The Los Angeles Rams didn’t construct their roster the conventional way. They didn’t build through the draft by clutching to first- and second-round picks, hoping young players would eventually pan out. Instead, they traded those picks for proven assets – players who have already established themselves in the NFL.
They did exactly that with Matthew Stafford, betting big on the former Lions quarterback. They traded Jared Goff, two first-round picks and a third-rounder for Stafford last January, almost one year to the day. And in the process, they ate $24.7 million in dead money just to dump Goff’s contract.
Many onlookers questioned the move. They argued that Stafford has never won a big game in his career, making the playoffs just three times and going 0-3 in the postseason. They argued that Stafford was nothing more than a guy who puts up empty stats in garbage time with his team trailing.
