Detroit Lions reportedly asked L.A. Rams for Aaron Donald in Stafford trade; they said no

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We are learning more and more about how the Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford trade came about.

And we’ve got a bit of a peek at the, ahem, temerity, shall we say, of new Lions general manager Brad Holmes.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, when the Lions started talking with the Los Angeles Rams about dealing Stafford, Holmes, the longtime Rams director of college scouting, quite literally shot for the moon.

NICE HAUL: Why the Lions’ choice of Stafford trade offers was best for the future

Here’s who Holmes asked for in exchange:

Aaron Donald.

When trade talks began between the Rams and Lions, the first player Detroit requested in a trade for QB Matthew Stafford was DT Aaron Donald, per sources. Rams told Lions, that’s not happening, before the two sides later figured out the eventual compensation package. https://t.co/blGUo3f47y

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2021

That’s right, the guy who Holmes helped L.A. draft, and the guy who just won his third NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

As you may imagine, the Rams said no.

But, that didn’t stop the conversation. And after the Lions had already brushed off offers from the Panthers and Washington, the two sides were able to come to an agreement.

While Donald won’t be coming to the team that passed on him in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft in favor of tight end Eric Ebron, the Lions did get first-round selections for 2022 and 2023, a third-round pick this year and quarterback Jared Goff, whom Holmes also helped the Rams take No. 1 overall in 2016.

But hey, you have to at least admire that the Lions tried, right?

Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @HiKirkHere.

This article was originally published by Freep.com. Read the original article here.