
Patriots, Lions Discussing Matthew Stafford Trade?
Are the Patriots and Lions discussing a Matthew Stafford trade?
Detroit head coach Matt Patricia and New England head coach Bill Belichick obviously share a special bond. Their relationship has produced some very solid assets for the Lions in recent years.
Running back Kerryon Johnson and defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand were both gotten as a result of trades with the Patriots in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Detroit also tried trading tight end Michael Roberts to New England for a conditional seventh-round 2020 pick, but the deal fell apart when Roberts failed his physical.
As such, it would stand to reason that the lines of communication between these two organizations would continue to be open.
.@BartScott57 says the Lions should draft Tua to replace Matthew Stafford 👀 pic.twitter.com/vWveWUsN3h
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 24, 2020
That is increasingly important given the questionable status of quarterback Tom Brady, who will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Brady has given zero indication that he wants to return to the Patriots. As such, Belichick will need to start planning for a Plan B.
One possible option that has been suggested in recent days is Detroit trading away Stafford to the Patriots and beginning anew with one of the young quarterbacks available in this year’s draft.
With the number three overall pick, the Lions could theoretically draft Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.
Stafford, 31, is coming off an injury-plagued 2019 campaign that saw him miss eight outings.
As such, many believe Detroit should get whatever is out there for him and move on.
On ESPN this week, NFL insider Bart Scott offered his take on the matter during an appearance on Get Up.
“The sweet spot for me is the third pick overall with the Detroit Lions. I don’t see how the Lions let Tua get past them … It just makes so much sense, right?
“Because Matthew Stafford, even though he’s been around for so long, he’s only 31-years old. So, let him go to New England, get another pick.
“What you need in Detroit is depth, you need talent. And the only way you’re going to get talent is by getting rid of your biggest chip, which is Matthew Stafford.”
Will the Lions ultimately trade Stafford away to New England and start fresh with a young quarterback? We’ll find out once and for all this coming April.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.