Giants GM Joe Schoen jockeys to be front-runner in Matthew Stafford sweepstakes

The Los Angeles Rams would love to persuade veteran QB Matthew Stafford to return to finish out his current contract that lasts through 2026. But over the course of time, Stafford's compensation is scheduled to dwindle as he ages. While that made perfect sense at the time the Rams and Stafford inked the deal, now Matthew Stafford is second-guessing the original terms of that deal.

After all, this could be the last contract of his NFL career. As such, he wants to squeeze as much cash out of the NFL as possible. The thing is, the Rams are probably the wrong team to attempt that hold out of training camp to ransom for more money. That is because the Rams do a pretty good job of assessing the value of a player before they make the offer. To a player like IOL Kevin Dotson, that no-haggle approach to contracts is a blessing.

But for Matthew Stafford,t hat no-haggle approach seems to be an ever-increasing hurdle to overcome.

I don't think that the LA Rams are a stingy team. I just believe that the team needs to shed money on offense to pay some of the team's defensive standouts. And the fact that the team spent far more on the offensive side of the football than any other team did not help the offense score points. In fact, despite being the top offense in terms of payroll expense, the team was the 20th-ranked offense in terms of points on the scoreboard.

And the defense put up plenty of points to help the cause.

Money should not be a primary motivator for an NFL player. But of course, it's easy for me to say that because I've never had to negotiate an employment contract that led to millions upon millions of compensation. Nor have I ever worked a job that has sent me to medical professionals with a:

• Spinal Cord Contusion - 2022
• Banged up thumb on my primary hand - 2023
• Banged up ribs - 2024

That's just the past three seasons. There is a laundry list of repairs required in the offseason for Matthew Stafford. Whether minor or major, he emerges each NFL season with issues that need medical attention and/or intervention to put his humpty-dumpty form back together again. And after the 2024 NFL season, Stafford is finally contemplating retiring at some point.

Where do Matthew Stafford matters stand right now?

The Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford seem to have shared their first takes on where a newly negotiated contract stands. Since that initial exchange, there has been little to no progress reported about negotiations. But here is some information that appears to be key to how this situation evolves going forward:

1. The Rams have Matthew Stafford under contract through 2026.
2. At least one report puts Stafford's salary demands at $50+ million
3. Statistical evidence does not support a hefty salary increase
4. The Rams have permitted Stafford's agent to speak with other teams
5. Colin Cowherd claims matter will come to a head during the NFL Scouting Combine
6. Rumored interest in Stafford is higher than expected, making some NFL analysts believe the asking price to trade for Stafford will go up.
7. Raiders owner Tom Brady met with Matthew Stafford on Montana ski slopes

Of course, all eyes are focused on the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. Since it is a natural collection of players, scouts, agents, and NFL personnel executives, it's an organic meeting site for NFL conversations. It's also a perfect time to put an ear to the grindstone and get a feel as to what are the hot topics around the NFL right now.

To nobody's surprise, the buzz around Matthew Stafford and a potential trade is creating quite a stir. Whether you consider that a positive or negative sign depends on where you stand on the issue, and which team you support. Right now, the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are getting the nod as teams in the running:

Okay, so that pretty much sums up the highlights of the swirling tornado of NFL rumors that just won't go away. So let's dive into what NFL Insider Ian Rapoport has to share about the Rams-Stafford saga:

The focus in his report is to detail the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York GIants are emerging as front-runners in their earnest pursuit of a premier quarterback. Both the Raiders and Giants have strong motivation to land Stafford in a trade. Minority owner Tom Brady has been leading the charge this offseason is establishing the Raiders roster priorities. Adding Stafford to the team catapults them Raiders to contenders for the AFC West title, particularly important now that the Kansas City Chiefs failed to three-peat as Super Bowl Winners.

But the New York Giants may have even more motivation to get a deal done for Stafford. Joe Schoen was hired on as the Giants GM in 2022, and with HC Brian Daboll, has witnessed the team's record plunge:

• 2022: 9-7-1
• 2023: 6-11
• 2024: 3-14

True or not, the perception is that if the Giants fail to turn the corner in 2025, and perhaps even if the Giants fail to make the playoffs this year, both Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll will be let go. Deperate times call for desperate measure. Does that place the Giants in the market for QB Matthew Stafford? A huge consensus of NFL Insiders and analysts like the Giants as the front-runners in the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes.

Now, what do we know about how likely Stafford is to end up with the Giants?

Rams top the NFL Scouting Combine chatter

It's tough for reputable NFL Insiders to claim that Matthew Stafford is 'gone,' knowing that the LA Rams have him under contract through 2026. So that becomes a huge impediment to any team trying to acquire Stafford for 2025. You see, there are three locks in the canal from the LA Rams to a new team. What are they? They are:

1. Rams must surrender hopes of meeting Matthew Stafford's salary demands
2. Matthew Stafford and his agent must come to a gentleman's agreement with a prospective new team
3. Rams and prospective new team must agree on trade compensation
4. Rams must have sufficient time and resources to sign a new veteran quarterback

While you could give partial credit to the Rams for meeting the requirements for Step 2 (above), I'm not sure that Step 1 is final yet. And that prevents NFL Insiders like Judy Battista from declaring a possible Matthew Stafford trade a done deal:

Still, where there's smoke, there's fire. Right now, there is enough smoke around Stafford rumors to cover the West Coast. Even when reports surfaced that cited Stafford likely to return in 2025, I was clear to caution fans not to read too much into that. And unlike many sites that quickly took sides, I was cautious to do so, as both sides have logical reasons to take the path that they are taking.

The best hope now is to wish both sides find what they are seeking.

is this a Giants GM hail mary pass to save his tenure with team?

No NFL general manager wants to lose his job. And yet, every year, the NFL offseason begins with stories about head coaches and general managers who, for one reason or another, are fired. Perhaps it was failing to meet expectations with the team. But in the case of general managers, their ability to build rosters bursting with talent is the key element for a long career. Right now, New York Giants GM Joe Schoen is on the hot seat.

What brought this to a head is the fact that the team backed QB Daniel Jones, and therefore let RB Saquon Barkley test his value in the 2024 NFL Free Agency market. Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, and instantly became their most dangerous offensive weapon. Meanwhile the Giants languished behind Daniel Jones, ultimately being forced to release him.

The Giants draft superb rookie WR Malik Nabors. But without a strong-armed quarterback throwing his way, he will struggle to realize his full NFL potential. But that can quickly reverse course if the Giants manage to pair QB Matthew Stafford with Nabors in their offense. And there is room to reunite Stafford with WR Cooper Kupp on the Giants offense as well.

And reports out of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine already have Stafford's agent speaking to New York Giants personnel executives, with topics likely focusing on Stafford's interest in playing for the G-Men and what his salary expectations are for 2025:

There is plenty being said among New York Giants beat writers right now. And as far as having a pulse on the team, you can trust this group of professionals to have a solid read on what the team intends, and does not intend, on doing this offseason.

Another take is that of beat reporter Art Stapleton. He makes a great deal of sense here. In his scenarios, the Giants will do a full-court press on the LA Rams in an attempt to pry Matthew Stafford from the Rams roster. Should that fail, they will pivot to the Tennessee Titans, and attempt to trade for the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to land the rookie franchise quarterback of their choice:

It's a solid plan. The only hole I can see in how he lays it all out is the fact that I cannot see the Rams waiting until the 2025 NFL Draft to lock down their quarterback position. If that happens, the team could lose not only Stafford, but any hopes of a starting alternative like QB Aaron Rodgers or Jimmy Garoppolo.

The Giants hold the 3rd and 34th overall picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.

So if the Giants, or any NFL team truly wants to pry Matthew Stafford from the Rams, they had better bring their best offers in the next week or so. Otherwise, the bidding may end and they may not end up with Stafford at all.

Don't rule out the Las Vegas Raiders

While they are nowhere near as desperate to land Stafford as the Giants, the Las Vegas Raiders have snuck in to emerge as quite possibly the true front runner in the Stafford Sweepstakes. A trade to the Las Vegas Raiders could allow Stafford to remain at his current residence. It would also plop him into an NFC West Division team that is eager to get back to relevancy.

They have struggled to find success since 2021. In the past three seasons, the Raiders have ended with records:

• 2022: 6-11
• 2023: 8-9
• 2024: 4-13

Ironically, the Raiders starting quarterback in 2023, their most successful of the past three seasons, was Jimmy Garoppolo. He finished that year with a record of 3-3. But the Raiders locker room was dissatisfied with the offense, and Garoppolo became the scapegoat for an entire host of problems.

Now, just a short time after shedding Garoppolo, they are in the hunt for Rams starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. As we noted above, Stafford to the Raiders is pickup up a lot of steam:

Here's more on the Stafford to Raiders matter:

We'll follow up on VInny Bosignore's take on the latest developments with the pursuit of Matthew Stafford.

The Raiders are loaded with draft picks. The most noteworthy are the sixth and 37th overall picks, but they enter the 2025 NFL Draft with 10 picks. The Raiders possess four selections within the first 75 in this draft, and multiple picks in Round 3 and 6. If any team should be able to part with multiple picks to acquire Matthew Stafford and still have a solid rooke class, the Raiders fit the bill.

Of the two teams, the Raiders feel like the team to watch. If all things are equal, I expect the Rams would prefer to send Stafford to an AFC team. And that proximity to where Stafford currently lives would likely make Las Vegas a preferred destination as well. But anything goes right now, and if a team sets its mind to it, that team could win the Stafford sweepstakes just as easily.

Stafford's name is hot right now. And there are enough NFL teams in the mix to logically conclude that at least one team makes an offer that the LA Rams cannot refuse. If it's a matter of timing, than I don't see how factors to trade Stafford could be any more optimal.

Is Stafford truly worth the $50+ million per year that he is demanding? I have to think that if the Rams foootball team thought so, he would already be signing that newly constructed contract. Since that hasn't happened, the team is playing a game of chicken.

Who blinks first? Either Stafford blinks, and agrees to play for what the Rams are offering, or another team blinks and meets the trade price set by the Rams. In either scenario, I believe the chances of the Rams meeting Stafford's salary as remote. What is left comes down to how badly Stafford wants to remain a Ram. And if it comes down to that, I expect he will be packing his bags.

As always, thanks for reading.

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