We’ve seen some attention-grabbing developments up to now few months regarding the way forward for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles. Saturday’s replace comes from Ian Rapoport of NFL Community, who tells us that the team has given Stafford’s agent permission to talk with different groups about his worth. Rapoport clarifies that this isn’t a commerce request, simply an exterior appraisal.
Following the end of the Rams’ 2024 campaign, Stafford began to contemplate his future within the league, doubtlessly weighing the opportunity of retirement earlier than in the end deciding to play in 2025, after some pressure for clarity from the workforce. Because the workforce was ready for that readability, although, the Rams made it recognized that they had been considering trading the veteran quarterback. This rumor led to interest from several teams who began to contact Los Angeles with curiosity in Stafford.
With Saturday’s replace, we see that the Rams have been listening to these provides and are hoping to make use of them to help of their contract negotiations. Our earlier most up-to-date replace hinted that the 37-year-old was in search of a increase on his subsequent deal. This new tactic from the Rams may very well be seen as an try and let the remainder of the league do their work for them. This may be just like what the Ravens tried final 12 months, after they placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson, and most groups anticipated them to match any provide sheet after letting different groups decide Jackson’s price.
It is a much less official model of this. That is nearer to the MLB’s arbitration course of, through which the workforce and participant can’t come to an settlement on a participant’s worth, in order that they use a third-party arbiter to find out them. Because the Rams and Stafford battle to search out degree floor in contract discussions, the hope is that outdoors groups will take part and provides their two cents on what Stafford’s subsequent contract ought to seem like.
Extra probably, groups, in the event that they don’t actually consider they’ve an opportunity to land Stafford in a commerce, might attempt to inflate the price of a Stafford deal in an effort to handicap the Rams as a lot as attainable. This risk is underlined by a report from Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo, who tells us that these other teams don’t believe this implies the Rams and Stafford are headed for a break up and that commerce compensation will stay a hurdle to them truly buying the passer.
One other hurdle to buying Stafford by way of commerce is the $45.3M in dead money buying and selling Stafford’s contract would value the Rams, in line with Jason Fitzgerald of OvertheCap.com. Nonetheless, Fitzgerald believes that the Rams would be willing to deal Stafford for a return they deem worthy, but when that sufficient commerce provide doesn’t come, they are going to work with the veteran on a modified contract.
