Rams' acquisition of Matthew Stafford most impactful 2021 offseason trade, per CBS Sports

Rams' acquisition of Matthew Stafford most impactful 2021 offseason trade, per CBS Sports

Jun 29, 2021 at 09:00 AM

Stu Jackson
Staff Writer


CBS Sports' Jared Dubin on June 16 ranked all 22 trades completed in the NFL this offseason, ranging from inconsequential to quarterbacks and stars. The Rams' acquisition of Matthew Stafford fell into the latter category, and in fact was ranked as the most impactful offseason trade this year.

"The Rams do have a Super Bowl-ready roster, and now they have a quarterback with enough talent to lead it," Dubin wrote as part of his analysis.

On March 18, the Rams sent quarterback Jared Goff, one of their compensatory 2021 third-round picks and future draft picks to the Lions for Stafford, giving head coach Sean McVay one of the NFL's premiere arm talents to work with.

Stafford's physical talents were on display multiple times during Los Angeles' offseason, but his intangible qualities also allowed him to quickly connect with his new teammates, too.

"Just his attention to listen to receivers, wanting to still get better at his level and at his year (in the NFL) is super big," Woods said during a May video conference. "I think from a receiver standpoint, your quarterback asking you, 'What do you want from this? Or what do you see in this route?' is super big, because he's coming into our offense with some receivers who made plays, but really just trying to make us feel comfortable in year (13)."

While it's still early in the process of collaborating on the vision for the Rams' offense, McVay has been pleased with the progress of Stafford's integration.

"Things come to him quickly. He's got so many experiences to draw on," McVay said during a June 4 video conference. "But if you were to say, through three weeks now of being on the field, he's done outstanding. He's only going to continue to grow and we're going to continue to get better."

[www.therams.com]