Saints were not among team’s reportedly interested in Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, and prior to the trade, he had a solid market, one which didn’t include the New Orleans Saints.
The first blockbuster trade of the 2021 offseason has happened, and the Rams and Lions didn’t even wait for the Super Bowl to happen before breaking the news. Thankfully, the Saints weren’t involved.
However, with the trade behind us now, news that wasn’t before known always comes to light. This time, it was who the several teams were that the Los Angeles Rams were competing with for Stafford, and the list wasn’t short.
"“According to SI’s Albert Breer, seven teams have been in touch with Detroit about Stafford: the Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Football Team,” Wilton Jackson wrote for SI.com."
The Rams traded Jared Goff and his ugly contract along with two first-round picks and a third-round pick for Lions veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. Most thought the haul that the Lions received was rather extreme.
The obvious idea is that, with Sean McVay leading the charge, Stafford will be able to transcend to an MVP-level quarterback, and the Rams elite defense can carry them with an offense behind Stafford and Cam Akers that can adequately move the ball.
We’ll have to see about that.
As for the Saints, they’ll be needing a new quarterback as well if Drew Brees retires. With Brees expected to retire yet still giving hope of a return, the Saints should be preparing to name a new starting quarterback next season.
However, Stafford isn’t the smart move. Yes, he can still produce elite numbers. After all, he was able to put up over 4,000 yards while playing for the Lions. Detroit will have a top-five pick after a season in which the franchise struggled immensely.
The Saints will have better options though. Jameis Winston was the league’s passing leader in 2019. He spent this past season with New Orleans and may return to be the team’s starting quarterback next season.
New Orleans also has Taysom Hill locked up and a first-round pick which they could use on a Brees’ replacement.
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Either way, the Saints didn’t need to mortgage their future for a player like Stafford, even if Mickey Loomis could make the cap situation work.