USAT: Washington Wire audio clip

USAT: Washington Wire

Jan 19, 2022

The Los Angeles Rams achieved a solid playoff win Monday night with their new quarterback Matthew Stafford. - You recall Stafford played 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions and was traded in the 2021 off-season to the Rams for Jared Goff, two first-round choices and a third-round choice. - Monday night I sat there thinking, “Would the WFT really want to have Stafford right now?” - Tuesday I listened to the Al Galdi Podcast and sure enough, there was Galdi not asking the same exact question, but a certainly closely-related one nonetheless. Here is the link to Galdi’s Tuesday podcast, in case you’d rather hear his version of the question. - So, Washington Wire readers, “Would you like to have Matthew Stafford right now as your number one quarterback?” - There are two sides to this of course… there usually are… at least two sides. - Stafford is in his 13th NFL season and he will turn 34 on Feb. 7. He has been around the block several times and has had a few injuries. Remember, the next two drafts the Rams will not be drafting in round one. - Yet, Stafford is still a big, strong-armed quarterback that could get the ball down the field much better for the WFT. He was 13-17, with 202 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions Monday against the Cardinals. Stafford certainly didn’t pass for as many yards as other playoff winners over the weekend. He was however efficient, accurate and did not turn over the ball. - Washington you recall attempted to trade for Stafford and according to one report was offering a first and third-round choice and a starting player. The identity of the starting player was never revealed. - Trading for an older veteran quarterback doesn’t always work out well. Washington owner Daniel Snyder and Bruce Allen were excited in 2010 to trade for veteran Eagles’ QB Donovan McNabb, but McNabb was gone after one unimpressive season in the burgundy and gold. - McNabb was then traded to the Vikings for a sixth-round pick. McNabb started six games for the Vikings going 1-5, was benched and never played again. - That draft choice became Alfred Morris, who lived in the shadow of Robert Griffin III in 2012, but his numbers don’t lie. Morris actually was a steal in the sixth round rushing for 1,613 yards (2012), 1,275 yards (2013) and 1,074 yards (2014). - Back to Stafford possibly in burgundy and gold. Washington did not have a second wide receiver really step up this year alongside Terry McLaurin. Curtis Samuel was never 100 percent healthy. Dyami Brown was disappointing and Cam Sims for whatever reason did not produce as I expected. - But with Stafford’s arm, perhaps the ball would have gotten to Sims, Brown and DeAndre Carter much more often. But again, we just don’t know, and we never will. - Onto 2022 offseason… -   - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Washington Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Washington Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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