Lions are looking to trade Matthew Stafford, Washington just hired the GM that drafted him

Some pretty big news just came out that could have a major impact on the Washington Football Team. The Detroit Lions have mutually agreed to part ways with QB Matthew Stafford and they will look to trade him this offseason according to Tom Pelissero. Detroit just hired a new GM and head coach, and Stafford wanted a fresh start after 12 years with the team.

Washington will definitely be in the market for a QB this year after starting 4 during their 7-9 division win and playoff berth. The team released Dwayne Haskins Jr. after less than two years on the team. The team's 1st round pick from two years ago never seemed committed enough to being an NFL player during his time in Washington, and was also fined twice last year for COVID-19 protocol violations.

Alex Smith was 5-1 as a starter after his Comeback Player of the Year season, but missed 3 1/2 of the last 5 games of the season. The injury was listed as a calf strain in his surgically repaired leg, but after the season it was labeled a bone bruise. Smith's contract doesn't have any guaranteed money left, and he still hasn't decided on whether he wants to continue playing. The team could be forced to make a business decision in the coming months to move on to another QB option.

Washington has made some major changes to their front office this week, and we should expect to see more becoming official soon. One of the biggest was the hiring of a GM. Martin Mayhew officially joined the team yesterday, along with Marty Hurney.

Mayhew has a pretty big connection with Matthew Stafford, and it's one that was talked about a lot as Washington enters the offseason looking for a QB. He was the GM for the Detroit Lions from 2008-2015, and drafted Stafford with the #1 pick in 2009, his first full year in the position.

Matthew Stafford has been a good QB on a bad team for a long, long time so it's not surprising that he finally wants to hit the exit. The question is how much does Washington like him, and how much are they willing to spend to acquire the soon-to-be 33 year old QB? He has two years left on his contract, and the team that trades for him would owe him $43 million. Cheap for a franchise QB, unless he wants an extension as part of the deal.

That's the money part of the deal, but what will it actually cost to trade for him? Will Detroit demand a 1st round pick for a QB with 45,000+ yards? Probably that and more. There will be a few teams interested that aren't in a position to draft a QB. Should Washington trade their 1st this year, and possibly more to bring in a franchise QB or continue building the team and go with another QB option?