I don't see PFF knocking or praising the deal, the teams, or the 2 QBs.
I see a "if this happens" this will be the result. And "if that happens" that will be the result.
Very analytical. Of course, it works this way for any decision a business makes that is of a significant nature. There are risks and there are rewards and only hindsight will tell us if it worked out.
As with any significant move, we'll have glass half full and glass half empty opinions on it. But overall I think PFF gets a couple thing right that are at the heart of why the trade was made the way it was made.
First: The Rams are in win-now mode, the Lions are in a rebuild now/win later mode. A win now mode means you make moves using draft picks like poker chips to acquire players that help you win immediately. A win later mode means you accumulate draft picks and spend them on a batch of rookies you hope will develop in time.
Second: The QB situation. The Rams needed someone better (in their eyes) and got him. The Lions picked up a guy who, at worst, is about commensurate with the rest of their roster. He won't be the weak link. But who has the talent and arm to possibly recoup what he seems to have lost the last couple of seasons and be a good pick up. No matter: when it comes to changing QBs, neither team was likely to do better than what they did. The Rams weren't going to find a better QB than Stafford that was truly available and has the potential to be a Superbowl level guy, and the Lions weren't going to acquire a better QB than Goff without paying through the nose for it...... at the wrong time. Even if a Watson or a Russ Wilson were in play the Lions were never going to get either one. So they got a more than serviceable (albeit expensive) QB with a possible upside.
As always in sports (and in most businesses) it will take some years to find out how it all works out. But there is no reason for either team to hang their head in this deal, because each got what they set out to get.
