Dolphins trade back market adds contender with Matthew Stafford news
Perhaps the Detroit Lions should have drafted a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after all. Remember, it was the Detroit Lions who consistently teased their interest in a quarterback ahead of last April’s NFL Draft — their objective to coax another team to jump up into the No. 3 spot to select a quarterback and pay a handsome price to the Lions for their troubles.
But now the shoe is on the other foot for Detroit — and this time Miami is the team that will entertain the idea of moving down for a boatload of picks. According to a report from ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, Lions long-time starting quarterback Matthew Stafford and the team have agreed to part ways:
In an arrangement the two sides have discussed and mutually agreed upon, quarterback Matthew Stafford is expected to not return to the Lions this offseason, with Detroit listening to trade offers for its former No. 1 overall pick starting this week, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday.
With new general manager Brad Holmes and new head coach Dan Campbell now in place, the Lions will soon begin trade discussions that most likely will result in a new quarterback — largely influenced by what and who the Lions will receive in a trade for Stafford, sources told ESPN.
The Lions are expected to receive at least a first-round pick, league sources said.
That’s a big “whoops” for Detroit, whose decision to pass on either Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert at No. 3 in April will create unneeded drama in their quarterback transition — plus the additional cost it may require the Lions to “go get their guy”. And if Detroit is committed to jumping up to secure a quarterback, Miami should be the first team they call. For the Dolphins, the appeal is obvious. The team is interested in adding some wide receiver help to the room and Alabama’s DeVonta Smith is the most popular contender for the pick to date. If Miami traded from No. 3 to No. 7 in April’s draft, there’s a very real possibility that Smith would still be on the board.
Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Trevor Lawrence
New York Jets: QB Zach Wilson or QB Justin Fields
Detroit Lions (via Miami through Houston): QB Justin Fields or QB Zach Wilson
Cincinnati Bengals: OT Penei Sewell
Philadelphia Eagles: WR Ja’Marr Chase or WR DeVonta Smith or CB Patrick Surtain II or CB Caleb Farley
At the very least Miami would likely see two of the top three wide receivers in this year’s class still on the board and in the process would recoup quite a load of picks. And with Detroit being closer to the top of the order than many other quarterback hungry teams, this is a big win for Miami’s trade-back outlook. We’ll see in the coming weeks and months how the Dolphins choose to tackle their best asset. But with the playoffs not even over, it is clear the team will have a plethora of options.
