Matthew Stafford did right by the Lions, so the Lions wanted to do right by him. When he asked to be traded after 12 years in Detroit, they wanted to send him somewhere of his choosing. Somewhere he could win.
Stafford got his wish when the Lions dealt him to the Rams, one of the top three teams on his list along with the 49ers and Colts. And the Lions got what they wanted in return, namely two first-round picks.
A win for all parties involved.
Question is, did the Lions turn down more immediate help in the process?
Washington reportedly offered Detroit the 19th overall pick plus a third-rounder in this year's draft. And Carolina, which handed Stafford just the second shutout of his career this season, reportedly offered a package built around the 8th overall pick. But Stafford had no interest in playing for the Panthers, who are coming off three straight losing seasons.
"That one right there, that was a team that was crossed off the list by Matthew Stafford," Chris Simms said Monday on NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk. "That's my understanding of the situation. I’ve been told by a very reliable source that, yeah, he kind of squashed the Carolina thing. I don’t think he wanted that to happen. He was trying to steer this conversation into a team where he felt comfortable and wanted to play for and live there, and I think that’s where the Rams really made a lot of sense for Stafford."
Carolina was reportedly in on Stafford until the finish, so it's not as if the Lions crossed them off their list. They still talked, they still negotiated. It might be that Detroit upped the price for a team that wasn't among Stafford' preferred destinations.
Or it might be that the Rams' offer was simply the best one on the table, and Stafford got what he wanted as a result.
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