Jared Goff

The Detroit Lions have reportedly made an adjustment to Jared Goff's contract in order to clear cap space for the 2021 season. 

Per ESPN's Field Yates, the Lions converted $20 million of Goff's base salary this season into a signing bonus that clears $15 million in cap space for 2021:

Per Spotrac, Goff will only count $10.325 million against the 2021 cap.

The Lions are in a really good cap situation after converting Goff's salary into a signing bonus. 

They currently have $26.1 million available this offseason but are only committed to $158.55 million in salaries next year and $121.96 million in 2023. 

Detroit appears to be entering the first stage of a rebuilding process under new head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes. Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in a package for Goff and three draft picks, including first-rounders in 2022 and 2023. 

Goff will be the Lions starting quarterback in 2021. He is coming off a disappointing season in Los Angeles, despite helping the team reach the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. The 26-year-old threw for 3,952 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 15 starts last year. 

The Lions are coming off three consecutive last-place finishes in the NFC North under former head coach Matt Patricia. They went 5-11 in 2020 and haven't won more than six games in a season since 2017.   

Michael Brockers avoided a potentially awkward situation with Jared Goff now that they are teammates again with the Detroit Lions. 

Brockers, who previously played with the Los Angeles Rams, told TMZ Sports earlier this month he believed the team was leveling up by acquiring Matthew Stafford to play quarterback. 

"I don't want to say a lock for the Super Bowl, but with having a quarterback like that, and just seeing what we did last year and just seeing what he can bring to this team, there's no wonder why we can't [win the Super Bowl]," he added. 

Appearing Monday on 97.1 The Ticket's Karsch & Anderson Show, Goff said Brockers "apologized very quickly" even before the Lions made the move to acquire the veteran defensive tackle. 

"I love Brock," Goff added. "Sometimes it happens, but that guy is my guy. I love Brock and he reached out to me very quickly after that and [there's] no ill will. We're all good."

The Rams announced on March 17 they were sending Brockers to Detroit in exchange for a future draft pick. 

Goff and Brockers spent the past five seasons as teammates in Los Angeles. The 30-year-old played with the Rams for nine years after being selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. 

Jared Goff is officially a Detroit Lion, and he told reporters Friday at his introductory press conference that he's "thankful" for his time in Los Angeles but ready to move on with his career.

"There's no ill will," he said (via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk). "I want to move forward with my life and my career, and this is the next chapter—it starts today. But I had so many great times there and I'm thankful for everything that I went on there."

Goff was traded to the Lions in a package that included future draft picks in exchange for veteran Matthew Stafford. 

Goff, the No. 1 overall pick by the Rams out of Cal in 2016, took over for Case Keenum as the team's starter for the final seven games of his rookie year, then missed just two regular-season games as the starting quarterback over his next four seasons with the team. 

He finished his time in Los Angeles averaging more than 4,000 yards every year he was a starter, with a career-best season in 2018 when he threw for 4,688 yards and 32 touchdowns en route to his second of two consecutive Pro Bowl selections. 

In 2020, he threw for 3,952 yards and 20 touchdowns through 15 games as the Rams went 10-6 and fell in the divisional round. 

In Detroit, Goff will again play for a franchise that employs Brad Holmes—the Lions' general manager. Holmes served as the Rams director of college scouting when the team drafted Goff, per Simmons. 

The Lions hold the No. 7 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, so the team could select their next franchise quarterback from the myriad of options that have come up through the collegiate ranks. But for now, he's content to be heading to Detroit. 

"[I felt like], 'OK, this is where I'm supposed to be. This is how it's supposed to go down,'" he said. 

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is a future Hall of Famer. He already has one Super Bowl win and two appearances on his resume and has been named to the Pro Bowl in eight of his nine pro seasons. In short, the 32-year-old is one of the most consistently great NFL quarterbacks of the past decade.

For the bulk of Wilson's career, the idea that he could find himself on the move from Seattle while still in his prime seemed foolish at best. However, as the March 17 start of free agency looms, the possibility of a Wilson trade is very real.

Wilson has publicly voiced his displeasure with his lack of protection—he's been sacked 146 times over the last three seasons—and Seattle hasn't been happy about it.

"A source told me that the Seahawks management is not happy with Russell Wilson and his camp for taking this to the media. ... The current situation is unsustainable," Dan Patrick said on The Dan Patrick Show (h/t Rob Staton of BBC Sports).

While Seattle may not be actively shopping their quarterback, it has at least been gauging his trade value.

"I know there's been calls made on both sides," ESPN's Dianna Russini said on The Pat McAfee Show. "Going to Seattle, and from Seattle to other teams."

Along with Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, Wilson should be one of the two hottest trade targets out there upon the start of the 2021 league year. The Chicago Bears are reportedly among the teams interested in landing him.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said the following on SportsCenter:

"The expectation league-wide is that Chicago's going to try to take a big swing here at getting Russell. Now, Seattle has given no clear indication that they are going to trade him. Russell Wilson himself still does not expect to be traded. But Chicago's going to at least try to make that change and put together a package. That's what most people around the league do expect."

Of course, there's a big difference between taking a swing and hitting a home run. While the Seahawks may be listening to trade offers, they have not engaged in negotiations, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

"No one I've spoken with has said that Seattle has actually engaged in any of these talks," Rapoport said on NFL Network.

Still, the idea that Seattle is even listening to offers is an exciting one. We've already seen trades involving Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz this offseason, so a Wilson trade doesn't feel impossible.

On the verge of free agency, though, it doesn't feel like a trade involving Wilson is on the immediate horizon.

Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Michael Brockers said Matthew Stafford is an upgrade over Jared Goff after the quarterbacks changed teams in the Rams' blockbuster trade with the Detroit Lions.

"Is it a level up? In my heart, deeply, just understanding what [Stafford] brings, it's a level up [over Goff]," Brockers told TMZ Sports in an interview released Saturday. "It's a level up."

The Rams traded Goff, two first-round draft picks and a third-round selection to acquire Stafford as part of a January agreement. The deal will become official when the NFL's new league year opens March 17.

L.A.'s front office clearly agrees with Brockers based on the price it paid in picks to swap the quarterbacks, and the numbers from 2020 back up that assessment.

Stafford held an advantage over Goff in passer rating (96.3-90.0), ESPN's Total QBR (68.4-58.5) and Pro Football Focus' grades (82.0-71.4) last season.

The longtime Lions starter was also playing at an MVP level in 2019, throwing for 2,499 yards and 19 touchdowns in eight games, before suffering a season-ending back injury.

Meanwhile, Goff's play has lagged in recent seasons. He threw a combined 60 touchdowns and 19 interceptions between 2017 and 2018. That ratio dropped to a far less impressive 42 TDs and 29 picks over the past two years.

So the Rams, who otherwise feature a championship-level roster with last season's top-ranked defense and a solid group of offensive playmakers, made a bold move with the hope Stafford is the missing piece.

Brockers confirmed expectations will be sky-high heading into the 2021 campaign.

"I don't want to say a lock for the Super Bowl, but with having a quarterback like that and just seeing what we did last year, and just seeing what he can bring to this team, there's no wonder why we can't [win the Super Bowl]," he told TMZ.

Los Angeles and Detroit are scheduled to face each other next season, so that'll be one of the most intriguing matchups both fanbases are on the lookout for when the regular-season slate is released.

The Detroit Lions traded for quarterback Jared Goff this offseason, but that doesn't mean the team won't do its due diligence on the position at this year's NFL draft. 

General manager Brad Holmes spoke with reporters Tuesday about this year's crop of quarterback prospects:

"The quarterback position in general, what's cool about this year is that they're in all different flavors. You have a guy that can actually do it all, do it from the pocket, do it with his legs. You have another guy that probably a little bit more does it with his legs, a little bit more of being creative. There's another guy probably does it more from the pocket.

"So all the different flavors makes it very, very intriguing in terms of when you're looking across the whole scope of the class of these quarterbacks."

The Lions agreed to trade Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in late January for Goff, two first-round picks and a third-rounder. But the trade can't become official until the new league year March 17, meaning Holmes and the team can't talk about their new quarterback.

In turn, that means the team can't offer more information about whether they're committed to Goff as a long-term starter or see him more as a bridge quarterback. Regardless, they are doing their homework on the quarterbacks who may be off the board early in this year's draft, from Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and BYU's Zach Wilson to Ohio State's Justin Fields and North Dakota State's Trey Lance. 

"When you're picking in the top 10, I don't think you can ignore—and I think it's smart drafting business anyways, when you're picking in the top 10—that you make sure you know that quarterback class very thoroughly," Holmes said.

The Lions do have other needs, however, including an overhaul of the defense for new head coach Dan Campbell.

"There are some pieces that we definitely need to add," Holmes said. "We can start with the defensive side of the ball. We definitely need some more depth. We will need starters at certain places, so those are things that we are going through."

The Lions are in a rebuilding mode after going 5-11 last season, their third straight losing campaign. The team last made the postseason in 2016 and hasn't won a playoff game since 1991. In other words, there is work to be done in Detroit. How the Lions handle the quarterback position going forward will be the first question the team has to answer at this spring's draft. 

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay says he could have done things differently with quarterback Jared Goff.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, McVay addressed his relationship with Goff, whom the Rams have agreed to trade to the Detroit Lions.

"There are a lot of things when I self-reflect that I wish I was better for him in some instances," McVay said, adding: "I'm not going to run away from some of the things that I could have been better for him as a leader and a coach."

Things between Goff and the Rams seemed to take a turn after he signed a four-year, $134 million extension in 2019. The team hasn't reached the heights of its 2018 Super Bowl season, and he's struggled to play at his previous level. The 26-year-old has a 42-29 touchdown-to-interception mark over the past two seasons.

"Our quarterback's got to take better care of the football," McVay told reporters after Goff committed three turnovers in a 23-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in November.

NFL Network host Steve Wyche reported last month the relationship between McVay and Goff was "not great," and an anonymous source told Wyche they needed "marriage counseling" to work through their issues.

The Rams and Lions agreed to a deal last month that will send Goff, a 2021 third-round pick and first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to Detroit in exchange for Matthew Stafford.

Goff indicated he was happy to be going to a new team.

"I'm just excited to be somewhere that I know wants me and appreciates me," Goff told NFL.com's Michael Silver. "I'm moving forward and couldn't be more excited to build a winner there. I'm excited about Dan [Campbell] and the whole staff."

Goff's whirlwind tenure with the Rams started when they made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He had a terrible rookie year under then-head coach Jeff Fisher but came into his own the following year when McVay took over.

The Rams have made the playoffs three times in the past four seasons, including an appearance in Super Bowl LIII. Goff earned Pro Bowl nods in 2017 and 2018, throwing for a combined 8,492 yards and 60 touchdowns in 31 games.

Matthew Stafford said he and Jared Goff exchanged texts after the quarterbacks were traded for each other late last month.

Stafford appeared on The Mitch Albom Show on Monday and said they had a positive conversation.

"I shot him a text. We texted a little bit. Just told him that I know going out there I've got big shoes to fill. It's not lost on me that he was in the Super Bowl just a few years ago. He's a really good player in his own right. I just wanted to let him know that I appreciate him as a player and obviously, to reach out to me if there was anything he needed when it comes to Detroit, just as far as advice or places to stay, anything. I know that he feels that he can reach out to me, and I know I can reach out to him with anything in L.A. too. So it's been good."

The Lions agreed to trade Stafford to the Rams in exchange for Goff and three draft picks (2021 third-round pick, 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick) on Jan. 30. The deal will not be completed until the new league year begins on March 17.

Stafford spent his first 12 NFL seasons in Detroit after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft. Goff, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, spent five seasons in Los Angeles.

Before the Detroit Lions settled for Jared Goff and three draft picks in their agreed-upon trade for Matthew Stafford, they reportedly tried to get Aaron Donald included in the deal. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Donald was the first player the Lions asked for when they began talking with the Rams about Stafford. 

Schefter noted the Rams told Detroit a deal involving Donald is "not happening."

Schefter reported Jan. 30 that the Rams and Lions agreed to a deal that will send Stafford to Los Angeles in exchange for Goff, first-round draft picks in 2022 and 2023 and a third-round draft pick in 2021. 

Even though there seemed to be no chance the Rams would agree to trade Donald, it's not unusual for teams to shoot for the moon early in talks hoping to catch a desperate front office into making a move. 

At this time last year, no one was predicting that the Arizona Cardinals would be able to acquire DeAndre Hopkins from the Houston Texans for David Johnson, a 2020 second-round draft pick and a 2021 fourth-round draft pick. 

It's no secret that the Rams are facing a salary-cap crunch because of all the moves they've made over the past two seasons. Donald carries a $27.89 million cap hit in 2021, per Spotrac.

Donald, who was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in four years Saturday night, is arguably the best non-quarterback in the league. The 29-year-old has been named to the All-Pro first team in each of the past six seasons. 

Given how productive Donald has been throughout his career—with no apparent signs of slowing down—and the Rams trying to take advantage of their playoff window right now, there was no reason for the team to move him at this point. 

Still, you can't blame the Lions for at least asking. 

Aaron Donald and other Los Angeles Rams players were apparently surprised when the team traded away Jared Goff in a deal that brought back Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions. 

The defensive tackle discussed the trade on the Dan Patrick Show:

"I'm pretty sure everybody was shocked with it," Donald said (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk). "... It was a business decision that the Rams organization chose to make. I will always love Goff, that's my brother forever. I guess things didn't work out how they wanted to, so they made a change."

He later said Goff received unfair criticism with the Rams.

"I will never say nothing bad about Goff though, that's my brother," Donald added.

Goff and Donald spent five years together with the Rams, reaching the Super Bowl after the 2018 season. Los Angeles reached the playoffs this year thanks to the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL but the offense didn't hold up its end of the bargain for a deep postseason run.

The Rams decided to make an upgrade this offseason, and Goff accepted it.

"If you're in a place that you're not wanted and they want to move on from you, the feeling's mutual," he told Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times.