Detroit Lions: Three trade targets to backup Matthew Stafford
By Matt Bosko
The Detroit Lions may need to explore the possibility of adding another quarterback if the struggles of Matt Cassel and Jake Rudock continue.
The Detroit Lions’ hopes rest heavily on quarterback Matthew Stafford. If he can stay healthy, the Lions will surely be a playoff contender.
In the event Stafford has to miss any time, however, the situation behind him is cause for concern. Neither Matt Cassel nor Jake Rudock inspires confidence that they are up to the task.
Cassel and Rudock each bring some positive attributes to the table. Cassel, entering his 14th season in the NFL, brings experience and a familiarity with Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia from his days with the New England Patriots. Rudock is on a cheap rookie contract, and after two years with the Lions, should know the ins and outs of Jim Bob Cooter’s offense by now.
Even by backup quarterback standards, the ceiling for either player is extremely limited. That much is obvious at the conclusion of training camp and one week of preseason. Their respective performances on Friday’s game against the New York Giants may render this assessment premature.
If this discouraging trend continues, however, the Lions may need to consider other contingency plans, and there are several around the league.
There is a small number of available free agents, including the likes of Colin Kaepernick, Matt Moore, and Mark Sanchez, but these signings appear unlikely. If the Lions thought any of those names were a good fit and/or upgrade over their current stable, they would have presumably signed them prior to or during training camp.
The most reasonable solution lies in trading with another team, and there are three quarterbacks the Lions could target for such a transaction.