The Detroit Lions don't have any desperate needs ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline. They are receiving reinforcements on the defensive end after the bye week with key starters returning from injuries, and they are set offensively. However, GM Brad Holmes is known to leave no stone unturned, and he will look for upgrades. In fact, The Athletic's Dianna Russini had reported last week that the Lions were calling teams for more depth at pass rush.
While this makes plenty of sense, the Lions may struggle to find a suitable trade partner. The list of available trade targets is seemingly getting shorter by the day, with New York Jets defender Jermaine Johnson essentially taking himself off the market on Wednesday.
The veteran pass rusher, who was considered to be one of the best pass rushers expected to be on the market, posted a GIF from the movie The Wolf of Wall Street, where Leonardo DiCaprio's character yells, "I'm not leaving." This came on the heels of Johnson being included on ESPN's list of 25 best players potentially available at the trade deadline earlier that day. It was understandably interpreted as a lack of interest on Johnson's part to leave New York.
One More Pass Rusher Comes Off the Market Ahead of Trade Deadline
Any player publicly demanding to stay with the 0-7 Jets is certainly surprising. The 26-year-old has yet to have a postseason appearance with New York, and the future with the organization looks bleak. Instead of trying to get to greener pastures, however, Johnson wants to stay where he is.
This doesn't necessarily rule out a trade. The Jets could still move on from the talented pass rusher for the right price, but it certainly complicates matters. Perhaps the Lions would be better off targeting Jaelan Phillips or Arden Key.
The biggest prize on the market is Bengals star Trey Hendrickson, but how likely that trade is remains to be seen. There seem to be more buyers in the market than sellers. The Eagles, among the buyers, were so desperate that they had to beg 37-year-old Brandon Graham to come back from retirement to help their pass rush.
Fortunately, the Lions would be fine if they failed to add another pass rusher in the mix. They have been generating a ton of pressure, getting sacks, and forcing turnovers all season, with Aidan Hutchinson returning to Defensive Player of the Year-caliber form, and Al-Quadin Muhammad emerging as a star out of nowhere. Getting another competent veteran in there would be nice, but it shouldn't impact the Lions' Super Bowl odds greatly.