The situation surrounding Matthew Stafford’s future is gaining momentum. Following reports that the Los Angeles Rams have granted his agent permission to engage in discussions with other teams and that the team has been engaged with several teams, the list of potential suitors has transitioned from speculative to concrete. As Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported on Monday, at least four teams have expressed a genuine interest in acquiring Stafford via trade.
“The teams you’d suspect would have their hat in the ring have, indeed, thrown their hats in the ring. The New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, and others have shown interest.”
Are The Cleveland Browns The Right Trade Partner For Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams?
There has been news cycles that have included each of these teams. Most recently it has been reported that Matthew Stafford is currently their top QB target. A massive trade with the Giants was also floated recently. The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been thought of as an option due to a playoff record in 2024 and a win-now roster construction.
While the Browns are certainly a quarterback-needy team, this is the first time they have been included in reporting.
The Browns have a pair of the best trade compensation trump cards in the form of the second-overall pick in the draft and Myles Garrett, but it is hard to imagine the Browns flipping either straight up. The inclusion of either draft capital, a young defensive pass rusher, an/or Cooper Kupp may be enough to get the deal done.
A big consideration for the Browns may be if getting Stafford in the building would be enough to entice Garrett to rescind his trade demand and stick with the team.
A big trade-up would allow the Rams to select a quarterback if they like the top option or flip that pick into multiple additional picks. This will be enticing for Les Snead, who according to The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, thinks picking in the 20s is draft purgatory. Having No. 2 would certainly alleviate that. With it, they could get Travis Hunter or the top tight end or left tackle of choice.
But at the end of the day, if they move on from Stafford, they have no clear plan for the position currently on the roster.
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