The biggest NFL story to hit the wire yesterday was that the the Lions are preparing to trade quarterback Matthew Stafford. Immediately after the news broke, pundits began putting together lists of the most likely suitors for Stafford, and the 49ers are high atop most such lists.
Indeed, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle expects the Niners to inquire about Stafford, and Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area says the team is likely to make a decision quickly about whether to be involved in the bidding (Twitter link). The consensus seems to be that it will take a first-round pick plus additional draft compensation to acquire Stafford, and it’s unclear whether GM John Lynch is willing to part with that type of capital.
Of course, the 49ers have Jimmy Garoppolo under contract through the 2022 season, but he has missed 23 games over the last three years, while Stafford has started every game in nine of the past 10 seasons. Plus, head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s offense, replete with play-action passes, bootlegs, and deep shots, would appear to be a perfect fit for the Lions’ franchise icon.
Money would not be an obstacle either. Stafford will count just $20MM against the cap in 2021 — a rather modest sum for a quality signal-caller — while Garoppolo is scheduled to carry a $26.9MM hit. San Francisco would incur a mere $2.8MM in dead money by trading or releasing Garoppolo, so the club would actually improve its cap situation and (probably) its quarterback play by acquiring Stafford.
Garoppolo does have a no-trade clause written into his contract, but as he is unlikely to fetch a significant return in a trade at this point, dealing him wouldn’t be a condition precedent to a Stafford trade. Matt Barrows of The Athletic wonders just how much of an improvement Stafford would be and if that improvement will be enough to warrant the surrender of the 49ers’ No. 12 overall selection, and that’s a decision that Lynch & Co. will need to make in the coming weeks.
As of now, Lynch does not anticipate using his top draft choice on a collegiate passer, as Alex Didion of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. So if the team doesn’t acquire Stafford or some other veteran, it sounds like Garoppolo will be the 49ers’ 2021 starter, as Shanahan suggested last month.
I hope Stafford goes to a potentially great team. He is highly underrated and a true grinder. We will miss him in Detroit!
Except for one big thing in which he’s a huge part of….he never wins.
He’s had one 1,000 yard rusher and terrible defenses in his career. Put him on a legit team like SF and you’ll see the wins.
Any fan base that gets him is gonna love him right away. Tough as nails.
Except sf isn’t a legit team, defense was awful with bosa this season and got even worse went he got injured. They have 1 great season in the last 8 years, and just lost there dc to jets. Stafford on Rams or saints however would be huge as they are a signal caller away from being a contender.
Even with all the injuries they had a top 5 defense, quit spewing nonsense and making me defend a team I hate.
Ronswanson….kudos to you for not suffering from the common fan disorder known as homeritis.
Tatsumaki clearly does suffer from this
Sorry but of the last 8 years only 2 years did they place in top 5 and that was with their dc that’s now on another team. Care to try again? Could you explain why they missed playoffs if they were truly 1 piece away? Thought so
Bitter Rams fan maybe?
Yea bro, even on d.c they be aight. But 9ers, WFT, Saints, or yall (Rams)
You do know first of all, the 49ers STILL had a top defense correct??
And that was WITH losing the following players for LENGTHY periods of time:
Nick Bosa
Ezekiel Ansah
Solomon Thomas
DJ Jones
Dee Ford
Kwan Alexander
Richard Sherman
Jaquiski Tartt
Jimmy Ward
Kentavius Street
Kerry Hyder
Emmanuel Moseley
Ahkello Witherspoon
K’Waun Williams
Jamar Taylor
Jordan Willis
That’s SIXTEEN players that have missed at least a few games or more this past season!! Their defense was down to sometimes their fourth and fifth guys on the depth chart, AND they still performed at an above average level most of the time!!!
So, please get out of here with that nonsense garbage you’re trying to spread. It obviously is just some biased assumption you made without checking the facts!!!
Now, yes, they’re going to have to redo their secondary, but with their excellent pass rush and Warner, they should be able to do so fairly easily..
They just need guys to stay healthy, rebuild their secondary, and then add a reliable QB, and the 49ers will be right back to contending…
How dumb are you? Despite all of their injuries this year the 49ers defense was still top 10 in most categories this year.
Are you serious? In the last ten years they’ve played in 4 champ games and two Super Bowls. Almost their entire d got hurt week two last year so how could they be bad until bosa got hurt? Bad in week one? The offense then took a big hit the following week. If they had been mostly healthy all season they would have been a legit contender again. Don’t comment if you have no idea what you’re talking about.
Who does in Detroit?
Last time I looked, football is a team sport and the quarterback does not play defense or special teams. I guess by your logic, Mike Trout is not a winner either.
Stafford is an average quarterback. He has had good receivers, even great receivers over his career (CJ) and he has made 1 pro bowl and had 3 good years and several mediocre ones. He’s just not that good. Plenty of other QB’s have bad defenses and lack a running game and put up substantially better numbers than Stafford does.
Stafford has consistently had a bottom 10 defense. There really aren’t a lot of teams or other qb’s who will be that good with that bad of a defense every year
Don’t listent ot twentyforty, especially when it comes to QB’s. He’s a Packers fan who has been screaming for Rodgers’ head for what, 3-plus years now? I don’t think his judgement is too clear…
No one wins in Detroit. Stafford could win a SB in Indy Denver San Fran New England
Stafford for garoppolo and a first and a second (not same draft so they deal 22 first round and 21 second round….keep that early 21 first rounder)
Not sure the Lions really want a more expensive Garoppolo back. They’ll just keep Chase Daniel as their starter and draft another QB to take over mid season. It’s a full rebuild for Detroit
Lions want picks not a player.
LOL, no… the 49ers might part with a 5th in ’22 and some token “win now” piece off their current roster, but NO WAY in hell they’re giving up the 12 for Stafford, much less 1.12 + other piece(s). The Lions are Kramer suing after getting burned by the coffee… they’ll jump at the first offer they get, and screw themselves in the process. It’s just what our organization has always done, and always will do.
Then they aren’t getting Stafford
Don’t give this organization too much credit to get adequate value in a deal for their assets. It’s almost like they go out of their way to screw themselves.
9’ers get Stanford and trade jimmy to New England.
The whole university?!
Is Harvard going back on the deal?
If they give up the 12th pick they better have a deal in place with Trent Williams. Other wise Stafford is going to get hammered behind a bad OLine.
Stafford’s been used to that his entire career. The right side of this year’s Lions OL was a starting gate and he still put up solid numbers.
Just more evidence of how dumb Lynch is as a GM. Jimmy G can’t stay healthy because the OL allows sacks at a 6.4% rate. You don’t solve the problem by acquiring a soon to be 33 yr old QB who has the mobility of a statue.
Just more evidence? Evidently you don’t read so well Clarence.
Get out of here. Ban this clown. “More evidence”???!!!!??? What evidence is there to start with? Can we agree that if you have a future all pro in your draft class, then no matter how bad the rest of your draft was it should be considered a success? Lynch became GM in 2017. In 2017 he drafted George Kittle. In 2018 he drafted Fred Warner. In 2019 he drafted Nick Bosa. His first 3 years has GM and he drafted an All Pro player all 3 years and had them in the superbowl year 3.
Where the hell were you when Trent Baalke was around. Lynch has been amazing.
“You dont solve the problem by acquiring a soon to be 33 year old QB who has the mobility of a statue”
How soon you forget that lynch went after trading for tom brady a couple months after going to the superbowl. Tom brady is 10 years older and is a statue as well, look how that turned out?
Garappolo back to New England
Garoppolo**
Stafford is definitely the better player right now but I feel like the 49ers match up better with the falcons for Ryan.
Garappolo to the Pats for a 2nd rounder. Take than 2nd and pair with their own 2nd and offer it to Detroit. I know they want a first but it seems unlikely. 2 seconds ain’t bad.
Yea bro, even on d.c they be aight. But 9ers, WFT, Saints, or yall (Rams)
49ers + Stafford would be deadly.
Stafford will be the one going to New England…
No, Saints I hope. They got a team.
Indy will make an offer and win a SB with him. Stafford is tough as nails. Hunch: Marvin Jones will sign wherever he ends up.
Steelers should look into Stafford if Ben decides to retire. I doubt they will anyway, but would be nice.