quinn extends Tate, Ebron, or young receivers like Golladay, or T.J. Jones continue to develop, Stafford will be more likely to feel like success is an option, including making a run at a Lombardi Trophy.

Undoubtedly, Stafford will be watching how many good players are kept, or newly brought in, before making a decision about staying in Detroit.