SideLion Report

Brad Holmes has built the Detroit Lions into a playoff contender quickly, and ranking lists of general managers around the NFL are taking notice. Brad Holmes took on a tough rebuild when he became Detroit Lions general manager in 2021. It was made more challenging by quarterback Matthew Stafford’s amicable and understandable immediate desire to

After sending Jeff Okudah to the Falcons, here are five more players the Detroit Lions could trade before the 2023 NFL Draft. Rather than carry him as depth even into the start of offseason work, the Detroit Lions traded cornerback Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth-round pick later this month this week.

James Mitchell was eased in to action as a rookie, but new Lions tight ends coach Steve Heiden sees real potential for 2023. The Detroit Lions drafted tight end James Mitchell in the fifth round of the 2022 draft (No. 177 overall) knowing they would not rush him into action coming off a torn ACL early in

The move was ultimately not a surprise, but Lions head coach Dan Campbell very plainly and directly explained why Jeff Okudah was traded. The writing was put on the wall with what the Detroit Lions did in free agency to bolster their secondary. Having a looming decision on an $11.5 million fifth-year option for next

Surely in the market for interior defensive line help in the draft, the Detroit Lions have had Baylor defensive tackle Siaki Ika in for a pre-draft visit. The Detroit Lions had an improved defense in line with their 8-2 finish last season. Improvement against the run was notable, outside of Christmas Eve against the Carolina

We know it’s a one-year deal with an incentive-based ceiling, but the full details of Marvin Jones contract with the Detroit Lions are now out. There’s a certain level of excitement that Marvin Jones is back with the Detroit Lions. It’s well-founded, and certainly mutual among player, team and fans. Jones’ deal with the Lions

Two new Lions defensive coaches have wasted no time to talk about Aidan Hutchinson and raise the bar for him heading into his second season. Fortune smiled on the Detroit Lions when Aidan Hutchinson was there for them to take No. 2 overall last year. He worked out some early kinks, was eventually used in

The Detroit Lions are somewhat easy to tie to the Devin White on the heels of his trade demand, but he feels like a very poor fit in Detroit. A headline came earlier this week when ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White has requested a trade because he’s “fed up” with

After the Jeff Okudah trade, here’s an update on the Detroit Lions 2023 salary cap space. The Detroit Lions were done with cornerback Jeff Okudah, and on Tuesday they traded him to the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth-round pick in the draft later this month. The financial impact was clearly not a driving force for

They “only” got a fifth-round pick for Jeff Okudah, but one grade completely missed the point of the deal for the Detroit Lions. On Tuesday, a reading of the tea leaves became a trade where the Detroit Lions sent cornerback Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 159 overall). Okudah

The Detroit Lions need a talent injection at tight end, and they are set to have a pre-draft visit with Darnell Washington. If the Detroit Lions have a clear No. 1 need area on the offensive side of the ball, it’s tight end. Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra are backups, and James Mitchell would have

It’s unlikely he’s there for them at No. 6 overall, but the Detroit Lions have scheduled a pre-draft visit with Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Detroit Lions are absolutely in the market for a quarterback in the draft later this month. It’s truly just a question of where they might take one, or what

The Lions’ plans for the first round of the NFL Draft are starting to crystalize after the surprising move to send former third-overall pick Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons this morning. Detroit has committed significant resources to revamp its secondary this offseason, signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Cameron Sutton, and Emmanuel Moseley. However, oddsmakers believe the Lions

Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports Detroit Lions trade grade: Jeff Okudah gone to the Atlanta Falcons by Brad Berreman After the news Jeff Okudah was traded came out, Jameson Williams made it immediately clear he wants the vacated jersey number. It was not surprising news on the whole, but the Detroit Lions traded cornerback