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As the Nov. 2 trade deadline nears, these four Detroit Lions could be on the move.
Other than rumors they’re looking to add a wide receiver, the 0-6 Detroit Lions are a fairly clear-cut seller as the Nov. 2 NFL trade deadline quickly approaches. It really comes down to other teams having interest in some specific veteran players, and what would be offered in a deal.
General manager Brad Holmes surely wants to keep accumulating draft picks in trades. But a veteran addition, with an eye on 2022 as much as if not more than the rest of this year, shouldn’t be ruled out.
Holmes may want to clean out some salary in trades, but the Lions don’t have cap trouble looming next year. So any deals to move a player from Detroit’s perspective will mostly be about that player’s age and their fit in the future, weighed against the draft capital that can be added. The idea of opening up playing time for younger players over the rest of this season might be on the radar too.
As the Lions consider their options, and possibly field offers, these four players could be on the move before the Nov. 2 trade deadline.
NFL trade rumors: 4 Lions who could be on the move before the deadline
4. TE Darren Fells
At 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds, Fells practically qualifies as an extra offensive lineman with passing game usage to back that up (three catches on four targets this season, zero in the last three games). He has also played less than 20 snaps in three of six games, despite T.J. Hockenson being banged up. According to Sharp Football, the Lions have used multiple tight ends on just 64 snaps through Week 6 (16 percent of the time).
Fells won’t fetch much more than a conditional late-round draft pick in a trade. But the Lions can surely find a second tight end from another team’s practice squad if it comes to that, with little lost. And maybe that younger player would make a case to be in the mix for a roster spot in 2022.