Lions need to swing a trade for Baker Mayfield to move on from Jared Goff
The Detroit Lions decided to stand idle during the NFL Draft at the quarterback position. That leaves former No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff in line to be the starter once again.
Passing on a quarterback is not a shock given the lackluster talent in the 2022 class. Kenny Pickett was the only signal-caller to go in the first round, and even that took until pick No. 20.
But it still appears that Goff is the starter by default. He struggled in 2021, in his first year away from Sean McVay and the explosive Los Angeles Rams offense.
Baker Mayfield, Malik Willis, or Jared Goff
Out of those three quarterbacks who do you want leading the Lions for the years to come? https://t.co/hSjQBTLDpb
So why not seek an upgrade? If they want to inject some life into the team, Baker Mayfield remains a great player to pursue via a trade. It also happens to be the case that one of Mayfield's biggest supporters is in the Detroit front office.
Lions have nothing to lose in a deal for Baker Mayfield
The connection here is that former Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey is now working in the Detroit front office. He was the one who drafted Mayfield, only to be fired two years later.
But let's get to why Detroit have nothing to lose. It is an open secret that Goff is not the future for Detroit. He is still on the team because his dead cap value is over $41 million in 2022. Barring a miraculous 2022 run, he will be gone in 2023 once that dead cap value drops to $10 million.
Goff's problem in 2021 was that he just couldn't push the offense to much success. Goff finished with 3,245 yards and 19 touchdowns in 14 games. The offense was nowhere near as explosive as it was in Los Angeles. The Lions didn't have the same level of playmakers. But in Detroit, you saw a quarterback struggling to make any big-time throws.
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We know he is likely in a lame duck position as someone who will be gone in 2023. So why not try out Mayfield, who could be in a similar boat?
The initial reaction from Lions fans may be that this is too expensive. However, both quarterbacks could come off the books after one season. If anything, this gives Goff real competition and pushes him to perform better. If Mayfield wins the job? The Lions could always seek a trade for Goff for a team that may be desperate after a summer or early-season injury.
If Goff and Mayfield both perform poorly, then Detroit can target a top signal-caller in the 2023 draft. They may do that no matter what happens this season.
Detroit will enter the 2022 season as the perceived fourth team in the NFC North. Though they lost seven games by one score last year, they finished the season a disappointing 3-13-1. There is no escaping such a record and the Lions started the season an embarrassing 0-8, before drawing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Adding Mayfield to the quarterback competition could lead to a change in Detroit's fortunes, as both Mayfield and the Lions have a lot to prove this coming season.