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Here we are, Lions fans. Matthew Stafford leaves the team. It’s something I’m sure a lot of fans hoped they’d never have to deal with. But, nevertheless, the treatment must begin.
Speaking of traffic, the Lions are going to have a ton of options as to where they can send Matthew Stafford. I’ve long said that half the league would cut off one of their legs to get Stafford. Now it looks like the chopping of the legs will begin. But the Lions should also consider cutting off a leg on their own. Yes, I realize this metaphor is getting weird.
I’m sure everyone followed the story in Houston. Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson wants out. There will also be a lot of interested teams. None of them will be willing to give the Texans what the Lions have: another Pro Bowl quarterback.
The Lions could offer the Texans Stafford and a first-round pick or two in exchange for Deshaun Watson. In this scenario, everyone gets what they want. Matthew Stafford can return to Texas, the Texans get a discounted Pro Bowl quarterback to both build and compete immediately, plus a few picks to help the future, and Houston can dump Watson’s salary on one. of the only teams that can now handle it.
The Lions get their centerpiece without taking the risks of the draft. That alone should be the reason for the move. Sure, the Lions would use some of their draft picks, but they don’t get a better guy than Watson with those picks. The Lions also have a guy who will draw free agents to Detroit and an arguably better player than the one they traded.
For Watson, he’s blessed with getting away from a toxic situation in Houston and working with a young and diverse staff in Detroit. These staff preached collaboration and no egos, so you have to believe that the Lions might give Watson some information on things – which is exactly what the Texans didn’t. At the very least, the Lions would listen to the man when he spoke.
The deal makes too much sense to ignore. The point is, the financial data is the most important factor here. While Deshaun Watson is expected to cost the home team just $ 10.5 million in salary for 2021, that figure will climb to $ 35 million and more in the years to come, well above what Stafford was supposed to win here. The Lions can afford to accept this contract, especially if the plan is to rebuild the rest of the squad through the draft. The Texans could get some breathing space on their books by paying Stafford much less. Everything is working pretty well.
The catch – and there’s always a catch – is that the Lions won’t have the kind of money a team like the New York Jets will have, for example. The Jets could take Watson’s contract and have the money to recruit the best free agents on top of that. They also have the advantage of being in a larger market. Thus giving more sponsorship opportunities and better exposure to Watson. Lions just can’t compete with that.
The other problem is that Watson has a no-trade clause that gives him all the weight in trade negotiations. If the Texans try to send him somewhere he doesn’t want to go, he just can’t give up his clause and this deal is dead. It’s entirely possible, if not likely, that Watson won’t want to do anything with a team that likely won’t be ready to fight for a few years and has such a toxic history as Detroit.
And what about Matthew Stafford? If he has his say, would he really want to go to another team which is facing a lot of turmoil itself? This could all be a potential powder keg-type situation early on, and I’m sure the Texans don’t just want to add another quarterback who doesn’t want to be there either.
It’s unclear what will happen at the end, but Brad Holmes must exhaust all options this offseason. That includes at least calling Houston to see what kind of deal can be done. If he can pull it off, the Lions could be in good enough shape to move forward. We’ll see.
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