Murmurings the New York Giants are keen on Matthew Stafford are starting to sound like more than idle gossip, especially after a prominent NFL reporter and insider provided a surprising update on what a trade for the Los Angeles Rams’ quarterback will cost.
Speaking on an edition of “The Herd” podcast on Thursday, February 13, Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports revealed “the Giants do not like the quarterback class, and Brian Daboll the head coach and Joe Schoen the GM have gotta win or they’ll be fired by thanksgiving. They’re going to get run out of the building, ’cause if they don’t have a quarterback, Washington now is big time. Philadelphia will steamroll ’em. The Packers, the Bears, the Rams, NFC’s getting better. And the Giants have some good players, so they are going to make move, I believe on Matt Stafford.”
The Giants want Stafford, but the cost will be high because “what the Rams want, I am told, they want the Giants’ first-round pick at No. 3. So they probably want a first, a second, a first, a third, but you gotta pay Stafford if you’re the Giants, you have to give him a new deal, they’ll probably get a first and a fourth.”
Cowherd expanded his theory into how the Rams would use the third pick in the 2025 NFL draft to stockpile more choices, before signing Aaron Rodgers as a “one to two-year rental at quarterback.”
The Giants don’t need to concern themselves with the Rams’ plans. Instead, the Giants should focus more on the risks of dealing a top-three pick for a QB with Stafford’s question marks.
Matthew Stafford Trade a Calculated Risk for Giants
Stafford’s an upgrade over what the Giants have had at football’s most important position. He’s a Super Bowl winner with an enduringly strong and creative arm.
Yet, Stafford is also 37 and has dealt with several injuries in recent years. A long list of spinal, lower back and thumb problems have kept Stafford out of 11 games since he lifted the Lombardi Trophy to cap the 2021 season.
There’s also the not-so small matter of Stafford carrying a $49,666,667 cap hit for 2025, per Spotrac.com. His contract includes a base salary worth $23 million next season.
The Giants have room, thanks to cap space amounting to $47,114,074. Making room for Stafford wouldn’t give the Giants much freedom to add bluechip talent at other positions of need, but it may be worth the risk.
Stafford’s track record as a proven winner mitigates the risk. He’s still mobile enough to move the pocket and make all throws, evidenced by this rainbow ball to Demarcus Robinson to beat the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9.
Being able to throw on the run and adjust his arm angle makes Stafford a natural fit for Giants head coach Brian Daboll’s offense. So does the presence of Stafford’s brother-in-law Chad Hall, the Giants’ new assistant quarterbacks coach.
The coaching fit could be enough to justify foregoing premium draft capital. Trading the third pick for Stafford might be a safer option than a trade up for top rookies Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders.
The Daboll system is just one reason why Stafford might happily swap life with a playoff team for the perennially rebuilding Giants.
Matthew Stafford Has Surprising Reason for Taking Giants Risk
Moving to what’s been a scrapheap for quarterbacks is a risk for Stafford, but Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer thinks the Giants have surprising upside. The senior reporter for The MMQB and NFL on Prime Video insider for Amazon believes Stafford “would be joining a team that’s much closer than people think. They’ve got a franchise left tackle (Andrew Thomas) and budding No. 1 receiver (Malik Nabers) on offense, and a defense that’s well-built around three cornerstones (Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux) along the front. They also have some financial wiggle room to land Stafford, then use Stafford to lure more veterans.”
Breer’s contention the Giants are close to contending will surprise those who’ve watched the team week in and week out the last two seasons. The Giants have won just nine games since the 2022 campaign, and Breer pointed out “you’ve got some folks there that’ll be fighting for their jobs in the fall, and are under a fair amount of pressure to find a quarterback after the Daniel Jones contract didn’t work out, and I could see the Giants acting with some urgency.”
Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen have ample incentive to finally install a trusted commodity at the prime spot on the team. They are both on a short leash from co-owner John Mara after overpaying and failing to develop Jones.
Trading for Stafford would give the Giants a better chance to win right away and save this regime. Anything less would seal the fates of the coach and GM who shunned using a top-three pick to find a quarterback of the future.
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