Allen Park — The Detroit Lions weren’t actively shopping cornerback Jeff Okudah, according to general manager Brad Holmes. But when the Atlanta Falcons reached out to express interest in the former first-round pick, it quickly became clear to Holmes the move was the right one for all parties.
“It was just the right time and I think it was good for Jeff,” Holmes said Thursday. “I had a good talk with him after it was done, and he totally understood it as well. It was great. I really respect what Jeff did. We kind of put him in some adverse moments in training camp last year, and like I told you guys, I really respected how he battled and didn’t bat an eye and won the starting job.”
After Detroit’s offseason additions, which included signing two starting-caliber cornerbacks in Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley, and a third if you consider safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is expected to see plenty of snaps in the slot, it was clear Okudah was facing an uphill battle for playing time next season.
So instead of holding on to a potentially expensive depth piece on the final year of his rookie deal, Holmes found it best to clear up the logjam now, receiving a 2023 fifth-round pick and giving Okudah a better chance to get acclimated in a new surrounding, as opposed to potentially making the same trade during training camp.
“We had the conversation of, ‘OK, if this didn’t happen now, is there a chance that it could happen a little bit later?'” Holmes said. “I just think it was good for Jeff. I’ve got a lot of respect for (Falcons general manager) Terry (Fontenot) out there in Atlanta. It was a really smooth, efficient process. It kind of just came up.
“Again, like I was telling you guys about the (T.J.) Hockenson trade, I wasn’t making a ton of calls and I wasn’t actively shopping or anything like that. You get the call and sometimes it just lines up and it makes sense for all parties, and it just did.”
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers