Posting all this high maintenance Lions drama here and in the Lions team notes thread.
Your comments on Lions planning to trade Stafford or As Bob Quinn says NO, here.
https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2020/2/13/21135987/detroit-lions-refute-matthew-stafford-trade-rumors
Lions GM Bob Quinn shoots down Matthew Stafford trade rumors.
A local report suggested the Lions are talking about moving Stafford, but Bob Quinn vehemently refuted it.
POD
Overnight, Bernie Smilovitz of Detroit?s Local 4 reported that the Detroit Lions have been in trade talks surrounding Matthew Stafford ?for a couple of weeks.? This is the first substantial report surround Stafford trade rumors that have subsisted for several years now. Smilovitz is a local reporter that has had very intimate conversations with Staffords, which may give this report some legitimacy.
However, Lions general manager Bob Quinn told the Detroit Free Press that this report is ?100 % False!!? with the exclamation points and everything.
At this point, it?s simply up to who you believe. Common sense follows that there is no legitimacy to the rumor. Even if we were to ignore the fact that the Lions would have to eat $32 million in dead cap and that the Lions recently restructured his deal so that it would cost even more to get rid of him, trading Stafford this offseason would also mean they plan on playing the presumed rookie they would draft with the third overall pick.
If that quarterback is Tua Tagovailoa, the team would be taking an enormous risk given the Alabama quarterback?s current health situation. Even his own agent told the Detroit Free Press that the best case scenario for Tagovailoa would be to sit his rookie year.
Making such a substantial move like this would also put the jobs of Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia at risk, given ownership expects 2020 to be a year in which the Lions are in playoff contention. That sort of immediate expectations would seemingly put an end to any doubt about Stafford?s future.
But we?ll see.
UPDATE: Voice of Lions radio and FOX 2 Detroit contributor Dan Miller also has sources confirming the trade rumors are false:
https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2020/02/13/bob-quinn-defiantly-rejects-matthew-stafford-trade-rumors/
Bob Quinn defiantly rejects Matthew Stafford trade rumors.
LionsWire
https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2020...s-a-bad-idea-but-its-not-out-of-the-question/
Trading Stafford is a bad idea, but it's not out of the question.
LionsWire
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/s...w-stafford-trade-report-100-false/4747072002/
Lions GM Bob Quinn: Report team is shopping Matthew Stafford '100% false'.
Detnews
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...it-lions-bob-quinn-tua-tagovailoa/4747635002/
Bob Quinn is adamant Detroit Lions won't trade Matthew Stafford. Here's why.
Freep
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...w-stafford-trade-rumors-bob-quinn/4746995002/
Detroit Lions' Bob Quinn shoots down Matthew Stafford trade rumors: '100% False!!'
Freep
While adding a young, cost-controlled quarterback like Tagovailoa would be appealing to most NFL teams, the Lions potentially included, there are plenty of reasons to believe trading Stafford is the wrong move for the Lions.
First, Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia were given a win-now mandate by ownership late in last year's disappointing 3-12-1 season. Stafford gives the organization its best chance to win in 2020, and Tagovailoa's agent, Leigh Steinberg, told the Free Press at the Super Bowl that it's in Tagovailoa's best interests to go to an organization where he can sit and observe during his rookie season.
Second, the Lions did a simple restructure of Stafford's contract late last season, converting a $6 million roster bonus originally due in March to a signing bonus. That move means the Lions will incur a $32 million cap hit if the trade Stafford.
If Stafford plays for the Lions this fall, his cap hit will be $21.3 million.
Finally, with the third pick, the Lions are not guaranteed a chance to draft Tagovailoa (or Burrow). The Bengals are in desperate need of a quarterback and almost certainly will take one at No. 1. Washington could draft a quarterback second, even though it took Dwayne Haskins in the first round last year. And if it doesn't, it would be a prime candidate to trade the No. 2 pick to another quarterback-needy team like the Miami Dolphins if the Lions were to make a move with Stafford now.
https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/02...n-rumors-of-matthew-stafford-trade-talks.html
Detroit Lions GM Bob Quinn denies rumors of Matthew Stafford trade talks.
Mlive
https://www.mlive.com/lions/2020/02...n-rumors-of-matthew-stafford-trade-talks.html
Detroit Lions GM Bob Quinn denies rumors of Matthew Stafford trade talks.
Mlive
