Trade Matthew Stafford? Market might not get any better
PAST MISTAKES
First off, Quinn extended Stafford, so the bloated contract is his doing. Stafford officially played under the first year of his five-year (135 million dollar) extension this past season. But he could have been playing under the franchise tag instead.
The franchise tag isn’t optimal. But, had that been done, the Detroit Lions may have had some leverage on an extension after what just transpired this season.
At the very least, the Detroit Lions would have options now. They could have franchised Stafford again this year, trading him would have been much easier, and they could have simply released him with no salary cap implications. With the way things are, Quinn is tied to Stafford for the long haul.
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There are a lot of holes on this roster, and after three years of Quinn and one year of head coach Matt Patricia, this team is going in the wrong direction. The Lions have some cap flexibility (around $35 million), but they need to spend wisely on a roster full of holes. And the key to their success will be the draft.
Speaking of the draft, the Detroit Lions dropped from the fifth pick to the eighth pick in April’s draft (Tankathon.com). All for a meaningless win over the Green Bay Packers that will carry no weight in the 2019 season. The only thing it will do is probably result in a less talented player in each round of the draft.
But, to be fair, great players can be drafted at any point. So, even though great players will go ahead of where Detroit picks, they better make sure their selections are on point.
Can the Detroit Lions brain trust select the right players? Can they put together a plan that secures five or six legit starters? That’s a lot to ask, but it’s what winning franchises do.
Can the Lions actually bring in two or three impact players? Looking at Quinn’s results thus far, he hasn’t found any impact players in three years (results still pending on some players). And Quinn passed on picking one up – Chicago Bears linebacker Khalil Mack – before this season. But that’s how you win in this league: talent acquisition.
It’s all a fresh wound right now, so maybe things will seem brighter as this roster begins its overhaul. And it does need a significant overhaul.
But should the changes start with a trade of Matthew Stafford? Secure a young quarterback and start building around someone that is cheaper and puts less stress on the salary cap? This might be Detroit’s best chance to move in a new direction.
This past season was awful. But maybe Quinn and Patricia figured out what they need to do going forward. The funny thing is that trading Stafford would probably buy them more time, especially if they acquire a young talent that inspires the fan base.
Next. Lions 2019 full 7-round mock draft. dark
Otherwise, if the Detroit Lions keep Stafford – and let’s face it, they will – they must put a team around him. If 2019 turns out to be another failure, this team will be looking at total annihilation in 2020 – general manager, coach, and quarterback.