While trades are routinely agreed to in this time of year, individuals associated with the teams cannot talk about them until they’re official when the new league year begins.
But everyone knows quarterback Jared Goff is heading to Detroit as part of the deal to send Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles. Goff is expected to be the Lions’ starting quarterback when the 2021 season begins, giving him a chance to develop and improve under head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn.
During a Tuesday interview on 97.1 The Ticket, Chris Spielman — special assistant to team owner Sheila Ford Hamp and CEO Rod Wood — spoke in generalities about Goff, drawing from his broadcasting days for knowledge of the quarterback.
“You look at a guy like Jared Goff, when I watched him during my time at Fox when he played for the Rams, there’s a lot of good things you like about him — his accuracy, his toughness,” Spielman said, via Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. “I think that I’ve always had a great admiration for him. He’s a hard-working guy. ... Sean McVay, although he might have a little bit of disagreement with him, always saw the potential in Jared.”
That disagreement apparently resulted in John Wolford starting Los Angeles’ wild-card playoff matchup with Seattle. But after Wolford sustained a neck injury, Goff helped the Rams beat their division rival to advance in the postseason.
If the Lions can get Goff at his best, they’ll have a significant haul for Campbell and General Manager Brad Holmes to build through the draft without worrying about the QB.