Detroit Lions: Don’t expect much leading up to the NFL trade deadline

Don’t expect the Detroit Lions to be active today leading up to the 4 p.m Est. NFL trade deadline.

The rich get richer.

Monday, the Denver Broncos sent star pass-rusher Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams for a second and third-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

This deal comes just months after the Rams traded two first-round picks, a third-round choice, and Jared Goff in exchange for Matthew Stafford.

Don’t expect the Detroit Lions to be active leading up to the NFL trade deadline.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell during yet another animated Monday press conference following an embarrassing loss, mentioned that he doesn’t expect the organization to make any moves before the NFL trade deadline. “I don’t see anything right now that I can say has any legs.”

This makes sense, the Detroit Lions don’t have much to offer in the way of rental or depth players to playoff-bound teams, and their draft picks are far more valuable to hold onto rather than deal mid-to-late round picks for players like Trinity Benson.

It’s apparent that the Detroit Lions need help on both sides of the football but why trade future trade capital on a player that likely won’t be around next year?  Their deadline acquisition may just be getting top pass catcher Tyrell Williams back for the injured reserve list for the second half of the season.

If you fall on the side of the Lions being sellers, they find themselves hampered by a depleted roster, and the healthy players are either young players the team shouldn’t be ready to give up on or players that wouldn’t make other rosters better.

If everyone were available, perhaps the Detroit Lions would entertain the idea of trading Taylor Decker with the emergence of Penei Sewell at left tackle. Still, general manager Brad Holmes would need a boatload of future assets in return to withstand the steep financial repercussions of trading Decker.

Other assets calling general managers should ask for are D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson, but I can’t imagine Holmes entertaining offers for either.

Swift has the makings of a franchise running back.  Although Hockenson will command top-five tight end money before the organization is ready to win, this season doesn’t seem like the year to field calls for his services. Still, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Detroit consider moving their star-tight end in the next year or two if the team continues to perform as league bottom feeders.

Maybe a team calls for Kalif Raymond for depth as he’s proven that he can be a reliable downfield threat in the passing game.

When it comes to the defensive side of the football, Detroit would undoubtedly be willing to move on from Trey Flowers, but he carries a massive $32.8 million dead cap number Detroit will be on the hook for if he’s traded or released.

That dead cap number significantly decreases to $12.8 million next season, which Holmes may be more inclined to absorb; this could be the last year we see Flowers in a Detroit uniform.