It has already been reported that Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has been making calls around the league to find an upgrade in the pass rush rotation. Knowing how Holmes operates, this is hardly surprising. Even though the team doesn't have a desperate need for a pass rusher, a Super Bowl contender can never have too many pass rushers.
The problem with this pursuit is the fact that there seems to be a lot more buyers than sellers. On the flip side, almost every Super Bowl hopeful would like to get one more impactful edge defender. This dynamic will almost certainly raise the price tag on any pass rusher reportedly on the trade block.
Besides Bengals star Trey Hendrickson, everyone's favorite pass rusher on the market is Miami Dolphins' Jaelan Phillips. The 26-year-old defender is in the fifth and final year of his contract, and the Dolphins would be wise to move on from him and get draft capital in return, considering where they are as a franchise. The Lions have also been identified as a potential fit for Phillips by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen.
Instead of trading for a player with a lengthy injury history who you will have to pay in the offseason, the Lions should consider turning to free agency.
Lions Must Sign DeMarcus Walker Instead of Trading for Jaelan Phillips
At this stage of the offseason, there aren't too many true difference-makers on the market, but there are a few solid depth pieces who could be worthy additions for the Lions. Among those is former Bears pass rusher DeMarcus Walker.
The 31-year-old defensive end is still unsigned after getting released by the Bears in the offseason. Despite being older than Phillips and the other players on the trade block, Walker has been an iron man in recent years, not missing a single game in the last three years.
Just last year, Walker played 69% of the defensive snaps for the Bears and put up 3.5 sacks, 16 QB hits, and seven tackles for loss. He received a 64.7 defensive grade and a 61.3 pass rush grade on Pro Football Focus.
With how well Al-Quadin Muhammad has been playing this season and Marcus Davenport returning to action soon, Walker is not going to play as large a role as he played for the Bears last season. However, he will not cost any draft capital to acquire, and the Lions could sign a short-term, team-friendly deal with him.
For a player who will be the fourth or fifth pass rusher in the rotation, the Lions could do much worse, making it easy to see why GM Holmes should prefer signing someone like Walker over a Phillips trade.