Report: Lions asked for Aaron Donald in initial trade talks with the Rams
The Detroit Lions have a trade agreement worked out with the Los Angeles Rams that sees the Lions shipping QB Matthew Stafford to the Rams for QB Jared Goff, two future first-round draft picks and a third-round pick in 2021. But the deal, which will be official on March 17th, wasn’t what the Lions initially wanted.
Per a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions began the trade negotiations by asking for Rams All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald in return for Stafford. Donald won the NFL’s defensive player of the year honor for 2020 in the NFL Honors on Saturday night and is one of the most impactful defensive players of this century.
The Rams balked at parting with Donald. The two sides eventually agreed upon the final compensation. With Lions GM Brad Holmes and assistant GM Ray Agnew both coming directly from the Rams this offseason, they probably knew the request on Donald would be rejected. But the report, if true, does indicate the “swing for the fences” nature of the new Lions regime.
When trade talks began between the Rams and Lions, the first player Detroit requested in a trade for QB Matthew Stafford was DT Aaron Donald, per sources. Rams told Lions, that's not happening, before the two sides later figured out the eventual compensation package. https://t.co/blGUo3f47y
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2021
