Bart Scott: Lions Should Trade Calvin Johnson, 'Maybe Get Rid Of Stafford'
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
Former NFL linebacker Bart Scott thinks it's time for the Lions to "blow this thing up" and part ways with Calvin Johnson.
Scott, who played 11 years for the Ravens and Jets, was on CBS Radio's Damon Amendolara Show Thursday and suggested the Panthers should be the team to make a move for Johnson.
When asked if it was time to start believing in Carolina as a contender, Scott explained the Panthers were "limited" because they didn't have an explosive offense. The solution? Trade for the guy who once led the league in receiving.
"I think it's time for the Lions to part ways with him (Johnson)," Scott said. "You're not gonna win a championship with him, so he's just gonna get older and retire and you're not going to get anything with him. And he's eating up a huge chunk of the salary cap. It's time to blow this thing up."
The move is something Scott thinks could be mutually beneficial. The Panthers would get the explosive talent on offense they need, while the Lions would get the wiggle room to start rebuilding their roster after an abysmal start to the season.
"I think you have to really consider trading Calvin Johnson if somebody (will) take on that salary and then you can free yourself up and start off young with a young nucleus again, maybe get rid of (Matthew) Stafford," Scott said. "Right now you could trade Megatron and get a first-round pick for next year and you get cap space. I think that's the smart move right there. Could you imagine Megatron and then next year, coming back with Kelvin Benjamin?"
Johnson is paid more than $16 million a year after he signed a seven-year extension in 2012.