5 teams who could trade for Lions QB Matthew Stafford in the offseason

Bill Belichick has rarely sounded like an excuse-maker, but he has lamented selling out to win and the resulting lack of cap space for this year’s struggles in New England. But looking to next year, the Patriots will be armed with plenty of cap space while other teams will have to make some tough decisions to get under a lower cap. Add in what should be plenty of capital in the 2021 draft and a quick rebound is looming next year. Nothing Belichick does is without thought, even if means sort of punting on a season amid tough circumstances internally and externally.

The Patriots’ flier on Cam Newton may only be a one-year experiment, and watching the former MVP throw downfield these days is almost a painful experience. Drafting a quarterback next April is firmly in play, and a move for another veteran could be on the radar too.

Stafford’s numbers so far this season are somewhere between a down 2018 and what was the best season of his career in 2019 (before he was injured halfway through). Where he’ll go from here in 2020 is unclear, but the Patriots and other teams could see someone who still has a lot left heading into 2021.

Surrounding whoever the quarterback is with better wide receivers should also be a big priority for New England during the offseason. But the idea of Stafford being said quarterback, at least for 2021, should not be dismissed out of hand.