It did not take long for Matthew Stafford to find a new home.

Just about one week after the Detroit Lions and its longtime franchise quarterback mutually agreed to part ways, the Lions orchestrated a blockbuster trade to send Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams. Detroit is getting Rams signal-caller Jared Goff in addition to a 2021 third-rounder and first-round picks in both 2022 and 2023.

Draft picks are precious commodities in the NFL, as are franchise quarterbacks. Goff had struggled in each of the past two seasons following an MVP-type 2018 campaign but had still shown glimpses of being “that guy” in Los Angeles.

Instead, the Rams are mortgaging their future on a veteran Stafford being the quarterback who can lead them to a Lombardi Trophy. Did they give up too much? Let's take a closer look.

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What does Stafford bring to the table?

Before assessing whether the Rams paid too steep a price for Stafford, we need to break down the qualities that could make him a better fit for Los Angeles' offense than Goff.

The most obvious is Stafford's ability and willingness to throw the deep ball and set the Rams' downfield passing attack in motion. He ranked fifth among all passers in intended air yards per pass attempt, per Pro Football Reference.

Goff ranked 33rd out of 35 qualified passers in this regard. That is a pretty drastic change in passing philosophies. What's more, Stafford ranked sixth in completed air yards per completion. Goff was 32nd in this regard. The difference is striking.

Let's take it back to Goff's 2018 season. What was the separator as compared to the past two seasons? That's right, the deep ball. Goff averaged 8.7 intended air yards per pass attempt and finished the season with 7.0 completed air yards per completion that season. As a result, L.A. was the second-highest scoring team in the NFL.

Now, head coach Sean McVay gets a guy in Matthew Stafford who is more than capable of getting the Rams back to that 2018 level. He is more mobile than Goff in the pocket, can extend plays with his legs and throw the ball down the field on the run. Stafford is better than Goff at the off-timing plays, which could make a huge difference.

Establishing the line of scrimmage

The Lions actually had fairly strong performances from the offensive line this past season, ranking 13th in Pro Football Focus' final 2020 O-line rankings. But the Rams were better.

Los Angeles' offensive line ranked third in football, per PFF. The pressure rate dropped by six percent, and continued improvements in the trenches would be enormous.

However, the more important distinction is the Rams' commitment to running the football.

McVay's tendency to establish the run could be huge for Stafford from an individual perspective. Detroit consistently relied on Stafford to throw the ball, ranking 30th in both rushing attempts and rushing yards.

It is unlikely Stafford shoulders the same kind of burden in L.A. The Rams ranked seventh in rushing attempts in 2020 and should remain every bit as committed in 2021.

Establishing the line of scrimmage should set Stafford up for play-action. Goff led the NFL in play-action attempts, but Stafford actually averaged more yards per completion on those looks. Given his ability to sell fakes and throw the ball downfield, Stafford could make McVay's play-action looks that much more dangerous.

Matthew Stafford, Rams

Going for it now

Realistically, the Rams almost have no choice but to buy high, given their future outlook.

Los Angeles doled out big contracts to skill players on both sides of the ball, with all of Jalen Ramsey, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods getting contract extensions last fall. The pressure is on to win with this group, right now.

Why not take this approach? The Rams had the best defense in the NFL in 2020, and Leonard Floyd is really the only impact starter headed for free agency on that side of the ball. Los Angeles has the foundation to win a Super Bowl right now.

For all the durability concerns surrounding Matthew Stafford, he gutted through all 16 games in 2020. Now that he joins a team with a better running game and—generally—a healthier group of receivers, Stafford could have a tremendous impact in L.A.

The “going for it approach” always attracts heavy scrutiny. But Stafford's arm talent makes him a stronger fit for the Rams' offensive scheme, and his ability to hit on home-run throws could make all the difference in L.A.'s quest to get back to the top of the NFL.