For a few weeks now, things have apparently been escalating between the Los Angeles Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford.
What started out as a rumor that seemed to be, well, silly, for lack of a better explanation, has now become a situation with real legs. Not only are the Las Vegas Raiders a potential landing spot for Stafford, but minority owner Tom Brady has now reportedly involved himself in recruiting Stafford.
If Stafford is ultimately traded, it looks like both the Raiders and New York Giants are legitimate contenders to land the veteran quarterback.
In the latest update on Stafford and the Rams, The Athletic's Dianna Russini laid out a timeline for the end-all, be-all decision to be made. In a word, Russini said the decision is going to come "soon."
But, in her latest column on the Stafford fodder, Russini also further outlined what the Giants and Raiders have to offer in a Stafford deal. At one point, it was reported that the likely asking price for a Stafford trade was a first-round pick.
That seems like a lot for a 37-year-old quarterback in his last couple of years in the league. Not to mention, the Giants, specifically, own the no. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That's a rich price to have to pay.
Yet, Russini didn't count out the possibility of the Raiders including their own first-round pick.
The Raiders could include the no. 6 overall pick in a Matthew Stafford trade
Russini simply mentioned the idea that the Raiders do, indeed, have what it takes to compete with any offer the Giants would make because they own the no. 6 pick in this year's draft.
Is that insinuating the Raiders might end up parting ways with their first rounder this year? The no. 6 overall selection in the draft could lead Las Vegas to a player like Mason Graham, Will Johnson, Mykel Williams or Will Campbell, among others.
Related Raiders news:
That's a hefty price to pay for Stafford; a price the Raiders better be willing to back up with reasoning. Bringing Stafford in won't guarantee a Super Bowl, especially in a top-heavy AFC. Heck, the Raiders are in a difficult division as it is with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and the ascending Broncos.
Would the no. 6 selection truly be worth bringing in Stafford just for two years or so?
That doesn't even count in the fact that Las Vegas would have to pay him upwards of $50 million annually.
This is all a very fluid situation, of course. We'll see what happens in the coming hours and days.