The Los Angeles Rams have given Matthew Stafford’s agent permission to speak with other teams, which may open the door for him to be traded. The New Orleans Saints don’t have the current supporting cast to make this move make sense, so they shouldn’t be expected to be involved in trade discussions for Stafford.
The news however does impact Saints quarterback Derek Carr. His future in New Orleans remains uncertain, and Kellen Moore didn’t provide any clarification on the matter in his introductory press conference.
Stafford pushes Carr down the veteran quarterback big board if Carr leaves New Orleans. Additionally, Stafford and Carr could be competing in the same market of teams.
Carr may mostly attract teams trying to avoid the basement, but quality teams looking for a boost could want him as well. Teams who feel like they have a strong team but aren’t getting quality play from their quarterback may view Stafford as the ideal piece to take them over the edge.
The Saints once felt that way about Carr. Though it didn’t work out in New Orleans, a team like the Steelers could still view Carr similarly to how they viewed Russell Wilson a year ago. They feel like they have a championship team and could support Carr by not requiring him to do too much.
How many teams feel that way about their team? Maybe a couple. Those teams are now prioritizing Stafford and likely Sam Darnold. The more targets that fit the description, the tougher it could be on Carr.
The other side of the coin is someone would have to replace Stafford with the Rams. They’re positioned late in the first round. If they opted to draft a guy like Jaxson Dart, they may still want someone to mentor and start ahead of the rookie.