SF 49ers: Winners, losers from LA Rams deal for Matthew Stafford

Winners from Matthew Stafford Trade

Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford didn’t want to go through another rebuild in Detroit. It’s possible he could have been traded to another rebuilding team, albeit one with a better situation. But now he gets to go to a Rams squad that’s finished with an above-.500 record in all four years under head coach Sean McVay and has made the playoffs in three of those four seasons.

McVay’s offense is dynamic and should benefit Stafford greatly, giving him an array of chances to continue his perennial 4,000-yard abilities per season.

Plus, who doesn’t like the weather in Southern California? It’ll be a vast improvement from the wintery, cold conditions in Detroit.

LA Rams

It was pretty clear at the end of 2020 Los Angeles wanted to move on from Jared Goff.

Goff has often been compared to the SF 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo in many ways — an effective quarterback when the context and situation is ideal, but neither should be assumed capable of elevating a team’s offense when its shorthanded.

Instead, the Rams get a quarterback who has shouldered offensive talent before without having a bona fide run game and elite crop of weapons to support him previously in Detroit.

Getting out from under Goff’s remaining $43 million in guaranteed money is a win, too.

Detroit Lions

Goff isn’t an improvement over Stafford. And the Lions do have to take on Goff’s massive contract numbers, which are notably higher than the $20 million Stafford is scheduled to make this year.

But at least Detroit can fully commit to the rebuild with some much-needed draft capital over the next three years. And by the time those classes come together, it’s likely the Lions will have moved on from Goff anyway.

Houston Texans

One of the other hot names on the NFL trade market this offseason is the Houston Texans quarterback, Deshaun Watson, who also wants to move on after his own franchise’s ineptitude over the years.

Watson has likely played his final snap with Houston despite it telling the football world is has no intention of moving on from one of the league’s best up-and-coming quarterbacks.

That said, looking at a deal for Stafford that includes multiple first-round picks, a mid-round selection and a starting-caliber quarterback only serves to drive up any would-be asking price for Watson into the overly exorbitant range.

And that’s a range the SF 49ers probably won’t be willing to chance.

Jimmy Garoppolo

Garoppolo would have been expendable if the Niners made a deal for Stafford. Plain and simple.

Now, with San Francisco’s options getting smaller, Garoppolo’s chances of being his team’s starter in 2021 just saw a massive increase. Especially considering what it might cost for the SF 49ers to make a trade for Watson now. That market could heat up a lot, and it’s anyone’s guess how much that blockbuster trade winds up being.

Granted, Garoppolo could now look at his situation this season and be relatively frustrated with how the Niners view him within their long-term plans. Perhaps that prompts some resentment, potentially leading to Garoppolo asking for his own trade this offseason.

Or, just as possibly, Garoppolo uses this as motivation to go out and prove to San Francisco why he’s worth holding onto.

For now, however, he’s the SF 49ers’ guy.