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Detroit Lions: Three trade targets to backup Matthew Stafford

By Matt Bosko

BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 3: Quarterback Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions throws the ball in the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 3, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 3: Quarterback Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions throws the ball in the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 3, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Paxton Lynch, Denver Broncos

DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Paxton Lynch #12 of the Denver Broncos throws as he warms up before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 31, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Paxton Lynch #12 of the Denver Broncos throws as he warms up before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 31, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

On Thursday, Jeff Risdon of LionsWire advocated for the Lions to trade for Denver’s 2016 first round flop, Paxton Lynch.

Lynch’s short career in Denver has been forgettable. The 26th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft was beaten out for the starting job by 2015 seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian. Last season, he suffered a preseason injury that kept him inactive until Week 11. He started the following week and sustained another injury that shelved him until the season finale.

This year, with a sub-par performance in the first preseason game, Lynch was demoted to third-string duties behind Chad Allen, otherwise known as Mr. Irrelevant of the 2017 NFL Draft.

The logic for the Lions to chase Lynch is sound. Many analysts believed that he was the top quarterback of his class, possessing all the physical tools to be a franchise quarterback. The potential is there, and he still has two full seasons left on an affordable rookie contract.

Risdon reasons that a change of scenery could benefit both him and the Lions, both now and in the long-term:

"It’s time for the Lions to upgrade the backup QB spot. And the player I want is someone with enough potential still glimmering to eventually take over for Stafford when that day comes."

I respectfully disagree.

The Lions are not looking for their future in a backup quarterback. Stafford is signed through 2022. The need for a successor is not there. What they do need is a signal-caller who can keep them afloat and competitve for a few games in the event Stafford misses any time.

Paxton Lynch has shown no signs of being capable of even that much, and the team that drafted him appears to agree.

Additionally, one of the most important abilities a backup quarterback must possess is availability. An injury-prone backup is not a very solid insurance policy.

As poorly as Cassel and Rudock have looked, Lynch does not seem to be much of an upgrade over either player.

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