The Scouting Combine is many things other than the Scouting Combine. Among other things, it’s Rumor Central, with reporters in varying degrees of sobriety constantly talking to coaches and executives in varying degrees of sobriety.
Whether and to what extent rumor mongered while elbows are bending ever see the light of day is a different story. Plenty of rumors don’t make it. Some do. Here’s one that did.
Michael Silver of NFL Network, a media company partially owned by the Detroit Lions, reports in reference to the Matthew Stafford trade rumors that “some GMs and coaches around the league believe Stafford is the one who wants the Lions to move him.”
The Lions have strongly and consistently pushed back against the notion of a Stafford trade. G.M. Bob Quinn said this week that he told Stafford he won’t be traded. Coach Matt Patricia has called the rumors “comical.”
So while it may be true that some General Managers and coaches believe that Stafford wants to be traded, what they believe frankly doesn’t mean jack squat. What they know is a much different issue, but there currently is no report that any of them know that Stafford wants out. Until reports like that emerge, this will continue to be a curiosity, at best.