Patriots trading for Matt Stafford would be a complicated situation
As the New England Patriots begin their search for a new quarterback, one name in particular comes to mind: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. He asked for a trade from the organization, and the two parties have decided mutually to part ways, per reports.
Could New England be a suitor for him?
In terms of on-the-field production, Stafford could be a viable option. His best season statistically came in 2011. That year, he threw for 5,038 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. But we haven’t seen that version of Stafford in quite some time. He has only eclipsed 30 touchdowns once since that season. In 2020, he was 5-11 while completing 64.2 percent of his passes for 4,084 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Nevertheless, for the consistency that Stafford has brought to the table over the past couple of years, the Lions organization has been anything but consistent.
Stafford would give the Patriots a quarterback with a strong arm, who can get the ball down the field quickly. He would be able to reinvigorate the Patriots passing game, and allow them to have a more balanced offense than they did in 2020. Provided New England gets some weapons at wide receiver, Stafford has the tools to take New England to the playoffs in 2021.
However, there is one caveat to this. With former Lions coach Matt Patricia back in the fold for the Patriots organization, there may be a bit of a roadblock for the Stafford to New England talks. Stafford did not enjoy playing under Patricia, according to NFL Network’s Michael Giardi. Would they operate well in the same building?
With Bill Belichick obviously the head coach, they could be a bit of a buffer between the two. In fact, Stafford and Patricia may never even interact. Nevertheless, it certainly presents an interesting situation.
However, it should also be noted that Stafford did not enjoy the Patricia experience. https://t.co/mo6JnxOigE
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) January 23, 2021
Provided Belichick gets a couple of weapons at wide receiver, this could be the perfect place for Stafford to have a chance to win. His consistent play affords the Patriots a chance to compete for the next couple of years, while also grooming a younger quarterback.
