The first big domino of the NFL offseason has fallen, and the Super Bowl hasn't even been played.
Eight days before the Chiefs and Buccaneers face off, the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions agreed to the first blockbuster trade of 2021, swapping former No. 1 overall picks.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Lions are sending Matthew Stafford to the Rams in exchange for Jared Goff, two future first-round picks and a third-round pick. Los Angeles' 2021 first-rounder belongs to the Jaguars, courtesy of the deal that sent cornerback Jalen Ramsey out west.
Rams head coach Sean McVay had clearly lost faith in Goff toward the end of the season, going as far as to opt for John Wolford to start a Divisional Round playoff game in Seattle. There was no vote of confidence at McVay's end-of-season press conference for Goff either.
Los Angeles was a capable offense away from being real contenders in the NFC. The Rams' defense rated among the best in the NFL thanks to Ramsey, Aaron Donald & Co.
Now, they have their quarterback. And sportsbooks are taking notice.
Over at PointsBet, the Rams went from +2000 to win the Super Bowl in February 2022 down to +1400. Their odds to win the NFC went from +900 to +700.
At DraftKings, the Rams are at +1100, tied with the Buccaneers for the third-lowest odds behind the Chiefs (+575) and Packers (+900).
If you're an optimistic Lions fan who's into the kneecap-biting ways of new coach Dan Campbell, Detroit is now at +8000 on PointsBet, which is tied for the Texans for the third-highest odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of next season.
At DraftKings, the Lions are tied for the worst odds to win the Super Bowl with the Texans at +10000.
Speaking of the Texans, the league's attention now turns to what will happen with Deshaun Watson. Houston's disgruntled quarterback reportedly wants out, but general manager Nick Caserio said on Friday that the Texans have "zero interest" in trading the reigning NFL passing leader.
