NEWSLETTER
A friend nudged me toward watching “The Little Things” on HBO Max last night, then proceeded to fall asleep during the movie. So now I have to do what I can to not spoil it. Wish me luck!
• ICYMI: We saw a blockbuster pre-Super Bowl trade go down for the second time in four years, as the Lions traded Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff and future draft considerations. So not only do the Rams upgrade at quarterback, they do so while unloading Goff and his burdensome contract. In a way, there are two different takes on this trade. On the one hand, the Rams traded significant draft capital to acquire Matthew Stafford. But on the other, should we be viewing this as the Rams trading said draft capital for a salary dump. Part of me thinks of the Stafford-Goff swap like an NBA-style deal. In other words, this thing is layered.
• And then there’s this:
League source gives opinion on #Lions decision to take the #Rams deal for Matthew Stafford: "The Rams were screwed with a bad contract on (Jared) Goff and the #Lions helped them and don't even get a good pick this year. The Washington offer was better."
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 31, 2021
• If the Lions took a worse deal, then I’m happy about it. And I’m sure fans of the other teams in the NFC North are cool with it, too. Detroit not taking the best deal on the table only does a disservice to its team’s pursuits of building down the line. In other words, if this keeps the Lions wallowing in misery, then by all means, continue to make trades without the best long-term interests in mind.
• As expected, the Bears were reported to be interested in trading for Stafford (Adam Caplan).
• Ah, yes, that familiar feeling of being unable to shake how this trade has Bears implications. Not only do they not land Stafford, they watch him go to another NFC playoff team. On top of that, the Bears — and every other team thirsting to be in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes — probably saw the price go up. It’s still a worthwhile price, seeing that Watson is younger and more talented than Stafford. But the cost of doing business being on the rise is only great for the Texans. Then again, if this is the ask, then it’s something the Bears should be able to meet.
• From a different perspective:
This is almost the precise compensation that was moved in 2009 between the Broncos and Bears.
Just replace Matt Stafford with Jay Cutler, and Jared Goff with Kyle Orton. https://t.co/3R39Wmf7E3
— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) January 31, 2021
• The Lions landing Goff possibly takes them out of the running for drafting a quarterback this spring. This could make them ideal trade-up partners for the Bears if their big swing needs to come on draft day. Just something to keep in mind.
• First-round picks … who needs ’em?
The #Rams recent history of 1st round picks
2016: Jared Goff
2017: Traded (TEN)
2018: Traded (NE)
2019: Traded (ATL)
2020: Traded (JAX)
2021: Traded (JAX)
2022: Traded (DET)
2023: Traded (DET)— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 31, 2021
• Also worth keeping in mind is the idea that the Lions are set to send Goff to face the Bears twice this season. In theory, that should help the Bears’ pursuit of another playoff spot. Have you seen Goff’s numbers against the Bears?
⇒ 41/95 (56.8%), 2 TD, 5 INT, 59.7 rating (3 games)
• A spicy tease from NFL Network insider Michael Silver:
I spoke to Jared Goff after he was traded to the Lions. He told me, "I'm just excited to be somewhere that I know wants me and appreciates me." Column coming later today, and we'll have more on @nflnetwork at 6 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Pacific @AroundTheNFL
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) January 31, 2021
• This is some perspective I think Bears fans need to realize:
I clearly remember how strong of a relationship Sean McVay and Jared Goff had from day 1. Their relationship seemed like the perfect fit for them. Pretty wild how quickly it all changes.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 31, 2021
• The head coach having a good relationship with a quarterback he inherited and had some early success working with sounds eerily familiar, doesn’t it Bears fans? Sounds like a California version of Matt Nagy and Mitchell Trubisky if you ask me. And much like Sean McVay, Nagy finds himself searching for an upgrade at a position where it was once believed an answer was present. I see McVay-Goff falling apart this way as a reminder of why it’s important that the head coach, general manager, and quarterback are on the same timeline. The three most important parts of a n organization should be working hand-in-hand with each other.
• If you’re a team like the Falcons, do you see the Stafford return and think about calling the Bears and inquire about their potential interest in Matt Ryan? Sure, Ryan is three years older than Stafford. And trading his contract makes navigating through the snow look like a walk in the park. But it’s something the Falcons could consider after seeing the haul the Lions received from the Rams.
• I feel bad for the Bulls, but this is tremendous content:
Damian Lillard. Stunned. pic.twitter.com/mSyFgTBJsA
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) January 31, 2021
Yeah … That One Really Hurt: Trail Blazers 123, Bulls 122 – January 30, 2021https://t.co/p2i9A05aJC
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 31, 2021
• Elsewhere, who wants to witness Draymond Green and Klay Thompson body some random dude:
https://twitter.com/KNBR/status/1355750019459031040
that second “RODNEY!?” hurt https://t.co/wL31RazaeE pic.twitter.com/CUja2D6Pmc
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 31, 2021
