Getty Matthew Stafford gestures during the Lions game in Atlanta.
Trade talks are underway for Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, and the market seems to show some strong early signs for the team in terms of a return in the coming days.
Just a few days after trade interest was leaked, a robust market has been said to have developed for the quarterback, with nearly a third of the league making calls. Pairing that interest down further this week was Peter King of NBC Sports. As King reported, he believes five teams likely will be offering at least a first-round pick in talks for Stafford as they get underway.
Peter King says at least 5 teams will likely offer at least a first-round pick to trade for Matt Stafford.
This type of massive market for the quarterback can only be seen as a good sign for the Lions, who need to have as many teams bidding as possible in order to ramp up a robust market. Early on, it seems as if the widespread interest has translated into widespread offers for at least half of the teams who made the call about Stafford.
So far, we don’t know what teams those are concretely, but answers could be coming in the days ahead. For now, the Lions have to sort through the potential deals and think about what makes the most sense for them and their franchise.
How Deshaun Watson’s Market Could Impact Matthew Stafford
The Lions may have received a bit of bad news combined with this good news on Thursday with reports that Houston Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson has requested a trade. Unlike Detroit, however, it doesn’t seem as if the Texans could be as motivated to give in to his demands at this point in time. The other positive for Detroit? While Stafford is older than Watson at 32, he is certain to cost much more due to this fact. Detroit still figures to be able to get a haul for Stafford, but might not be as rigid in demands as the Texans could be if Watson is actually on the block.
At this point, it seems as if both Stafford and Watson can co-exist on the market without much overlap. Teams might be more motivated to grab Stafford knowing they are assured of a lower price in trade and perhaps contractually as well.
Lions Should Have High Asking Price for Matthew Stafford
Regardless of what happens with Watson, Detroit can still afford to be choosy in this situation. The relationship with Stafford might be over, but the Lions don’t necessarily have to move on even though the genie is out of the bottle in terms of his future. As a result, the Lions need to remain firm in their asking price, and the offer should be at minimum a first-round pick in 2021 with a package of other picks this season or extra picks in 2022. One of those elements could be swapped for a young player if Detroit wants to get creative and the value remains fair.
Regardless, the Lions seem likely to get what they want in the end for Stafford. At this point, the only thing left to be seen is what teams are interested and who brings a strong enough offer in order to help facilitate the deal. Thus far, it seems as if early indications are strong pitches have been made.
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