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Stafford and Goff Trade – Winners and Losers – NFL Reaction

Adam Krieger / NFL, NFL Draft / January 31, 2021

The Goff and Stafford trade broke today and here is the gut reaction.

The first huge trade of the 2021 season went down on the last Saturday in January with the Rams and Lions swapping quarterbacks. Lions sent Matt Stafford to the Rams in exchange for Jared Goff, a few draft picks also got sent to Detroit along with Goff.

Winners: Stafford

My gut reaction is the Detroit Lions won this trade, getting the younger of the two quarterbacks and picks along with them, they have a chance to build this team the way they want down the road. Jared Goff led the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018 where they lost to Tom Brady and the Patriots. The Lions also get a fresh start under new coach Dan Campbell. Goff is just 26 years old with a bright future ahead seemingly. Although Trey does not agree with that take, I still think Goff’s experience making a Super Bowl run will help in the locker room and help develop the new picks they ultimately will take from the Rams

Matt Stafford is the next winner of this trade, the 32-year-old QB was drafted first overall needed a change of scenery. He will get to work with offensive guru Sean McVay to bring the Rams back to a deep playoff run.

Losers: Goff

If you’re looking for winners and losers in tonight’s trade. Consider this —Jared Goff goes from Sean McVay to Fred Flinstone. Won’t end well.
— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) January 31, 2021

Jared Goff, he is the biggest loser in all this for sure. First of all, he has to go from sunny Los Angeles to freezing cold Detroit. Next, he goes from arguably a top 5 head coach in the NFL to a first-year head coach in a franchise that historically isn’t the best or well run for that matter. As far as trade value, he had to be lumped in with two future first round draft picks to be traded.

Rams trading away their draft picks doesn’t make them a winner by any stretch of imagination either though. Taking on the older quarterback of the two and losing draft capital for the future won’t be easy for the organization, but I am sure McVay has a plan, well he better if he wants to see his team win down the road.

TL//DR: Rams and Lions trade quarterbacks and the Lions won this exchange. The Goff and Stafford trade will go down in history for sure