Los Angeles Rams high on Matthew Stafford’s impact for 2021

The Los Angeles Rams made a blockbuster trade for Matthew Stafford in March, and they’re happy with the early returns.

The Rams traded two first-round picks and a young quarterback who led them to the Super Bowl three years ago. When you do that, it better be for the finishing touch on a championship team.

With Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams clearly feel they have found such a piece.

Stafford, 32, comes to the Rams after 12 years of hope and ultimately loss with the Detroit Lions. After asking to be traded this winter, Stafford was dealt to the west coast. There, he joins the most talented roster he’s ever been a part of.

While the roster is excellent — after all, it reached the NFC Divisional round last season — the coaching staff is equally important. Head coach Sean McVay is one of the league’s most innovative offensive minds. At only 35 years old, he figures to get better as the years go on.

For McVay’s part, he’s been openly giddy about the addition of Stafford for months. He made his excitement all the more clear on Monday, via Albert Breer of The MMQB:

“Bro, this dude’s a bad MF-er. Whatever people say about him, as good as it can be, he’s even better than advertised. It makes sense to him. The guy’s ability to see the game, his ability to draw on his experiences, the feel that he has, it’s pretty special and unique. And man, his feel for people, his authentic way of connecting with his teammates, his coaches, this guy, it’s great being around him.”

For Stafford, this year and any other time in Los Angeles is about championships. He’s already thrown for 5,000 yards in a season, amassed more than 45,000 passing yards in his career and notched 282 touchdowns. The former No. 1 overall pick out of Georgia has proven prolific, but he’s yet to win a single playoff game or division crown. And while the latter is largely true due to his circumstances, it still remains fact.

The Rams have a good core of talent around him starting with receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. The defense was tops in the league spanning a variety of categories in 2020 and should remain toward the upper echelon even with a few free-agent departures.

If Stafford can live up to expectations and McVay’s words, the Rams have a chance to make real noise into January and perhaps beyond.