If Washington wants Stafford, they may have to outdo these teams originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
With Matt Stafford available on the trade market, Washington's decision makers very well could be saying to themselves right about now, "That guy would fit perfectly here."
The catch, of course, is that many others around the league might be having that exact thought, too.
So, while the Burgundy and Gold should be loosening up and getting limber for the Race to Land Stafford, these franchises are likely going to be right alongside side them.
The Colts
Indy kept things close with Buffalo in the Wild Card round before eventually bowing out there, and since then, Philip Rivers has retired. In that sense, they're quite similar to Washington: A playoff squad in search of a signal caller who can elevate them even more.
The general assumption is that Carson Wentz isn't leaving Philadelphia via a trade, meaning his old coordinator and current Colts coach, Frank Reich, will need to look elsewhere for someone to lead his offense. NBC's expert analyst Peter King likes this potential pairing quite a bit.
The 49ers
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch are currently sticking by Jimmy Garoppolo, but Stafford's availability has the potential to shift their collective stance.
Per NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco, the Niners would actually save $4 million if they were to trade for Stafford and, therefore, move on from Garoppolo. And money aside, the longtime Lions passer would represent an upgrade over Jimmy G.
San Fran, like many Super Bowl losers before them, failed to advance beyond Week 17 the season after finishing second in the sport. Acquiring Stafford would go a long way in ensuring they don't miss out on January action again.
The Patriots
Bill Belichick tried to make his operation work with a non-pocket option, but Cam Newton was nowhere near good enough with his arm to help New England. Stafford is no Tom Brady, either, yet he's much closer to him than Newton was.
The Pats have enough cap space to take in Stafford, and their first-round pick, which is in the 15th slot, is four spots better than Washington's choice at No. 19.
The Broncos
There's a new general manager (George Paton) in Denver, and Paton won't be as invested in waiting to see if Drew Lock can reach his potential since Lock isn't a past selection of his. Hell, he could even offer Lock up in a swap for Stafford, which is something that the Lions may be attracted to.
Denver's offense, with young up-and-comers like Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant and KJ Hamler, was supposed to revolve around their 2019 second-round QB. Instead, the organization could opt to give Stafford the opportunity to go to work with those weapons.
