Getty Matthew Stafford battles the Patriots in 2018.
The Detroit Lions have had tons of folks opine that they need to move on from Matthew Stafford, and even as that doesn’t seem to be happening, one voice thinks the team is totally justified in keeping the quarterback around.
Cliff Avril, a former defensive end for the team, played with Stafford for a few seasons before moving on. When talking with TMZ Sports, Avril explained that he doesn’t think the Lions should be moving in a different direction from their quarterback, but instead building him up with some better talent for the 2020 season.
“I don’t think they should give up on Stafford yet. I’ve played against him. I’ve played on his team, I’ve broken down film. Matt can throw the ball,” Avril said in the interview with TMZ. “He can still put it out there. He can still play some football. He’s had injuries here and there. A lot of people ask me should they get Tua (Tagovailoa) from Alabama. He’s coming off injury so, if I’m the coach, I know I’ve been there for 2 years. I know I only have a year or two left if we don’t start winning some ballgames. Do I want to go off of a young player that’s coming out of college that’s been injured, or do I keep the veteran player I have and surround him with other great players?”
As Avril also said, the choice is simple, and it involves keeping Detroit’s quarterback and building around him for the future.
“I would leave Stafford there. Surround him with some good players, get that defense going again and give them a real chance to win some ballgames,” he said.
As for his message to Matt Patricia, the staff and front office, Avril says 2020 is a simple matter of timing. In Detroit, time is running out.
“You ain’t got time to be trying something new right now, You better go with this veteran player that needs his job too. Tua’s a heck of a ballplayer. I don’t want to take anything away from him, but he’s coming off of an injury. With my job on the line, am I going to risk that? I don’t know.”
At this point, it doesn’t seem as if the Lions are going to risk that at all.
ESPN Analyst Wants Lions Picking Tua Tagovailoa
Not everyone agrees with Avril’s take. Just a few months ago, the notion was that Detroit must take Tua Tagovailoa according to ESPN’s Bart Scott and start over by dealing Matthew Stafford. It’s the only way Scott sees the team moving forward and crafting a brighter future for themselves.
“I think about that sweet spot. The sweet spot for me is the third pick with the Detroit Lions,” Scott recently said on Get Up. “I don’t see how the Detroit Lions let Tua Tagovailoa get past them.”
According to Scott, who’s said before that Stafford should be on the move via trade this offseason, the timing is perfect for the Lions to start over with a talented young player in Tagovailoa.
“They understand they have had Matthew Stafford. He’s only 31 years old. We’ve seen what it looks like to have Stafford for 11 years. You’re not going to win a Super Bowl with him,” Scott said. “If you’re a struggling coach in this league, you want to press the reset button. You can’t let a guy with arm talent and vision get away. This is your opportunity to get a young gun, start off young, and really be able to trade Matthew Stafford to get some picks to start over with a young core.”
As Scott said, depth should be the first order of business for the Lions, who need to build a more complete team.
“What you need in Detroit is depth, you need talent. The only way you’re going to get talent is by getting rid of your biggest chip, which is Matthew Stafford,” he said.
As it stands now, the Lions have plenty of picks with which to work with this season, including a pair in the third round. Adding to that would certainly help them build things up and improve the depth. They could also do this by not trading away Stafford and merely dealing down from their top pick, which might be more likely at this point in time.
Matthew Stafford Won’t Get Traded
Speaking at the NFL Combine, Lions general manager Bob Quinn spoke about the trade rumors regarding Stafford and once again admitted the rumors of the Lions dangling their quarterback is false. Additionally, Quinn explained that he has connected with Stafford, and the quarterback wants to stay with the Lions in Detroit.
Bob Quinn again denies any trade talks involving Stafford. Said he’s shared that with Stafford and QB was receptive and wants to remain in Detroit.
Stafford’s commitment to the Lions makes sense given how much time and effort he has put into quarterbacking the team since he was selected by the team in 2009. Stafford would likely be the last to ask for a trade and would likely want to stick and try to win in Detroit. That much has been confirmed by his wife and family before.
Now, the Lions will set out to do what Avril suggests and build around their leader at quarterback.
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