Lions wanted Aaron Donald as part of Matthew Stafford trade, Panthers also made serious offer, report says

In a perfect world for the Detroit Lions, they would have acquired the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in the trade that sent Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles. The first player the Lions asked the Rams for was Aaron Donald before Los Angeles quickly rejected the idea, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

While they didn’t get Donald, the Lions got quarterback Jared Goff, two future first-round picks and a 2021 third-round pick for Stafford. Stafford will now team up with Donald, who received his third Defensive Player of the Year title since 2017 on Saturday night. All-Pro for a sixth straight year in 2020, Donald had 13.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 14 tackles for defeat.

The Carolina Panthers offered the 8th overall pick, a fifth round pick and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in exchange for Stafford, according to Schefter. The Lions ultimately chose to accept the Rams’ offer, and the Panthers are still looking to make a change at quarterback. In 15 games last season, Bridgewater completed 69.1% of his passes for 3,733 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. A 2020 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award winner, Bridgewater also rushed for five touchdowns in his first season in Carolina.

Carolina has several other options on the market. Reports have revealed the Eagles are set to trade Carson Wentz shortly after Super Bowl LV. Wentz, 28, has gone 35-32-1 in his five seasons as the Eagles’ starting quarterback. A Pro Bowler in 2017, injuries hampered Wentz during the first half of this season and at the end of the 2018 season. And if he has managed to stay healthy for the past two years, performances on the pitch de Wentz left something to be desired. In 2020, Wentz threw 15 interceptions, a league-high, and completed just 57.4% of his passes. A fresh start, however, might be all Wentz needs to resurrect his career.

The Panthers may need to be patient if they are to stand any chance of acquiring Deshaun Watson. Reports surfaced on Sunday that the Texans currently have no plans to trade Watson despite his recent trade demand.