The Detroit Lions are in need of another pass rusher alongside of Aidan Hutchinson, and while they signed Marcus Davenport in free agency, that probably isn’t the only answer.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox sees a potential trade target for the Lions, naming Jacksonville Jaguars edge rusher Josh Allen as a possibility.
The Jaguars slapped a franchise tag on Allen before free agency and have until the middle of July to strike a long-term pact with him. If they can’t reach a deal by then, Allen will play out 2024 on his tag, and Jacksonville will repeat the same song and dance with Allen next offseason.
Or, the Jags can trade Allen before then.
Allen is coming off of a spectacular 2023 campaign in which he played every game and racked up 66 tackles, 17.5 sacks, an interception, a couple of forced fumbles and eight passes defended en route to his second Pro Bowl appearance.
The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Kentucky, was selected by the Jaguars with the seventh overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Allen got off to a fast start during his rookie year, finishing with 44 tackles, 10.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles, earning himself a Pro Bowl selection in the process.
A knee injury cut his sophomore year short after just eight games, and the following two seasons, Allen posted modest results, amassing a grand total of 14.5 sacks between 2021 and 2022.
Obviously, 2023 represented a breakout year for Allen, and with how much elite pass rushers are valued in today’s game, he is due for a massive pay day.
If Jacksonville is unable to come to an agreement with Allen in the coming months, a trade is certainly feasible, and if it does come to that, the Lions should certainly be inquiring about him.