It would be difficult to see the Detroit Lions as sellers instead of buyers ahead of this season’s NFL trade deadline, which is November 5. The Lions are closer than they’ve ever been to a Super Bowl win. This is the time to spend and give up some picks to get the perfect lineup to get to the Big Game.
Of course, the Detroit Lions lose star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson to an injury this season, and he won’t be back during the regular season. So, they really need to beef up that position.
Lions Edge Rusher Need is Great
So, how important is the need for the Lions to bring on a great edge rusher to replace Hutchinson?
“Lions edge rusher is currently the most glaring trade need in the entire NFL,” stated Kevin Patra, senior news writer for NFL.com.
Patra even goes so far to say that losing Hutchinson was “disastrous” for the Lions.
“It was risky to enter the season counting on Marcus Davenport to stay healthy for an entire campaign, and he lasted two games. Losing Aidan Hutchinson, who’d been a leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, was disastrous,” Patra stated. “Detroit simply doesn’t generate consistent pressure with anyone else on the edge. Even after the Lions played all of Week 7 without him, Hutchinson still leads the team with 30 pressures. Given that the next closest edge player on the roster is Josh Paschal with nine, there is a good chance Hutchinson will continue to pace his position group into December.”
He added, “The Lions can get pressure in the middle with stud Alim McNeill, but they need help outside. Aaron Glenn tried to manufacture pressure against Minnesota, blitzing on 20 of 35 dropbacks (57.1%) on Sunday, but Detroit failed to generate pressure most of the game, finishing with just four pressures on 14 blitzes through three quarters, per Next Gen Stats. Sending extra bodies — particularly when those bodies are stuffed by the opposing pass protection — stresses the secondary.”
Sure, the defensive backs have been doing well, but that won’t likely last, Patra warns.
“The DBs held up splendidly in Week 7, but Detroit can’t count on that trend continuing into February,” he wrote. “With their Super Bowl window yawning, the Lions need to make a move. Even if Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett are off the table, a play for someone like Za’Darius Smith, Azeez Ojulari, Emmanuel Ogbah or Josh Uche must be explored. Team brass knows full well that a move must be made.”
Other teams who will likely be looking to “buy” before the trade deadline include the 49ers, who are hungry for a Super Bowl, the Bucs, the Steelers, the Chargers and the Eagles.
Maxx Crosby is a Lions Fan’s Dream Come True
Many Lions fans want Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby, a Michigan native, in Detroit.
For The Win’s Cory Woodruff has made the bold prediction that the Lions will get Crosby at the trade deadline.
“The Detroit Lions are trying to win a Super Bowl. Losing Aidan Hutchinson dealt a severe blow to that pursuit,” he wrote. “An aggressive Lions team decides to send a Godfather-style offer to Las Vegas with two first-round picks attached to get Crosby in Motor City. It’s the biggest NFL trade deadline move in ages, and it helps buoy Detroit’s defense after losing Hutchinson. Once Hutchinson is back, the Lions have the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL. Vegas says goodbye for a treasure trove of picks.”