If things go really wrong this year...

[jared]

Is there a chance that the Lions move on from some guys?

I am not rooting for this. I think we have a decent chance to make the playoffs this year again.

But...if we have a down year (as we have every single year following a playoff berth) and especially if we have a down year and #9 struggles, will the Lions cut him?

I'm not looking for an argument as to whether Stafford will have a good year or not, though I figure this will digress into that argument by post #4 or so.

If I'm reading the salary cap numbers correctly, his 2016 cap hit is 22,500,000, and the penalty for cutting him would be 11,000,000. It would be the first year in a long time (if ever) that there could be a financial advantage to cutting him. Any chance this could happen.

Further, it's a huge year for Tulloch. 6 mil saved with less than 1.5 penalty for cutting him.

 

[LKP]

Restructure him before a cut. Or extend him to lower his cap number actually. Zero chance he is cut after his 2013 and 2014 seasons were good on tape. Some chance we draft a QB though if we have a bad year. I'd take one Round 2 or 3 to replace Orlovksy anyway.

Down year might not be Stafford's fault. See 2012 and 2013

But this team is way too good. 11 wins+.

 

[wheels002]

I will never understand why so many people are so quick to dumP Staff he still is the best QB we have had in 30 years. Its not so easy to replace a qb.

 

[jared]

Restructure him before a cut. Or extend him to lower his cap number actually. Zero chance he is cut after his 2013 and 2014 seasons were good on tape. Some chance we draft a QB though if we have a bad year. I'd take one Round 2 or 3 to replace Orlovksy anyway.

Down year might not be Stafford's fault. See 2012 and 2013

But this team is way too good. 11 wins+.

This is assuming a down year from both the team AND the QB. Again, I don't want him cut and I'm hopeful that he will have a good year, this is more of a what if.

Restructuring is a bad idea in this scenario IMO. You just kick the can of the giant cap hit further and further down the road. See Suh, Ndamukong. He's a DT we used to have. Really great player. We restructured him so many times that he had an untenable cap number, preventing us from franchising him.

 

[jared]

I will never understand why so many people are so quick to dumP Staff he still is the best QB we have had in 30 years. Its not so easy to replace a qb.

Don't want him dumped wheels. Just looking at cap numbers. This year, he would cost 10 million more to cut than to keep. Next year changes that. Actually for Calvin too. Chalk it up to bored with 4 days to go.

 

[LKP]

This is assuming a down year from both the team AND the QB. Again, I don't want him cut and I'm hopeful that he will have a good year, this is more of a what if.

Restructuring is a bad idea in this scenario IMO. You just kick the can of the giant cap hit further and further down the road. See Suh, Ndamukong. He's a DT we used to have. Really great player. We restructured him so many times that he had an untenable cap number, preventing us from franchising him.

Lions don't really need the cap room for 2016. They have plenty. They could roll with 22 million anyway.

We could have re-signed Suh. We offered 17 per even with the kicked cans. And Suh played on a giant cap number in 2014 and we won 11 games. Big cap number wasn't the problem. Greed was the problem picking 19 per over 17 per and a slam dunk top 5 defense if he returned. he chose an inferior Miami team for money.

 

[zyxt9]

Hate to say it again, but the Lions are historically cursed after a 10+ win season. If the Lions do not win 10+ again this year, it will likely be due to injuries...the most devastating would be losing Stafford for half of the season or longer. If that happens, Lions have a slim to none chance of winning 10. IF on the other hand, Stafford plays all 16, chances are good that the Lions not winning 10 would fall on the shoulders of the rest of the team. I do not see Stafford playing 14+ games and the Lions not winning 10+ solely due to Stafford having a bad year to the degree he gets cut/traded at the end of the year. If he is injured, then much depends on the severity. While career ending injuries to QBs are not very common, but anything is unfortunately possible.

 

[brewer229]

I will never understand why so many people are so quick to dumP Staff he still is the best QB we have had in 30 years. Its not so easy to replace a qb.

I will never understand why so many people are so quick to defend Staff becase he is the best QB we have had in XX years. Who cares. We will never play the 1984 Lions. We will never play the 2001 Lions. It does not matter how he compares to others in history, he needs to play more like his peers of today.

Back to the OP, yes cutting or trading him after the season would save the lions 11 million in 2016 and 22 million in 2017, so that is a nice savings. However I don't think our leadership has the balls to do this even if he has another statistically poor season and continues to be the least efficient QB in the game (statistically). They have given this kid everything and continue to tout him as the man, they are tied to them. They won't even bring in any type of reasonable backup to push him.

I personally wanted Brett Hundley in this draft, I think he would be a much better backup compared to DanO, and has some potential to win games if called upon. I do not think the Lions will use a 1st or 2nd rounder on a QB next year either even if the team and Staff struggle. I think it would take a monumental failure as in 4-12 or worse to get them to even think about it. Even then I don't see them wanting to start a Rookie QB in 2016, so I think Stafford will be here through 2016 at a minimum.

Once Rivers signed that pretty much guaranteed there will not be any significant chance at a good FA QB next year (it was slim to begin with).

I wonder if Jimmy Garoppolo would be made available via trade.

 

[LKP]

Stafford is a good NFL QB. Franchise QB. Should have elite numbers this year

GTFO with this Garoppolo trade garbage. Especially after Hoyer and Mallett.

 

[brewer229]

Stafford is a good NFL QB. Franchise QB. Should have elite numbers this year

GTFO with this Garoppolo trade garbage. Especially after Hoyer and Mallett.

So you are opposed to strengthening our backup position by trading for a guy that has been in the league for a few years as a backup and practicing against NFL players? You would rather use that pick to acquire a college player to fill the same need? Interesting.

Not sure what Hoyer and Mallett have to do with Garoppolo.

 

[LKP]

So you are opposed to strengthening our backup position by trading for a guy that has been in the league for a few years as a backup and practicing against NFL players? You would rather use that pick to acquire a college player to fill the same need? Interesting.

Not sure what Hoyer and Mallett have to do with Garoppolo.

Garoppolo hasn't shown anything. Hoyer and Mallet were NE backups.

Yes give me a 2nd or 3rd rounder to develop that fits Lombarid's scheme.

 

[brewer229]

Garoppolo hasn't shown anything. Hoyer and Mallet were NE backups.

Yes give me a 2nd or 3rd rounder to develop that fits Lombarid's scheme.

What do you mean he hasn't shown anything. He's barely played, but when he has hes put up overall decent stats, sure mostly preseason, but still shown more than any rookie. Threw for 53 TDs his senior year of college. New England probably would not let him go.

I know Hoyer and Mallet were backups for NE, not sure what that has to do with Garoppolo. It is insanely flawed logic. Brady was a backup too.

 

[Mitchrapp]

I will never understand why so many people are so quick to dumP Staff he still is the best QB we have had in 30 years. Its not so easy to replace a qb.

Yeah so? You know who are 2nd best QB in that time was, Kramer/Mitchell. It's easier to replace a QB than you think. Plus, you save money and get more replacements/better talent. Manning, then Luck. Favre, then A. Rod. Even after Add in the later picks, like R. Wilson etc. it's possible to get a QB.

And how long do we have to hear "best QB in 30 years.." argument.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Can't get an average QB? This franchise is doomed.

 

[LKP]

Stafford will be a top 5 QB this season. We are not replacing him.

100 QB rating.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Stafford will be a top 5 QB this season. We are not replacing him.

100 QB rating.

Year sure, that happens with guys in their 7th year? Lol.

 

[LKP]

Year sure, that happens with guys in their 7th year? Lol.

2nd year in the system. Has the proper weapons, run support, turnover support and protection.

Stafford was truly a 100 rating QB the last two years based on his play.

 

[dubbsco]

I hope he does well, especially week 1. I'm doing one of those one day fantasy things, and Stafford was surprisingly cheap in the budget, so I had to pick him up.

And yes I know, this is coming from someone who retired from fantasy. But this is a one time thing lol.

 

[tomdalton22]

2nd year in the system. Has the proper weapons, run support, turnover support and protection.

Stafford was truly a 100 rating QB the last two years based on his play.

another new stat created for Stafford. True QB rating!

 

[LKP]

another new stat created for Stafford. True QB rating!

Call it Game tape QB rating.

QB rating is a team stat as far as I'm concerned. Better number 3, Ebron year 2, year 2 system, better run game and protection, the QB rating will soar with Stafford already playing on an elite level.