In 2018, Matthew Stafford took a bit of a step back in terms of production for the Detroit Lions, there is no questioning that.
As each week passed, and Stafford never really seemed to get it going, the rumblings became louder and louder that it was time for the Lions to move on.
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In fact, many (who had no clue about how it would impact the Lions financially), said Detroit should do whatever they can to trade Stafford this offseason. Obviously, that did not happen and Stafford will be the main man for the Lions once again in 2019.
That being said, if Stafford were to struggle again this coming season, the voices wishing for the Lions to go in a different direction will continue to grow.
On Tuesday, Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports released a piece titled, “These NFL teams could be most likely to draft quarterbacks in 2020,” and you guessed it, the Lions were on the list.
Here is what Edholm had to say about the Lions.
Detroit Lions
Who they have: Matthew Stafford, Tom Savage, David Fales
The Lions were one of the busier teams this past winter in terms of doing homework on the 2019 draft quarterbacks, and yet they did not end up selecting one or signing an undrafted free agent. In what was considered a less-than-stellar class at the position, that shouldn’t be stunning, and Stafford’s contract ($26M in dead money this year) was such that they weren’t in any panic or pressing mood to move on.
But that doesn’t mean the Lions won’t be taking the same approach next year with the 2020 QB lot, and next spring just might be the time to strike. There’s no young QB on the roster as a natural heir to Stafford, and yet his contract encumbrance eases up considerably next year. The team would only take a $10 million hit by cutting him loose. This is clearly a big season for the former No. 1 overall pick after his effectiveness leveled off last year.
Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia might be in a similar situation to what Bill Belichick faced early in his New England tenure where the Patriots’ high-priced QB (Drew Bledsoe) clearly was good enough to start for someone but that things had run their course once Tom Brady thrived. That said, there’s no Brady on the roster now, so the situation in Detroit might unfold in a slightly different order if that’s the thinking.
2020 QB draft likelihood: Moderately high
Nation, do you think there is a chance the Lions draft a quarterback in 2020?
