Once again, the Detroit Lions stood pat while other teams made all-in moves. This time, they watched from afar as the Dallas Cowboys traded for disgruntled Pittsburgh Steelers star cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
The Lions had been tied to the Penn State product since the start of the season, given their obvious flaws at the position. Dan Campbell and general manager Brian Holmes, however, always denied their interest in making a big splash.
However, that doesn't mean they can't get a starting-caliber player at a discount. As it happens, the Kansas City Chiefs don't seem to have much room for veteran Kristian Fulton, the best low-risk/high-reward pickup they can aspire to get right now.
The Detroit Lions should make a run at Kristian Fulton
Fulton joined the Chiefs ahead of last season, but injuries limited him to just eight games. Even so, he was pretty solid when he was on the field, holding opponents to a 55.6 percent completion percentage and not giving up a single touchdown.
His contract situation made him a potential roster-cut casualty in Kansas City, but Mansoor Delane's injury situation in training camp may have helped him live to see another day in Missouri. Then, he stepped up big time in the first two weeks of the season.
Fulton played 92 and 80 percent of the snaps in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively. Then, he was a healthy scratch in Week 3. What changed? Simple: Mansoor Delane missed all but one drive in Week 1 and sat out Week 2, but was on the field in Week 3.
The writing is on the wall. The Chiefs are extremely high on their first-round pick (as they should be), and they also feel confident about Nohl Williams. With Chris Rolland-Wallace as the first guy off the bench in the boundary, there's no room for the veteran cornerback.
That's not because of his play, though. In his two games this season, Fulton has given up three completions on six targets for just 13 yards, holding quarterbacks to a 16.7 passer rating and just 4.3 yards per catch. Those numbers are unsustainable through a full season, but he's been a highly productive player for most of his career.
Granted, there will always be injury concerns with him, but that's also why they won't have to give up a king's ransom, just like the Cowboys did to get their hands on Porter Jr. Also, Fulton is in the second year of an expiring two-year, $20 million contract, so the Lions can get out of his business if things don't work out.
Given their reluctance to make big moves to maintain salary cap flexibility, Fulton looks like the type of realistic trade target they could pursue. And with the Chiefs turning to the youngsters, he can probably be had at a discount.
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