Pivotal Meeting Reported Between the Rams and Raiders’ Trade Target Matthew Stafford

Based on reports over the last 24 hours, it sounds like a resolution is coming on Matthew Stafford’s contract situation in Los Angeles.

The Raiders and Giants have been said to be the two teams most interested in trading for Stafford, and the Rams are apparently making an 11th-hour pitch to their star quarterback today.

“The Rams are set to meet with Matthew Stafford at their facility in person today regarding his future, per sources,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on Friday on X. “The Raiders and Giants have discussed a two-year contract for Stafford that includes $90-100M guaranteed. A decision is expected soon.”

There have been several well-respected insiders saying the relationship between Stafford and the Rams is presumed to be fine and guessing that the 37-year-old quarterback will most likely return to the Rams when the dust settles on his contract situation.

But one detail worth noting is the fact that the Rams were reaching out to quarterbacks well before the Super Bowl. They’ve been shopping for a while. Maybe they didn’t like the feedback they received during that time period, but it would be naive to believe everything is wonderful between Stafford and Sean McVay at the moment.

Maybe that’s what Friday’s meeting is about, and the Rams might be trying to smooth things over with Stafford. That’s speculation, but it’s based on more than a gut feeling.

Going back to last year, the Rams have been telling Stafford he isn’t worth the money he feels like he deserves.

How long can that go on before Stafford changes where he wants to be?

Would a “coincidental” meeting with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady be something that might give Stafford enthusiasm about a different situation?

Whether Brady’s meeting with Stafford in Montana was coincidental or not, there has definitely been a plan discussed, and several reports have suggested the Raiders would be willing to pay Stafford what he wants.

Answers are coming soon, but it feels like Friday’s meeting with Stafford might be a push by the Rams to squeeze a little more out of the Raiders in terms of draft compensation.

Maybe the sides will get together and decide everyone is happy with the way things are and Stafford will get the extension he has been looking for from the Rams for over a year.

For now, though, the chances of Stafford going to the Raiders are probably better than him returning to the Rams. But let’s see how the meeting plays out on Friday morning.

Every connected insider in the league is on it, so it shouldn’t take long to learn about the outcome of the meeting.

Earlier this week, Vinny Bonsignore, who covers the Raiders for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, reported the “prevailing thought” around the league to what the Rams will be able to get in return for Stafford.

“If you’re the Rams, no doubt you have your eye on that sixth pick overall,” Bonsignore said on Raider Nation Radio’s Morning Tailgate on Thursday. “[The Rams] are going try to drive up, especially with what is potentially going to be a little bit of a bidding war, they’re going to try to get as much as they possibly can.”

Asked if the idea of getting a first-round pick for Stafford was unreasonable, Bonsignore said it was not.

“No, I don’t think it’s a pie in the sky. I’ve talked to a number of league people to try to gauge what fair compensation would be and, resoundingly, the feedback that I got is that 37-year-old and all, [Stafford] is still is a premier quarterback, and [that] costs something, right?” Bonsignore said.

“I’ve just thrown out various scenarios to at least five people… and my proposal was this year’s second-round pick and next year’s second-round pick. I would consider that fair. Others don’t see it that way. Others see it as this year’s second round pick,” Bonsignore continued.

“We’ll see how many teams are legitimately interested. We’ll see how far that bidding war actually goes. But I would say a second round pick this year and a second round pick next year that could be a conditional first round pick if certain things are met. I was told, ‘Nope, that’s not going to get it done.’ [The Rams] would just move them to another team if that was the case. So, I was told that… what would be considered a fair and acceptable offer… would be this year’s second round pick and next year’s first round pick.”

x: @raidersbeat