What the Washington Football Team reportedly offered for Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, but the Washington Football Team evidently made a serious offer for him.
It’s not a huge surprise that the Washington Football Team would be interested in Stafford. Washington made the playoffs last year despite starting four different players at the quarterback spot, and Stafford was viewed as a potential veteran upgrade that could stabilize the team at the position and help them be a true playoff contender in 2021.
Alas, the Rams were able to get Stafford by offering up two first-round picks and the services of Jared Goff, who the Rams made the No. 1 overall pick when current Lions GM Brad Holmes was their Director of College Scouting.
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What the Washington Football Team offered for Matthew Stafford
Still, Washington was among the teams that made a push for Stafford’s services, and according to Albert Breer of the MMQB, their offer was a first-round pick and a third.
"Both Washington and Carolina had offered their first-round picks and then some. The Panthers’ first-rounder is eighth (that wound up being the highest pick offered) and their proposal came with a later pick. Washington packaged a third-round pick with the 19th pick."
That was certainly a substantial offer from Washington. They have an extra third-round pick this year as a result of the Trent Williams trade, too, so it’s not a surprise to see that they threw one in an offer along with their first-round pick. Simply put, Stafford is better than any quarterback they’d likely land with the 19th pick (or in the third round, for that matter) so that price would’ve been a fine one to pay for his services.
Ultimately though, the Lions preferred the Rams’ offer because they have two future firsts and a bridge quarterback. Part of the reason that the Lions got two firsts was their willingness to take on Goff’s sizable contract, and given that they don’t view him completely as dead weight, that made the package the clear winner.
Fans should be encouraged to see that Washington was aggressive in attempting to land a strong starting quarterback, but they should also be encouraged that the team didn’t get into a bidding war with the Rams for Stafford’s services.
This was a measured effort by Ron Rivera, Martin Mayhew, and Marty Hurney to try to get a quarterback upgrade. When their price wasn’t quite right, they didn’t panic and up it to try to beat the Rams. That was, unequivocally, the right move.
Washington is still certainly in the quarterback market this offseason and with Stafford on the move, all eyes will be on a potential Deshaun Watson trade, whether it’s for Washington or another team in the NFL.
A history of Washington Football Team QB trades. dark. Next
Whether they target Watson or not, Washington will certainly make a move at the QB position. It’s just a matter of whether they add a veteran starter, a rookie with potential, or if they just add competition to their current quarterback room. We’ll see what happens soon enough.