Lions don’t have to draft Matthew Stafford’s replacement in 2021

The Detroit Lions are on the market to sell franchise quarterback, Matthew Stafford. That also puts them in the market to buy their next franchise quarterback. But, just because they have to trade their quarterback in 2021, doesn’t mean they have to draft his replacement in 2021.

With the Stafford trade request getting out to the media, primarily the Lions’ own fault with their interview process, have really put themselves in a situation where they have to trade Stafford in 2021. So even though the team said if they get ‘fair market value’ … the toothpaste is already out of the tube, there is no going back now.

Stafford returning next season because the Lions brain-trust — whoever that may be — even further mishandle trade negotiations would put an all too familiar black cloud hanging over what is supposed to be a new sunny day in Detroit football with a new regime.

Especially after his team, the fans, the entire world knows he asked to be traded. Yes, the Lions have to trade him, and other teams know this.

But, that doesn’t mean they have to draft his replacement in 2021 either. In fact, unless one of the top-tier ‘elite’ prospects on their board falls to them at seventh-overall … they most definitely shouldn’t draft a quarterback.

With Detroit in the very first year of a full rebuild, they shouldn’t be interested in any quarterbacks they didn’t already have a high-first-round grade on with the seventh-overall pick. Whether that’s one, two, three, or four quarterbacks.

And not to burst your bubble … I don’t think there’s a chance in hell any of the three perceived top-tier talents in Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, or Justin Fields fall to Detroit at seven. All three would be the No. 1 overall prospect in most other classes.

If the right opportunity doesn’t come around for Detroit this year, whether that be trading up or staying put … they shouldn’t waste the pick on a long-shot, just because he’s a quarterback. They should add to their foundation with elite an elite prospect at another position of value or trade back.

I’m not even interested in the late-round quarterback lottery sweepstakes, the odds on those position-privileged-prospects hitting in the NFL are minuscule.

The bottom line, you don’t want to be out here spending back-to-back top-10 picks on quarterbacks because you settled on your first attempt like the Cardinals. When they drafted Josh Rosen (the fourth quarterback off the board) with the 10th pick in 2018. Only to realize it was a mistake and doubled-down and draft Kyler Murray first overall in 2019.

We’ve seen what this Lions team looks like without Matthew Stafford. God bless new coach Dan Campbell for his enthusiasm, but the NFL is about the players and Detroit just doesn’t have them yet. They will have another one, maybe two opportunities to draft even higher than seventh.

If by some miracle that doesn’t happen, they will be loading up on draft capital over the next 16 months, they might even have it by the 2021 draft with the returns on a Stafford trade. Enough to allow themselves the opportunity to trade up to get their guy without settling. Whether that be this year, next year, or even the year after if that what it takes to not flush top-10 picks down the toilet.

Lions’ new GM Brad Holmes with the Los Angeles Rams first built the team, then went out and traded for the No. 1 pick, drafted Jared Goff, and went to the Super Bowl two years later.

That strategy has been popularized lately as the blueprint in the NFL. Though I believe you can win 100 different ways, so this isn’t just about bowing to the new wave. It’s about not settling on a very valuable resource, just because it’s a quarterback and you’re scared without the one that’s been carrying your franchise on his back for 12 years.