The Detroit Lions seemed to have much higher hopes for their team coming in the 2018 season with new head coach Matt Patricia ready to lead them into the future. However, the team finished the up-and-down season at 6-10 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. Now it seems the team could be on the verge of making some major changes regarding star quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Last week, ESPN Senior Writer Mike Sando reported that NFL executives believed the Lions would trade Stafford at some point before the 2019 season. This would come as a pretty big shock to fans, but it would not be the first time the Lions made a big move this year after they traded their leader in receptions from 2017 Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round pick. However, this would be an even bigger move that would likely garner both attention and criticism from around the league.

If the Lions are to make this big move in the next few months, there are surely some teams that would be interested in bringing him in. Let's take a look at the top three trade destinations for Matthew Stafford heading into the 2018 NFL offseason.

Matthew Stafford, Lions

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Now, of course, there is some major speculation that the Jaguars are looking to bring in New York Giants' veteran, and aging, quarterback Eli Manning to run the show for 2019 before he likely decides to call it a career. That is just a terrible idea and if Matthew Stafford is on the market, Jacksonville needs to do just about everything they can to bring him in.

Blake Bortles obviously proved that he is not the answer for the team in 2018, much like he did in 2017 and 2016 and 2015. The difference this year is that no one in the Jaguars' organization has come forward to say that he is their guy going forward, so that might make people believe they are going to distance themselves from the former Central Florida Golden Knight.

That is where Stafford should come in. The Jaguars will pick in the top ten of the 2019 NFL Draft, but, outside of Drew Lock, there doesn't seem to be any top names worthy of that high a pick with Justin Herbert returning to Oregon.

Stafford would change the culture immediately for the Jaguars. In ten seasons in Detroit, he has established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the league, throwing for over 4,000 yards seven times and having a comeback, MVP-like season in 2011 when he threw for career highs of 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns, leading the team to the postseason for the first time since 1999.

2. Miami Dolphins

Matthew Stafford, Matt Patricia
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Adam Gase became the sixth NFL coach to be fired this season Monday morning and it seems that the Miami Dolphins will be going back to the drawing board. They should probably do that with their quarterback position as well.

The Dolphins suffered through five games of Brock Osweiler as their starting quarterback and managed to get by with Ryan Tannehill as their starter in 11 others. If not for the Miracle in Miami three weeks ago, this team would have finished with double-digit losses after their beating in Buffalo Sunday. The two quarterbacks threw for just over 3,200 yards combined and if that isn't evidence enough that they should make a change, I don't know what is.

While Stafford wouldn't be the immediate answer for the Dolphins, as they need some weapons around him to make him successful after trading Jarvis Landry to the Cleveland Browns, he would make them competitive in the division at least. You can't tell me you wouldn't love to see Stafford matching up with Tom Brady twice a year.

Matt Patricia, Matthew Stafford, Lions

1. Oakland Raiders

Unlike the other two teams on this list, the Oakland Raiders have a quarterback that has been great for the team throughout his career and certainly wasn't the reason the team went 4-12 this year. While Derek Carr did throw for over 4,000 yards for the first time in his career, he threw for just 19 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, proving that the offense as a whole had an inability to score at times.

Jon Gruden has done a good job at swindling first-round picks out of teams in trades this year (I'm looking at you Dallas), so he could probably do that with Carr. He could even take one of his three first-round picks this year and send it to Detroit to bring in Matthew Stafford and create a quarterback competition, that would inevitably force Carr to play harder to keep his position.

Another interesting option would be for the two teams to trade quarterbacks. The Lions would get a young quarterback that has proven himself worthy of a starting spot, while the Raiders get a fresh, veteran face under center to possibly bring the team back to relevance. Also, wouldn't it be fun to watch Stafford match up with Philip Rivers twice a year?