Matthew Stafford is ready to part ways with the Detroit Lions this offseason, and interest in the veteran quarterback appears to be quite high.
How many teams have shown some level of interest in trading for Stafford? NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported an update on the talks during an NFL Network appearance Wednesday morning.
“The Lions immediately began fielding calls from teams interested,” Rapoport said. “From what I understand, almost a third of the league has called the Lions -- significant interest in Matthew Stafford. (Detroit) should be able to get at least a first-rounder there from wherever he goes.”
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Stafford is 32 years old but still one of the top 15 quarterbacks in the NFL. It's not surprising that he's generating plenty of interest around the league. Any contender in need of an upgrade at quarterback should at least make a call to the Lions and see what Detroit is looking for in return.
Stafford completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 4,084 yards with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2020. He's also been one of the league's most durable quarterbacks. Stafford didn't miss a single game from 2011 through 2018. After missing eight games in 2019, he played all in 16 this past season.
The New England Patriots are one team in need of a new quarterback before next season. Neither Cam Newton nor Jarrett Stidham played well enough in 2020 to warrant an extended stint as the starter in 2021.
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Should the Patriots pay a first-round pick (and maybe more?) to acquire Stafford? It's a steep price, especially for a team like New England that has so many roster weak spots to address in the draft and free agency.
The Patriots should only acquire Stafford if they're also going to surround him with enough weapons on offense to be successful. Acquiring Stafford and giving him the weapons that Newton and Stidham had at their disposal in 2020 won't be enough to get the Patriots back into the mix for the AFC title.