The Theory of Everything – an overarching hypothetical framework that explains all physical phenomena in our universe – is for the time being only a theory. Modern science has discovered much about general relativity and quantum mechanics, but one single, interconnecting force that connects everything in the universe remains only an idea. Impossible? Many, including the late Stephen Hawking, believe it. In the NFL world, however, the idea that everything is linked is not so unlikely. Everything a team does has an impact on the 31 other groups in the league. That brings us to the first domino of the offseason that changes the league: Matt Stafford’s trade between the Lions and the Rams.
Stafford’s prediction of this season was predictable after the team and the fullback mutually agreed to part ways. Where Detroit sent him was not. But the deal will have consequences for an NFL season that is on track for an extraordinary amount of quarterback move. With that in mind, these are the five questions that still remain after the trade:
What does this mean for Deshaun Watson’s trading value?
If this was not the first question that popped into your mind when the news of Stafford became known, it was probably the second question. The move from Detroit was apparently a ransom from a king. The Rams have two future first-round picks, their third-round pick this year, and quarterback Jared Goff swapped in exchange for only Stafford, a consistently above-average QB who turns 33 this month.
The Rams did not flee either – that was the market rate. Detroit reportedly had more than half a dozen singles who hosted at least one first round and the Lions consider Los Angeles’ package to be the best. Per Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer, the Panthers have this year’s no. 8 choice (!!!) and a later choice; Washington has this year’s no. 19 choice and a third round choice; the Colts offered a package of players and players, but not this year’s no. 21 choose; and the Broncos offered “a barter” equivalent to a late-first-round pick. “
Stafford earning two firsts and Goff is a bigger return than everyone expected, but not much. If any team had hoped to land Watson for a modest while, the hope is long gone. Never before has a 25-year-old top-five QB been traded. Never! And based on Nick Caserio, GM of Texas public position because he has a ‘zero interest’ in Watson’s trading, Houston is likely to separate him from nothing less than a monstrous offer. (This may come as a surprise, considering that the Texans spent two seasons under their previous rule to be deceptive.)
Watson’s market already had to pick a minimum of three or four first rounds, which would still be a bargain. This is why the Jets, Dolphins and Jaguars are currently the Texans’ three most attractive trading partners, as my colleague Riley McAtee recently remarked. Watson’s trade clause means he can veto any deal, so he’s not limited to the three teams. But any other team interested in acquiring Watson will have to pony very to get him. All Stafford has done is to ‘TRADE THEIR TRADE ???’ reactions.
What does this mean for the teams that lost the Stafford draw?
According to Stafford, ‘seven or eight teams’ were offered The Athleticssee Chris Burke. The Rams won. The teams who Sports Illustrated the Colts, the Football Team, Panthers, 49ers, Patriots, Jets, Bears and Broncos reported. Some of these teams need Stafford because they do not have an appetizer; the others see it as an upgrade of their existing options. All of them will now have to look elsewhere this season.
Let’s start with the three on the verge of losing their starters in 2020 due to free agency or retirement: the Patriots, the soccer team and Colts. New England possess the highest pick of the three (No. 15) and are not expected to return Cam Newton after a year’s return. But the concept of the Patriots is too low for the team to feel confident that they will be able to get one of the top three, non-Trevor Lawrence QB prospects. We’ll be addressing the Niners briefly, but would it be really crazy for New England and Bill Belichick to buy their Jimmy Garoppolo low, to whom San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan was not committed at the end of the season? It can make sense. The Patriots are likely to chase a veteran after losing the Stafford race before it started. Why would he want to develop a rookie at this point in Belichick’s career as an immediate starting lineup?
Washington has the no. 19 picked it up in Detroit and hung out to pursue Stafford. The Colts have the no. 21 choose and not. Both teams are in similar positions, with excellent defense and interesting rosters – but big holes below the center. Are their Stafford efforts showing how aggressive it will be to pursue a QB option? Indianapolis is considered an initial favorite to land the longtime lion after it was reported he wanted to leave Detroit, but the Colts do not want Stafford, who was one of the top three or four veteran QB options. the market. ‘N Frank Reich – Carson Wentz reunion is still on the table. But it is surprising that Indianapolis was no longer aggressive.
The football team started swinging and missed, but just like the Patriots, it’s in no man’s land when it comes to the best QB prospects for the draft. On top of that, 36-year-old Alex Smith is their only QB under contract. Washington has an impressive core that can help the team compete sooner rather than later, but without a steady presence behind the center, there is a limit to what it can achieve in 2021.
The pursuit of Stafford by the Broncos, Panthers and Niners makes it clear that none of these teams believe they have a franchise caller. Carolina offered the eighth choice to get Stafford instead of waiting to try to grab a QB in the draft or stick with Teddy Bridgewater for another year. Denver likes its young core, but Drew Lock’s time there may come to an end after just his second season, which saw him lead the league in interception, even though he played in only 13 games. And as mentioned before, Shanahan is not committed to Garoppolo, who is injured too often to make a constant difference, much less to heal the offense. Each of these teams has a QB that can be handled to acquire assets to move higher in the draft or to practice another appetizer if a trading partner is willing to trade.
The Bears, meanwhile, ‘signed in’ at Detroit, so they were not a serious candidate to get Stafford. This should not be too surprising, given the divisions between these two groups. But Chicago needs to look for their disturbing QB situation; Like Washington and Indy, the Bears pick (No. 20) in the first round is too low to be used on a stellar QB prospect. Meanwhile, the Jets did not get far in Stafford talks either, and neither did they. New York could realistically pursue Watson or fix Justin Fields in Ohio State or Zach Wilson of BYU with the second choice of concept.
What does this mean for the NFC West?
The NFC West may have been foolish gold in some ways last season. Despite looking like the NFL’s toughest division for most of the year, only two teams made it out of the playoffs and both were washed away by the division round. But the Rams ensured that they would be in the discussion of the crown again. With Goff, LA had both the lowest floor and the ceiling below the starting QBs of the NFC West. Stafford now offers a QB option with much greater potential and makes the Rams an NFC contender.
No team in the NFC West is undergoing a deep rebuild or a new head coach, something that can not be said for any other NFL division. It’s an arms race, not just to win the playoffs, but also as a potential Super Bowl caliber team. The Rams, who defiantly continue to trade the first round, have extended their window for at least one more season by adding Stafford.
What does this mean for the other available QBs on the market?
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted he will bet the race on 18 teams changing QBs this offseason. Stafford is the first big domino to fall, but there’s more at hand. The other available top names – Watson and the Roof Prescott of the Cowboys – are currently locked up or can be re-branded. This means that everyone is competing for the remnants, and that the game of music chairs may take a while to resolve.
Newton, Jacoby Brissett, Mitchell Trubisky, Nick Mullens, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jameis Winston, Tyrod Taylor, Kyle Allen, Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, Mike Glennon, and Brandon Allen are this free season. The 49ers, Broncos and Panthers were not locked in Garoppolo, Lock or Bridgewater. It is not yet clear whether the Eagles will stick with Wentz. The Steelers are likely to revise Ben Roethlisberger’s contract to retain him, but could also decide it’s time for an upgrade. Jets coach Robert Saleh has publicly trusted Sam Darnold, but there is no guarantee that New York will continue with him. The only sure thing entering the off-season is that your favorite team is not going to acquire Aaron Rodgers because the Packers know it would be idiotic to let him go. There are a plethora of QB options, but there is not much clarity on where most will still be going. It would not be shocking if most of the off-season quarterback moves take place at about the same time, because as teams begin to realize that their options are limited, there is pressure to make an acquisition to avoid the best available options completely missed. Compared to the deals that will soon be entered into for some of the passers-by above, Stafford’s trade and Watson’s potential move are equivalent to Halley’s Comet; the other movements are a meteor shower – still astonishing, but to a much lesser extent.
What does this mean for this year’s concept?
With Goff on his way to Detroit, it looks like the Lions probably are not the no. 7 choose a quarter. If one of the top four QB prospects – Lawrence, Fields, Wilson and North Dakota State Trey Lance – falls outside of them, it would open the door for the Panthers (No. 8), Broncos (No. 9), Giants (No. 11), or 49ers (No. 12)? Detroit could also pick up a bigger draft by the no. 7, especially if a team among them desires a back player who slips.
In addition, without a typical off-season to evaluate other QBs, such as Alabama’s Mac Jones (initially Danny Kelly’s No. 32 prospect) and Florida’s Kyle Trask, teams may have a harder time keeping up with the QB prospects not already at top of drawing boards. Will teams determine that it’s worth investing in a young caller early on if there are veteran options – even mediocre ones – that can be plugged in right away? And will teams that pick the best QBs determine that they need to put them in the game right away or give them time to develop? Stafford’s move to the Rams certainly plays a role in how the teams that missed it will approach the process.