Did Matthew Stafford Cost Detroit Lions LB Micah Parsons?

General manager Brad Holmes was asked about the Carolina Panthers' interest in Matthew Stafford last offseason.

The Detroit Lions had multiple suitors when quarterback Matthew Stafford requested to end his tenure in Motown. 

Among them was reportedly the Carolina Panthers. 

It was reported by NFL Network that the Panthers offered the Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, along with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and a fifth-round draft choice, for Stafford. 

Holmes and Co. did not accept the offer, and instead decided to trade Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, in exchange for Jared Goff and a 2022 and a 2023 first-round pick, plus a 2021 third-rounder. 

Detroit's general manager was asked on Friday whether Stafford nixed the deal to Carolina and the level of input he had in trade talks. 

Holmes was not willing to disclose too many details regarding Stafford's input in trade talks, opting to share that the veteran quarterback was cooperative in the process.

"He was very cooperative in the process. I've said it before, I was a fan of the player when studying him in preparation for this interview. And, then how he handled things as a person, his professionalism, I became even more of a fan," Holmes said. "So, throughout the process, it worked out for both sides, and we're ready to move forward."

More importantly for the Lions, the front office must continue to add talent to the roster on both sides of the football. 

"Carolina had interest, but there was a lot of other teams that had interest in that trade. We won't get into the details of what transpired. Ultimately, we're just moving forward, and we're going to take advantage of the capital that we have. At the end of the day, we just have to be smart," Holmes told 97.1 The Ticket on Friday. "We have the draft capital that we received in the trade, and Jared finished the season well and we're just moving forward. You can have all the draft capital you want, but you've got to pick the right players."

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Detroit could have used the No. 8 pick to select linebacker Micah Parsons, who ended up being impactful for the Dallas Cowboys' defense during his rookie campaign. 

Parsons is likely among the players happy that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn announced his plans to return to Dallas in 2022. 

“I think Q found a way to touch everybody in our defensive room’s heart. I think he found a way for us all to want to fight for him. Play for him," Parsons said. "Some things are just more than football. And, I think that’s what Q represents. It’s never just football with Q. I think if he could and he was 30 years younger, he would put some pads on and fight with us. So, I think that’s special. He was a hands-on coach, and he made sure you really understood everything that was going on. He didn’t let nothing go without being understood. So, I think that’s what Q did the best.”