The Detroit Lions rebuild has begun. On Saturday it was announced that they have reached a mutual agreement with Matthew Stafford to part ways this offseason. Stafford was one of the few positives on their roster this season and is still very much in the prime of his career. There are a tonne of teams in the quarterback market this season and there will be plenty of interested parties. Here are the top five landing spots for Stafford this offseason.
Indianapolis Colts
With the retirement of Philip Rivers, the Colts are in dire need of a new quarterback. The problem is that they pick at No. 21 in this year’s draft and there is no way they can realistically get any of the top four options. The roster is ready to win now and just needs an experienced NFL quarterback at the helm.
Chris Ballard has also shown a willingness to trade draft capital for established players, giving up their first round pick last year for DeForest Buckner. They also have enough cap space to take on Stafford’s contract. Their $68 million in projected cap space in 2021 is second only to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are another team in win-now mode and are clearly ready to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo. They are picking at No. 12 in the draft so, like the Colts, would probably need to trade up to get one of the top four quarterbacks on the board. They are only one year removed from a Super Bowl berth and with a roster at full fitness they remain one of the NFC’s best teams. Adding some more quality and consistency at a quarterback would be a great move.
Stafford would expand their offensive opportunities and give Shanahan much more flexibility with their passing game. Garoppolo has been serviceable, but his lack of arm strength has limited the team downfield. The trade would also make financial sense. Getting Stafford and offloading Garoppolo would actually save $4.1 million in cap space next season.
Washington Football Team
The return of Alex Smith was one of the most incredible sporting stories in recent years and he is sure to be this season’s Comeback Player of the Year. That said, this is a team that made the postseason on the back of their defense. Their quarterback situation was a problem. Alex Smith ranked 32nd of 36 quarterbacks in efficiency rating this season. The now-released Dwayne Haskins ranked 36th.
An interesting dimension here is that Washington recently hired Martin Mayhew as their GM. Mayhew previously served as the GM in Detroit when the Lions drafted Stafford with the No. 1 overall pick in 2009. Given the situation in the NFC East, Washington could elevate themselves above the rest of the division with a player like Stafford under center.
New England Patriots
The Patriots are in no man’s land when it comes to their quarterbacks this offseason. Cam Newton wasn’t the answer, ranking just 26th in quarterback efficiency in 2020. It also became pretty clear that Belichick does not envisage Jarrett Sitdham being the Patriots’ future franchise quarterback. I can’t see Belichick wanting to develop a rookie in 2021 and with the 15th pick they are another team in quarterback purgatory.
The Patriots are projected to have around $54 million in cap space next season, more than enough to absorb Stafford’s $20 million cap hit. They also have a bunch of players returning after opting out of the 2020 season. The unknown dynamic here is Matt Patricia, who has returned to New England’s coaching staff. Whether or not this would be a positive or a negative for Stafford remains to be seen.
Denver Broncos
This is one of the more interesting landing spots for Stafford. In Denver he would be surrounded by a talented young receiving corps, with Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and K.J. Hamler at his disposal. This was a team held back by poor quarterback play all season. Stafford would be an immediate solution and would help the team to compete in a strong AFC West.
The question here though is whether this would be the right move for Denver. They pick at No. 9 in the 2021 Draft and could easily be in the market for one of the top quarterbacks. Though Stafford is a great option right now, the most forward thinking option might be a player like Trey Lance. If the Broncos don’t see themselves in an immediate Super Bowl window, then looking to a rookie may be their best option.
