When Brad Holmes took over as the General Manager of the Detroit Lions, one of the first tasks he needed to take care of was the Matthew Stafford situation. It had become clear with a newly implemented regime that the Lions were going to go into a full rebuild, and Stafford knew his window was closing. The Lions wanted to make sure they do right to the quarterback they have had since 2009 and honor his request to pursue a Super Bowl championship.
Holmes found a trade partner with his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, who figured they were a quarterback away from obtaining the ultimate prize. The deal became the Rams receive Matthew Stafford, and Lions got Jared Goff, a 2021 3rd-round pick, a 2022 first-round pick, and a 2023 first-round pick. The Rams would go on to win the Super Bowl as the Lions used the capital to retool the organization.
With the 2023 NFL Draft in the books, we can now get the full picture of the trade that kicked off the new regime.
| Lions | Rams |
| QB Jared Goff
2021 3rd round draft pick (101st overall)
2022 1st round draft pick (32nd overall)
2023 1st round draft pick (6th overall)
|
Matthew Stafford |
In short, here is the result of the trade and subsequent trades with the associated draft picks:
Rams: Matthew Stafford
Lions: Jared Goff, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Jameson Williams, Josh Paschal, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Brodric Martin
The Rams reaped the results with Stafford capping a Super Bowl victory, but unfortunately, the following season wasn’t as fruitful. Stafford’s nagging neck injury reared its ugly head, and only played in nine games last season with a 3-6 record. The Rams had to lean on John Wolford and Bryce Perkins to try to salvage the season until Stafford was able to return from injured reserve, but the losses and injuries kept piling up as the Rams finished with a 5-12 record, which gave the Lions a top 10 draft pick in 2023.
As for the Lions, they added a plethora of pieces on both sides of the ball they believed would help establish the Lions identity and culture. For some of the players, we have an idea of their situation, whereas, for some, the picture hasn’t been drawn yet.
Jared Goff got off to a rocky start in Detroit with a 3-13-1 record in 2021 and didn’t alleviate the concerns in the first part of the 2022 season. Then, something clicked for Goff and the Lions as they finished the season with a 9-8 record and knocking at the door for a playoff berth. Goff will look to continue his hot streak and try to take the Lions to the promised land.
Ifeatu Melifonwu hasn’t worked as well as the Lions have hoped for to help the secondary. Injuries have slowed his development as he has landed on injured reserve twice already, and he has changed positions moving from cornerback to safety. When he does make it on the field, it has gone very well for him, making him a liability on the field. He has the athleticism but can’t seem to put it all together. It’ll be a make-or-break 2023 season for Melifonwu.
When the Lions selected Jameson Williams, it was with the future in mind as he was recovering from an ACL injury. If it weren’t for the injury, he might’ve been the first receiver taken with his speed, route running, and athleticism. The chemistry between Williams and Goff never fully developed, but you can see the possibilities. Unfortunately, Williams will sit out the first six games of the 2023 season as he was suspended for gambling. It is a blow to the Lions offense who was going to rely on Williams in the 2023 season, but the Lions have done a good job in building a reliable receiving corps to offset the loss of Williams to start the season.
Paschal didn’t make his debut until Week 7 while he recovered from a sports hernia. As a second-round selection, he never fully took off as a rookie, but the Lions received stellar play from John Cominsky and 2022 sixth-round selection James Houston shortening the amount the snaps Paschal might’ve received. The Lions believe Paschal can line up inside and outside along the defensive line and can be a force on the defensive line. With a full offseason and healthy, Paschal will look to take that next step and become the force the Lions believe he can be in Detroit.
For the 2023 draft selections, the Lions brought in several players who will look to be immediate contributors. Gibbs will look to be a dynamic offensive weapon that will fit right into Ben Johnson’s offense, which already features dynamic players. LaPorta has high-end athleticism that makes him a strong target for Jared Goff and an upgrade in the tight end room. Martin is a behemoth of a man that will clog the middle of the defensive line and shut down the opponents running game in its place.
We will have to wait to see how well the 2023 picks contribute for the Lions, but unfortunately, the players that we have seen play have been a mixed bag. Goff will look to show the end of the 2022 season wasn’t a fluke and continue elevating his play heading into next season. Melifonwu is having a hard time fight time on the field and can’t seem to stay healthy. Williams has the tools to be a star receiver in Detroit, but we haven’t seen enough to reach a fair evaluation and the suspension did not help his cause. Paschal had a slow 2022 season as a rotational player but will look to take the next step forward in 2023.
The final chapters have not been written in the books of the Detroit Lions and the Matthew Stafford trade, but we are able to see the full results and breakdown to judge winners and losers, which everybody loves to do. The 2023 season will be a good judgment point to see if the trade fully worked out for the Detroit Lions.
