Detroit Lions: Bob Quinn needs to prove his draft day trade mettle
By Zac Snyder
Bob Quinn wants to add more draft picks in the 2018 NFL Draft but he hasn’t shown an ability to get it done in his time on the job so far.
Heading into the 2018 NFL Draft, no team has fewer draft picks that the Detroit Lions‘ six. That’s a big change from Bob Quinn’s first two draft classes as general manager of the Lions which checked in at ten and nine players respectively.
Now reshaping the roster with a new head coach in charge, it would figure Quinn would like to have more picks at his disposal. Not suprrisingly, Quinn admitted as much when speaking with reporters at the NFL owners’ meeting. Via MLive:
"“That’s something that’ll definitely be in the talks I’d say, a week or two leading up to the draft — try to get more picks,” Quinn said. “But it’s easier said than done. Sometime those things really can’t happen until draft day or draft weekend. But we’ll have conversations leading up to it. The more the better.”"
Quinn’s tenure as general manager has been regarded positively by Lions fans throughout his two years. But perhaps the biggest hole in Quinn’s resume has been what he’s been able to do in the trade market. If Quinn is to accomplish his goal of adding more picks, he’ll have to prove an ability he hasn’t really shown now into his third offseason in charge.
Consider Bob Quinn’s trading history as general manager of the Detroit Lions:
05/09/2016 – The Detroit Lions acquire LB Jon Bostic via trade from the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2017 conditional seventh-round draft pick. (pick not conveyed).
08/29/2016 – The Detroit Lions acquire G Brandon Thomas via trade with the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for WR Jeremy Kerley.
10/25/2016 – The Detroit Lions trade LB Kyle Van Noy and 2017 seventh round pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for 2017 sixth round pick.
11/01/2016 – The Detroit Lions acquire CB Johnthan Banks via trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a 2018 conditional seventh-round draft pick. (pick not conveyed)
06/15/2017 – The Detroit Lions acquire T Greg Robinson via trade in exchange for a draft pick. (2018 sixth round)
04/28/2017 – The Detroit Lions acquire 2017 third round pick, 2017 fourth round pick from New England Patriots in exchange for 2017 third round pick.
08/31/2017 – The Detroit Lions trade OG Laken Tomlinson to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a future, undisclosed draft pick. (2019 fifth round)
09/02/2017 – The Detroit Lions trade CB Johnson Bademosi to the New England Patriots in exchange for a future, undisclosed draft pick. (2019 sixth round)
That’s it. Eight trades in total. But trades aren’t always prevalent or even significant in the NFL, especially compared to other major sports leagues. Still, it’s the details within the trades Quinn has made that is a possible cause for concern.
These eight trades can be categorized into the following buckets:
-Swapping spare parts to the New England Patriots (3 trades)
-Swapping off spare parts to the San Francisco 49ers (2 trades)
-Fliers on hopefully rejuvenated draft busts (2 trades)
-Draft day traded down/trade up (1 trade)
Despite holding fistfuls of picks in his first two drafts, Quinn has made just one move up or down the board. And even that was with the Patriots, his former employer.
Of course, none of this is to say Quinn can’t get it done. It’s just to point out that he hasn’t yet proven he can. The hope is that with more draft experience under his belt, and two years of networking and relationship-building with other GMs around the league, Quinn is ready to lead a more dynamic draft than he has in the two years previous.
Next: Lions seven-round mock draft 2.0
If that’s the case, this much ado about nothing. If another draft comes and goes without the Lions making any deals during the draft – especially with Quinn on record as saying he’d like to add picks – it might be time to sound some alarm bells.