NFC East news: Giants in play for Stafford, Eagles projected to go defense in the draft
Matthew Stafford trade rumors: Steelers, Giants among teams eyeing Rams QB, who wants huge raise, per reports – John Breech, CBS Sports
New York has thrown their hat in the ring for the Rams’ quarterback.
After just four seasons in Los Angeles, Matthew Stafford could be leaving the Rams. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback has been given permission to speak with other teams so that he can gauge what his value might be on the open market and it’s a move that could open the door for the 37-year-old to leave L.A.
With Stafford now possibly available in a trade, several teams have already shown some interest in the Rams quarterback. The Steelers, Browns, Raiders and Giants are among the teams that have “thrown their hats in the ring,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Of course, showing interest in Stafford and actually acquiring him in a trade are two totally different things. As things currently stand, Stafford is set to make just $27 million from the Rams in 2025 and he wants a substantial raise, which has created a standoff because the Rams don’t want to commit a big chunk of money into an aging quarterback. Stafford is looking for a deal that would pay him roughly $50 million per year, According to NFL Media’s Peter Schrager.
If a team wants to trade for Stafford, it will almost certainly be costly: Not only will they likely have to give him the raise he wants, but they’ll also have to send several draft picks back to the Rams.
So can any of these interested teams afford him? Here’s how much available cap space each of the interested teams currently has (via OverTheCap):
Giants ($48.4 million). Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen are both going to be under a lot of pressure to win this year and adding Stafford might be their best option to win in 2025. The Giants struck gold in the 2024 draft with receiver Malik Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., and this team could take a huge step forward if they can find the right quarterback. If the Rams are looking to land a high draft pick, the Giants could make the 34th overall pick part of the deal.
Commanders’ GM Adam Peters is not desperate – Ivan Lambert, USA Today
Sacrificing Washington’s future isn’t being taken into consideration.
The NFL combine is upon us, and this is when teams begin to make personnel decisions for the following season.
Remember three years ago when Pete Carroll, then with the Seattle Seahawks declared he had no intention of trading away his starting quarterback Russell Wilson?
Next thing you know, a huge deal was being announced. Wilson was being sent to the Broncos, and Denver sent the Seahawks a boatload of draft picks.
This causes Washington fans to recall that Ron Rivera and the Commanders were interested in Wilson. Aren’t you glad THAT deal was not executed? If so, Washington would have Wilson and would not have Jayden Daniels. In addition, the Commanders would be “out” of all of those draft choices sent to Denver in the deal.
You may recall Rivera openly expressing how much he wanted a new quarterback and being open for business. Commanders Wire warned the fan base that Rivera and company must be careful not to appear desperate to make a deal. If they came across as too needy, they were going to get fleeced in a deal. And sure enough, the Colts got the better end of the deal for Carson Wentz.
One thing the fan base can be certain of this year during the combine is that current Commander GM Adam Peters is not desperate and will not get fleeced in a deal.
This is why I strongly doubt he will trade for Myles Garrett. Peters is not going to be desperate enough to fill a glaring need, only to create more needs by giving up too much in a trade.
If Peters makes a deal, he will not give up too much of the future Commanders resources.
However, he might surprise us by cutting a player or two to free up more salary cap space.
Eagles Projected To Hit Jackpot With 21-Year-Old Linebacker – Patrick McAvoy, Sports Illustrated
Philadelphia is expected to draft a defensive player at the end of the first round.
The Philadelphia Eagles will have to wait awhile on the first night of the upcoming National Football League Draft before they can make their first pick unless they make a trade.
Philadelphia took down the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX and currently has the No. 32 pick in the draft. The Eagles will have a chance to add some solid talent at the pick if they don’t trade it away. If they don’t move the pick, it could make sense to go defense.
The Eagles have Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, and Zack Baun all going to free agency. It’ll be tough to keep all three around so adding a piece to help replace them could make sense. CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson and Mike Renner released a mock draft on the ”With the First Pick” podcast and projected the Eagles to select Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell at No. 32.
“Ryan Wilson: ‘I think you can line Jihaad up all over the place,’” CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan shared. “He’s still 20 years old, I think, and he’s going to get bigger, stronger and faster, presumably.”
Campbell would be a solid pickup for the Eagles’ defense. In 2024, he racked up 117 tackles in just 13 games to go along with five sacks, 12 tackles for loss, one interception, and one fumble recovery. He’s just 21 years old and could be a guy to help fill holes on the Eagles’ defense for the next few years if he’s available at No. 32.
