Lions starting quarterback Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams at the end of January.

Rams sent over two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and starting quarterback Jared Goff in what’s considered to be a blockbuster trade. Matthew Stafford is an incredibly talented quarterback, but the Lions franchise failed him. Jared Dubin of CBS Sports reported. “Matthew Stafford has spent his entire NFL career trying to rebuild the Detroit Lions franchise–he was due for an upgrade and he just found one.”

On the other side of things, Jared Goff was drafted #1 overall by the Rams in the 2016 NFL draft. While the Rams did go to the Super Bowl with Goff, he was never really the reason they got there. The defense and the running game brought them there, with Goff being an average quarterback. Goff is an okay quarterback, but he definitely wasn’t worth the #1 overall pick or the huge contract he received.

The Lions are in full rebuild mode now, as they have the draft picks and the young talent to do so. Goff has the potential to be an above average player, especially on a new team. The Lions have always been dysfunctional, but bringing in new faces may solve that issue in 3-5 years. With a top 10 pick in the draft this year, and 2 future first-rounders, the Lions could shape out to be a good team. Hopefully Jared Goff and the Lions can put together a good future, that is unless they draft a quarterback this year.

On the other hand, the Rams are ready to win right now. They became instant Super Bowl contenders with an upgrade at the quarterback position. They have a top-3 defense in the league, with a great receiving core, and a talented young running back. Aaron Donald is a 3x DPOY winner, while Jalen Ramsey is arguably the best cornerback in the NFL. Ryan Craig stated in an interview,

“The Rams are winning the Super Bowl next year. I don’t care about Tom Brady. The Rams are the best team in the NFL now and no one can convince me otherwise.” Craig, a longtime Rams fan, has no doubt in his mind that his favorite team can be the best in the league.

With this blockbuster trade, the Rams become contenders, and the Lions begin a rebuild for the future. In this instance, both teams won this trade.