On the one-year anniversary of the trade that sent quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes expressed no regret about engineering the trade of the long-time Lions QB. In a quick press briefing to kick off the Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Alabama, Holmes made it clear that keeping Stafford in Detroit was never an option for him.
“Well, he asked for a trade,” a bemused Holmes responded. “He didn’t — he asked for a trade. And we made it work out for both sides.”
Holmes kept it very matter-of-factual in tone as he continued,
“Stafford is a good player and the Rams are a good team and it worked out for them. It gave us compensation that can help us along the way. I’m not surprised by their success.”
He shouldn’t be. Holmes was the Rams’ director of collegiate scouting for several years and helped identify and draft the talent that has proven Super Bowl-worthy in Los Angeles.
Holmes spoke more about the respect he has for the leadership and the accomplishment of the Rams, noting that it was the culmination of years of building to this point. Stafford helped lead the Rams to the NFC Championship and a Super Bowl berth with a comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
