Matthew Stafford traded to Rams: Winners and losers from blockbuster NFL trade
Loser: San Francisco 49ers
One of the teams that everyone seemingly connected to a Matthew Stafford trade was the San Francisco 49ers. There has been endless speculation that the franchise is looking to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo and this seemed like a perfect opportunity for them to accomplish that. In fact, you could make the argument that they are in a similar position to the Rams in terms of Super Bowl hopes.
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Now they don’t only miss out on Stafford but they have to see him the NFC West. On top of that, the pressure is now turned up on the 49ers to make a move at quarterback. That could raise the price tag in any other potential trade and it could limit their options as well. Simply put, this did not end up well for San Francisco in any way.
Winner: Detroit Lions and Jared Goff
Some people are going to look at Jared Goff being traded as an indictment on him and there is some truth to that, it must be said. However, it’s also an opportunity for him to revive his career. As a former No. 1 overall pick, there is obvious talent with the now-former Rams starter. After all, he did help to guide the Rams to a Super Bowl berth. And this deal could serve as motivation for him.
That is obviously a positive situation for the Lions as they can evaluate a now-motivated Goff and the quarterback position moving forward but they are also now armed with a bevy of draft picks as well. They have five first-round picks over the next three years, which will aid them tremendously in rebuilding after trading away Stafford. Though it’ll take time, the future looks bright in Detroit.