Bart Scott isn’t waiting around until the offseason to fire up the hypothetical trade machine.
The former NFL linebacker uncorked a doozy Tuesday morning on ESPN’s “Get Up.” With Tom Brady’s future in New England very much uncertain, Scott believes there’s a way the Patriots can turn the page at quarterback via a trade between Bill Belichick and one of his former colleagues.
“I think Matt Patricia can really do his former boss who got him started in coaching and groomed him up in Bill Belichick (a favor) and send Matthew Stafford to the Patriots in return for a first-round draft pick,” Scott said. “It allows Matt Patricia to buy some time. Listen, Matthew Stafford is an elite quarterback. He’s a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback, but what have you won with him? He’s the only asset you have. This team is not going to win or contend in that division next year, the year after. You get Tua (Tagovailoa), Tua can sit for a year and now Patricia has his quarterback of the future that can retool and rebuild this offense and rebuild this team in Detroit.”
While the Lions, who own the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, likely will have an opportunity to draft Tagovailoa this spring, they might not be ready to give up on Stafford just yet. The veteran signal-caller still has three years remaining on his contract, and Tagovailoa’s hip injury makes him somewhat a roll of the dice. If Detroit turns out to be abysmal yet again next season, it could find itself in position to draft Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence.
As for the Patriots, they might be hesitant to fork over a first-round pick for an aging player coming off a serious injury. New England is poised to have a lot of holes to fill this offseason, making draft capital of the essence. Parting ways with the 23rd overall pick for Stafford, who turns 32 in early February, comes off as a short-sighted move.
