NFL's highest paid player: Matthew Stafford gets 5 yr, $135 mil extension

[goheels22002]

The Detroit Lions could have picked over the roster and draft choices of a number of decent but not awful teams in a trade to strengthen every part of their team. Teams with tapped out QBs like NY Giants or the Steelers could move on from their franchise guys and be immediate threats with Stafford at the controls.

The Herschel Walker trade was the best thing that ever happenened to the Jimmy Johnson-Jerruh Jones Cowboys. The Lions were in the same position with Stafford. His cap hit immediately limits what else they can do to improve. Belichick would have given Stafford a hair cut.

What do you think Denver, Miami, Kansas City, maybe even the Giants or Pittsburgh would have given up for 29-year-old Matthew Stafford?

 

[Sicilian]

If a GM was immune to being fired (in a hypothetical situation), the best course of action would be to bring in a QB, and if he's not showing signs of greatness within a few years, bring in another one and let that one go at the end of the contract. It doesn't really help winning to tie up a ton of the cap on a QB who isn't going to win you a Super Bowl.

The unfortunate reality for NFL GMs though, is that they are not only capable of being fired, but are in fact often on a very short leash. Wins are expected to come quickly, and if they don't, you're shown the door. So when you have a QB who makes the playoffs (even if he does nothing else), you pay market value for him in order to keep your job, even though the better thing for the organization would be to cut bait and try with someone else.

It's a situation we're very lucky to have avoided here.

 

[PatsDeb]

Yeah, cause he played so well against the Patriots (back-ups)! What a joke.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The Detroit Lions could have picked over the roster and draft choices of a number of decent but not awful teams in a trade to strengthen every part of their team. Teams with tapped out QBs like NY Giants or the Steelers could move on from their franchise guys and be immediate threats with Stafford at the controls.

The Herschel Walker trade was the best thing that ever happenened to the Jimmy Johnson-Jerruh Jones Cowboys. The Lions were in the same position with Stafford. His cap hit immediately limits what else they can do to improve. Belichick would have given Stafford a hair cut.

What do you think Denver, Miami, Kansas City, maybe even the Giants or Pittsburgh would have given up for 29-year-old Matthew Stafford?

While Stafford is barely a Top 15 QB he gives them a chance to win because hes throws for yards, has a relatively low INT % and is out there every Sunday. As pathetic as it sounds, that alone is worth $20m a year to some victory-starved NFL teams.

As you know it's a QB -driven league and to be fair, since Caldwell has arrived on the scene he's put together a 27-21 record which is best 3 year stretch since the team has had since Barry Sanders.

I think their cap situation is ok but if Quinn is anything like his fmr boss, he'll pay the difference makers and be frugal and fair with everyone else.

There is no question this contract is way beyond what he actually deserves but if he walked, they'd be 4-12 again and both Quinn and Caldwell would be looking for jobs shortly thereafter.

 

[Nehalem]

0 playoff wins
48-48 career record (being generous and tossing out his first 2 years)
$27m / year

 

[borg]

One stat that stands out ...
Stafford is credited with 8 comeback wins on the 9-7 Detroit Lions (2016).
My initial reaction to this lopsided stat is: without Stafford, Detroit is in deep deep trouble....which equals maximum leverage
Considering Stafford has been sacked an average of 42 times per year over the last 3 years, I guess he works best only after the bloodhounds who have been chasing all game tire out (**28-3**)

 

[Vatahala]

It's amazing to me how up until now Stafford has stayed under the national radar. Matt does a weekly radio show but does Matt do any commercial work besides a local Dominos?

I read his Wiki page and saw he made $41 million on his rookie contract and just concluding a 3 year $66 million deal and wonder if the increased attention of being the highest paid QB in the NFL is worth the bullseye on your back.

I looked at the Detroit Free Press and their 2 columnists were split but the overall opinion was what choice did we have.

I checked out a Lions board and they were equally split with one poster saying you can't buy Tom Brady at Walmart.

My unanswered question does Matt have appeal off the field selling Lions gear and promoting the brand that makes good financial sense?

From afar Stafford reminds of Tannehill as both are 29 year old QBs from Texas and after watching Ryan on Hard Knocks my first thought was he's not too bright.

I will admit I can't remember any time he's ever spoke so I can't say he's dumb but he seems likeable, married his college cheerleader GF and just had twin girls so he's got that going for him.

So who becomes the first $30 million dollar man?

 

[borg]

One stat that stands out ...
Stafford is credited with 8 comeback wins on the 9-7 Detroit Lions (2016).
My initial reaction to this lopsided stat is: without Stafford, Detroit is in trouble....which equals maximum leverage

Detroit in 2016:
9-4 indoors
0-3 outdoors

 

[varjao]

He's mediocre

 

[borg]

Stafford = Bledsoe

 

[Angelpats]

For anyone thinking about trading Brady I hope they take a good look at the highest paid qb in the league and consider their stance. This Qb hasn't won anything substantial but they would trade anything to get to a Super Bowl. If we make it to the Super Bowl in the next three years it's better than most teams' entire lifespan.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

90 million guaranteed.

 

[fourhour]

I saw one of the prediction threads that he would be the NLF MVP this year?

 

[Simpelton]

Stafford = Bledsoe

If we hadn't gotten a literal Bolt from the blue out of our sixth round pick in 2000, there but for the grace of God go to the New England Patriots.

 

[tasmlab]

While it's easy to laugh at, this is the reality in the NFL and something we've been completely insulated from with Tom.

Stafford may not be elite, but he's better than any QB that's going to make it to free agency or that the lions could probably get in the draft.

Crazy money though

Stafford's probably the best thing to happen to the Lions in this century at least. The poor team never won anything (2008 was the perfect season, right before he was drafted). Now at least they sometimes get to lose a game in January now and then.

Having 20% of the cap going towards one player probably isn't the best way to build a team, but you need a decent quarterback as I quoted above "Stafford may not be elite, but he's better than any QB that's going to make it to free agency or that the lions could probably get in the draft."

 

[BTTA]

We should be careful with our assumptions about the motives that NFL owners have when they allocate cap dollars. First and foremost, owning an NFL team is about owning a business. Most NFL teams make a tidy return on investment for their owners regardless of their success on the field. Having a winning team is a bonus, icing on the cake, not the primary objective. And the primary reason they want a winning team is because...wait for it...they make more money. That's the competitive metric for those guys.

Owners' motives and fans' motives are entirely different.

 

[chasa]

everyone here is saying stupid move.

Heres the Rub:

If you let Stafford go, some other team is going to give him a similar deal.

Any player Stafford quality that makes it to free agency is going to require a similar deal.

So you have two options. Stick with what you know, or hope another team for some reason ALSO drops a starting caliber QB, and then offer them a similar contract.

The only way to do it better is to have a QB that isn't concerned with being the highest paid(See tom Brady) Or to draft a rookie every 2 years, the first rookie plays 4 years, then the each rookie after comes in and learns for two years and then players 2, and you hope they play really well.

Otherwise you are the jets browns jags of the world with a revolving door at QB.

 

[Nehalem]

Stafford's probably the best thing to happen to the Lions in this century at least. The poor team never won anything (2008 was the perfect season, right before he was drafted). Now at least they sometimes get to lose a game in January now and then.

Having 20% of the cap going towards one player probably isn't the best way to build a team, but you need a decent quarterback as I quoted above "Stafford may not be elite, but he's better than any QB that's going to make it to free agency or that the lions could probably get in the draft."

Disagree. You give Brian Hoyer Calvin Johnson for most of his career and he probably looks as good. And Hoyer could have been had for $20m/year less. Hoyer actually has a better career record than Stafford even without CJ.

 

[Ross12]

I mean... no, he should not be the NFL's highest paid player in a "perfect world." But in reality, while he's not elite or close to it, he's a lot better than any free agent QB I can think of, and their team is good enough that they don't have a realistic chance at getting a QB in the draft better than him. He would not have signed for less, and if they didn't sign him, he would have left and been signed for the same contract somewhere else, probably. Then the team is back in a rebuild. I guess they would then have a shot at a high pick and a new QB but there's no guarantees that QB won't be a bust or even be better than Stafford already is.

It's kind of a tough spot to be in. It's easy to laugh at at first glance, but I understand it.

 

[GoBlue]

I've been a Lions fan for 60 years. Early on they had a good team but in the last 30 years it's been junk. Fords are only interested in selling tickets and leave fans with notion that next year will be great.

Like a number have said Stafford is better than most teams QB's but is nothing special. Lions fans would not have been happy losing Stafford and tickets sales might have dropped. Sot the thing to do in Detroit is sign him.

Thank God the Patriots came along.. I became a bigger fan when Brady to command.