In a late January trade that was made official in March, the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions swapped quarterbacks Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford in a massive deal that included a bevy of draft capital heading to the Motor City.
Goff becomes the first official starting quarterback for the Lions since they made Matthew Stafford the 1st overall draft pick in 2009. But how will he perform in his first season in Detroit?
According to NFL analyst Greg Cossell, Lions fans are in store for a “major drop-off” in terms of their team’s quarterback play.
“To me, it’s a major drop-off,” Cossell explained to the “Stoney & Jansen Show” on 97.1 The Ticket. “I think it’s a style thing. First of all, I’ve always been a big Matthew Stafford fan. I think he’s always been a high-level talent. You know there’s a toughness and a competitiveness to him that he’s shown throughout his career, so I really like Matthew Stafford.”
“Goff is a different player,” he continued. “I think Goff’s a solid NFL quarterback. It gets down to this argument that seems to be more of a discussion every year: if you don’t have some ability to make off-script plays, are you limited in some way to not being a truly high-end starter? And it fits the Stafford-Goff conversation as well, because certainly Matthew Stafford can do that. That’s not Jared Goff. Jared Goff is a pocket quarterback. He needs the system to work for him.”
Of course, Goff is only a few short years removed from leading the Rams to the Super Bowl. Cossell’s comments were not echoed by Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell, who is thrilled to be able to work with Goff this season.
“(He’s) very talented,” Brunell said. “Hard working. Positive attitude. Everything that you’re looking for. Competitive quarterback that has won, I believe, 42 games, in addition to leading a team to the Super Bowl.”
“I cannot wait to get him on the field and see what he can do in person,” Brunell said. “I’ve seen a lot of tape, I’ve seen some incredible plays and incredible plays. And, I’m absolutely thrilled to coach this young man. He can’t get here soon enough.”
– – Quotes via Will Burchfield of Audacy.com Link – –
