What the Matthew Stafford-Jared Goff trade means for the Lions future
What does it mean for the 2021 Detroit Lions?
Lions are playing the long game folks. Not too hard to understand.
— Teej. (@TJLang70) January 31, 2021
So, what does this mean for the 2021 Detroit Lions? Well, I see a team that will be amongst the favorites for the no.1 overall pick in 2022 and most likely ends up a four or five-win team.
But 2022 is where it gets interesting.
Let’s assume the Lions go 4-13 next year and hold the no.5 overall pick and the Rams win the Super Bowl (congrats Matthew!) and so next year’s first-rounder is as bad as possible at no.32. The Lions have a top-five pick to potentially get their quarterback of the future if they haven’t already or a top tier starter.
If they get their future QB in the building, then Goff’s prohibitive 2021 salary is off the books. His guaranteed money is $15.5 million in 2022 and nothing after that so the Lions can cut ties.
Even better, he becomes inherently more tradeable next offseason and so the Lions could potentially bring back a day two pick especially as other quarterback salaries continue to get inflated year-on-year.
With Golladay and Okwara moving on, the Lions pick up third and fifth-round compensatory picks in 2022. And a number of Bob Quinn’s high-cost free agents are much easier to move on from next offseason too.