Goff has high hopes for Lions: I don't see it as a rebuild at all

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff believes his new team is still aiming to compete.

The Lions acquired Goff earlier in the offseason in a trade that sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams. Stafford's departure and a plethora of other personnel changes have fueled questions as to whether Detroit has folded on the 2021 season, but Goff doesn't think that's the case.

"It's not a rebuild at all, to be honest," Goff said Friday, according to the Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett. "I know you guys are going to throw that word around. I don't see it as that at all. I think it takes the right pieces to win, but it can happen in one offseason.

"It's going to take a lot of hard work, and that's the challenge that I think I'm most excited for is this challenge of bringing this team and bringing this city and bringing this culture back to what it should be."

Lions general manager Brad Holmes said he expects Goff to be the starting quarterback in 2021, but he didn't rule out taking a signal-caller with the seventh overall pick in this year's draft.

"When you're picking inside the top 10, you're not in a position to ignore any position. You're just not," Holmes said. "So the quarterback position is very important, and if the value's there and if the right guy's there, then you know he'd be in every consideration."

Goff enjoyed a successful stint with Los Angeles: The Rams made the postseason in each of the last three seasons with the 2016 No. 1 overall pick under center.

The Lions finished 5-11 in 2020 and last made the playoffs in 2016.