The 0-6 Lions may or may not look to trade some players before the deadline, but two have been pointed to as ideal trade targets for other teams.
At 0-6, in the midst of a rebuild and with an eye on the future, the Detroit Lions are among the teams playoff contenders may look to add someone off of before the Nov. 2 trade deadline. It’s hard to know if general manager Brad Holmes has engaged or will engage though, shy of a report he’s looking to add someone to a thin wide receiver group.
But there are certainly players the Lions could trade, if there’s a market for them and a pile of draft pick capital can be added to meaningfully.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski unveiled a list of ideal trade targets for all 32 NFL teams this past week. His ideal target for the Lions would fill the aforementioned need, in an uninspiring fashion. He also named two Lions as the ideal trade target for other teams.
Lions: Two players named an ideal trade target
Since it’s an alphabetical list, the Indianapolis Colts were first up.
Indianapolis Colts: S Tracy Walker
The team’s safeties are a particular weak point, as Khari Willis and Julian Blackmon aren’t the best defensive backs in coverage. Also, Blackmon suffered an Achilles injury during Wednesday’s practice session. Tracy Walker is a capable free safety along the back line with the ability to erase potential mistakes.
Obviously, the Detroit Lions are transitioning under new general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell. The team is struggling to find an identity, and one can expect more turnover next offseason as the roster starts to align with the franchise’s new approach. Walker is a pending free agent, and the Lions could get something for him now.
Walker is having the best season of his career, and he could very well be a foundational future piece of the Lions’ defense. If he continues to play the way he has, he’ll get a nice contract next March. Rather than risk losing him for nothing then, there’s a (short-sighted) case for the Lions to try to get something for him now.
Next up is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Taylor Decker
The Detroit Lions have a major decision to make once Taylor Decker is recovered from surgery on an injured finger, though a possibility still exists he could be still be shut down for the season.
With Decker out of the lineup, the team moved this year’s seventh overall pick, Penei Sewell, from right to left tackle. The 21-year-old rookie is clearly more comfortable on the left side, and a move back to the strong side may impede his development.
Obviously, the organization thinks highly of Sewell. If Decker doesn’t like the idea of possibly playing right tackle, he could be traded, and the Pittsburgh Steelers should do what it takes to land the 28-year-old.
Fourth-round rookie Dan Moore Jr. has been asked to man Ben Roethlisberger’s blind side, and it hasn’t gone well. An anchor of Decker’s caliber could cause the entire Steelers front to settle and give the team a much better chance to win over the second half of the season.
It’s certainly not a reach to say the Lions could trade Decker, and even though he could be shut down for the season some teams may be interested in him. Penei Sewell is Detroit’s future left tackle, and the idea Decker would step back in there when/if he’s healthy may only be a 2021 thing.
While nothing should be ruled out, the Lions have good reasons to keep both Walker and Decker. But if someone were to bet on which of the two will be moved, lean Decker.