The Detroit Lions aimed very, very high in initial trade talks surrounding quarterback Matthew Stafford. Their initial ask of the Los Angeles Rams demonstrates just how high.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions initially asked the Rams for defensive lineman Aaron Donald in exchange for Stafford. That obviously went nowhere, and the two sides ultimately did sort out a deal involving Jared Goff and two first-round picks.
When trade talks began between the Rams and Lions, the first player Detroit requested in a trade for QB Matthew Stafford was DT Aaron Donald, per sources. Rams told Lions, that's not happening, before the two sides later figured out the eventual compensation package. https://t.co/blGUo3f47y
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2021
It’s doubtful that even the Lions thought that request would go anywhere, and it was probably just a negotiation tactic. In the Lions’ eyes, it couldn’t hurt to ask, and it clearly didn’t jeopardize the chances of making a deal.
The Lions were certainly ambitious in the initial trade talks with the Rams, but the Rams’ initial attempts to upgrade at quarterback were pretty ambitious too.
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