Panthers were “very interested” in Stafford, and “competed for him.”

[WarPanthers89]

All I can say is that the Panthers will be very focused on improving our current QB situation this offseason. Missing out on Stafford will not change things...they know we need to upgrade from Teddy B.

Article:

The Rams got Matthew Stafford. Several other teams wanted him.

Peter King of NBC Sports reports that the Panthers were “very interested” in Stafford, and “competed for him.” Other teams, per King, who were interested in Stafford include the Broncos, Colts, and 49ers.

Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports that the Washington Football Team offered the Lions a package that was “better” for the Lions in 2021. Detroit receives only a 2021 third-round pick from the Rams this year, with first-rounders in 2022 and 2023.

It’s impossible to ask the question of whether one of the other teams interested in Stafford would have given up two first-round picks and a third-round pick for Stafford, because the Rams didn’t give up two first-round picks and a third-round pick for Stafford. The Rams gave up those picks in part to get the Lions to take on the contract of quarterback Jared Goff.

If the Lions had sent Stafford anywhere else, the Lions necessarily would have gotten less.

Of course, the Lions could have traded Stafford to another team while still buying the Goff contract in a separate transaction. The Rams presumably tied it all together in order to ensure that they emerged from the broader transaction with a quarterback.

What would it have been for just Stafford? A first-round pick and a third-round pick? That would mean the Rams gave up a first-round pick to unload Goff.

By putting it all in one bucket, it’s impossible to know what the Rams gave up to get rid of Goff. And that makes the Brock Osweiler-style hot potato nature of the Goff portion of the deal less conspicuous.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/01/31/several-other-teams-pursued-matthew-stafford/

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by WarPanthers89

[hepcat]

I’m glad it didn’t happen. That kind of trade for a 33 year old QB would have crippled this team for a decade. Stafford wasn’t going to elevate a poor roster. 

Watson might. But his price is even higher.

Panthers are probably best off just upgrading the rest the roster, letting the rest of NFL eat each other for QBs, and adding talent at QB once the dust settles next offseason. Would have been a very different offseason if they’d just lost to Washington but we all knew that win sucked.

[WarPanthers89]

2 minutes ago, hepcat said:

I’m glad it didn’t happen. That kind of trade for a 33 year old QB would have crippled this team for a decade. Stafford wasn’t going to elevate a poor roster. 

Watson might. But his price is even higher.

Panthers are probably best off just upgrading the rest the roster, letting the rest of NFL eat each other for QBs, and adding talent at QB once the dust settles next offseason. Would have been a very different offseason if they’d just lost to Washington but we all knew that win sucked.

I think it would have been a good move, even giving away the #8 pick. Many teams strike out in first round picks and if you get 4-5 good years out of a 1st round pick it’s normally considered a success. I have no doubt Stafford would have given us 4-5 years of very good play and it’s the most important positions in football. 
 

with that being said, we are a team who minimum, needs one more season to fill our holes in order to compete for division titles. We must re build all positions on our O line, get. DT. LB (maybe 2), and CB (maybe 2). Even with all that we have to find a QB. With the way our team is set up currently, it seems very logical to get a rookie QB to develop for a year then start the following year when we have the proper pieces to compete, and by then we will be in good shape overall in team cap spending 

[ForJimmy]

He got traded where he wanted to go and will get a chance to compete for a Super Bowl. Lions got multiple first round picks and a solid QB for him. If Goff doesn’t work out, they have the picks to jump around in the upcoming drafts and get their guy. Sounds like everything worked out.

[Mr. Scot]

Based on everything I've read, I don't doubt that the Panthers offered the #8 pick plus more. Not necessarily multiple firsts, but #8, additional picks and maybe a player.

Very possible that they included Bridgewater as part of the deal. Dan Campbell would know Bridgewater from his time with the Saints when he came in and won five games as a backup. Would have been a good selling point for taking him as a backup there too.

Edited January 31, 2021 by Mr. Scot

[hepcat]

11 minutes ago, WarPanthers89 said:

I think it would have been a good move, even giving away the #8 pick. Many teams strike out in first round picks and if you get 4-5 good years out of a 1st round pick it’s normally considered a success. I have no doubt Stafford would have given us 4-5 years of very good play and it’s the most important positions in football. 
 

with that being said, we are a team who minimum, needs one more season to fill our holes in order to compete for division titles. We must re build all positions on our O line, get. DT. LB (maybe 2), and CB (maybe 2). Even with all that we have to find a QB. With the way our team is set up currently, it seems very logical to get a rookie QB to develop for a year then start the following year when we have the proper pieces to compete, and by then we will be in good shape overall in team cap spending 

I do not agree that giving up the #8 overall pick for Stafford would have been a good move. He’s 33 years old and has never shown the ability in his career to elevate a team. He plays well when he has talent around him. In that way I didn’t see him as much of an upgrade over Teddy aside from his arm strength. 

To your point in the second paragraph you wrote, the Panthers are very much a team in need of another great draft to compete for a playoff spot. Honestly I feel like they could draft all defense again, sign a free agent offensive line, and be an 8-8 borderline playoff team with Bridgewater as QB in 2021. Not what we’d all want next season but it would be an improvement. 

[WarPanthers89]

1 minute ago, Mr. Scot said:

I feel pretty confident that the Panthers offered the #8 pick plus more. Not necessarily multiple firsts, but #8, additional picks and maybe a player 

Very possible also that they included Bridgewater as part of the deal. Dan Campbell would know Bridgewater from his time with the Saints when he came in and won five games as a backup. Would have been a good selling point for taking him as a backup there too.

Idk if Teddy with his salary would be appealing as a backup on a team who admitted that they are rebuilding. I agree though that they likely offered the #8 pick and another which seems to be very competitive with what the Rams offered being that they will likely have picks in the lower part of the first round which should be comparable to #8 overall. 

[WarHeel]

Y’all can go ahead and kiss the notion of getting Watson goodbye. Can’t imagine what his price tag is going to be after this deal. 

[Mr. Scot]

2 minutes ago, WarPanthers89 said:

Idk if Teddy with his salary would be appealing as a backup on a team who admitted that they are rebuilding. I agree though that they likely offered the #8 pick and another which seems to be very competitive with what the Rams offered being that they will likely have picks in the lower part of the first round which should be comparable to #8 overall. 

He'd likely have had to agree to renegotiate.

I like us being aggressive, but I'm also glad we weren't aggressive enough to try and match what the Rams offered.

Edited January 31, 2021 by Mr. Scot

[Jon Snow]

Just now, WarHeel said:

Y’all can go ahead and kiss the notion of getting Watson goodbye. Can’t imagine what his price tag is going to be after this deal. 

It was never really an option in the first place.  It was just a bunch of fans wishful thinking.

[Mr. Scot]

3 minutes ago, WarHeel said:

Y’all can go ahead and kiss the notion of getting Watson goodbye. Can’t imagine what his price tag is going to be after this deal. 

It was already said that even if the Texans did agree to let him go (and there's no guarantee they will) it was going to take the largest draft deal in history.

I'm not up for being on the other end of that.

[WarPanthers89]

1 minute ago, hepcat said:

I do not agree that giving up the #8 overall pick for Stafford would have been a good move. He’s 33 years old and has never shown the ability in his career to elevate a team. He plays well when he has talent around him. In that way I didn’t see him as much of an upgrade over Teddy aside from his arm strength. 

To your point in the second paragraph you wrote, the Panthers are very much a team in need of another great draft to compete for a playoff spot. Honestly I feel like they could draft all defense again, sign a free agent offensive line, and be an 8-8 borderline playoff team with Bridgewater as QB in 2021. Not what we’d all want next season but it would be an improvement. 

That’s kind of my point, if you believe we could be 8-8 with Teddy, I believe we could be a playoff contending team with Stafford. You are normally successful if you get 4-5 good years of play out of a first round pick and Stafford would have given us that at the most important position in the game. He instantly gives us a few more wins than Teddy (how many could he have won during the 0-8 streak we had with close scoring games in the 4th quarter last year?) and has proven to be clutch and someone who can lead to win from behind.

I don’t think any NFL insider in the league would say Teddy is close to the QB that Stafford is, and with him we could be competitive for at least 4-5 seasons without crippling our team long term. It’s done now and I’m not upset about not landing him, but it would have been a major upgrade for us in a position that we have to upgrade if we ever plan on making it to and competing in the playoffs. 

[WarPanthers89]

6 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

He'd likely have had to agree to renegotiate.

I like us being aggressive, but I'm also glad we weren't aggressive enough to try and match what the Rams offered.

Would you have been okay with giving up #8 for Stafford? We did match what they gave up really being that #8 is close to the same capital as two future late 1st round draft picks. 
 

I also like us being aggressive trying to upgrade at QB and I believe we will now be aggressive in the draft to get our guy. 

[Mr. Scot]

Just now, WarPanthers89 said:

Would you have been okay with giving up #8 for Stafford? We did match what they gave up really being that #8 is close to the same capital as two future late 1st round draft picks. 

I also like us being aggressive trying to upgrade at QB and I believe we will now be aggressive in the draft to get our guy. 

I'm not the world's biggest Matt Stafford fan, but I probably could have lived with it. If he performed well this coming season, that would have made it a lot easier.

I can, however, now be glad that I don't have to wrestle with that dilemma.

As to the Lions, having the number seven and number eight pics would have given them great ammo to trade up and get one of this year's top quarterbacks.