Detroit Lions: 2025

[Jason_R]

I didn’t say nobody has been concerned about the OL. Clearly the Ragnow retirement was a blow, as has been Decker’s injury. I did say that nobody was talking about trading for OL help at the deadline until the injury bug hit them on Sunday. 

One name Campbell didn’t mention was Miles Frazier. I like to think he is part of the solution in the foreseeable future. 

[Motor City Sonics]

Trade deadlines in Detroit are like getting socks for Christmas. 

[Motown Bombers]

Remember when the Lions traded for the top pass rusher available last year and won the Super Bowl?  Oh wait….

[Jason_R]

Then the fan base demanded the team re-sign him only for him to retire halfway through the season. 

[Hongbit]

This team is a Super Bowl contender right now.  They are not that far away.  They had the opportunity and the resources to get better today.  They chose to stand pat.  They could’ve taken a shot on someone today and not sell away any part of their future.  

This is such a talented roster with much of the core locked up.  They have a unique advantage of not needing late first and second round picks nearly as much as many other teams. These picks are a commodity that the rest of the league need to value much more than the Lions.   It can be great advantage to cash in some of this equity now rather than making picks in April.  

Both Dallas and Indy overpaid today and also used picks they really shouldn’t be getting rid of.   I’m not saying the Lions should’ve made either of those trades but the Lions aren’t in the same position as those teams. I’m sure they found the asking price much too high but they could’ve easily afforded losing those picks for different players that met their needs. 

Edited Wednesday at 01:56 AM by Hongbit

[Motown Bombers]

I'd argue the Lions need their 1st round picks even more now. They likely have to replace Decker soon and won't be able to afford to do via free agency. They need to keep drafting to supplemental the roster with cheap talent. 

[holygoat]

4 hours ago, Motown Bombers said:

Remember when the Lions traded for the top pass rusher available last year and won the Super Bowl?  Oh wait….

Remember when Howard Roseman and the Eagles traded for no one at the deadline last year and won the Superbowl?

[Hongbit]

10 hours ago, Motown Bombers said:

I'd argue the Lions need their 1st round picks even more now. They likely have to replace Decker soon and won't be able to afford to do via free agency. They need to keep drafting to supplemental the roster with cheap talent. 

I’d argue the Lions need think more about winning a Super Bowl right now and less about what future roster needs may or may not be.   

[Motor City Sonics]

Anyone remember this game?

I was 12 years old.  I was at the JC Penney at Lakeside Mall watching the end of the game on all the TVs and my mom said "let's go".  I did this just as Baltimore was getting set to punt it.    Got back to the car, turned on the radio and the Lions broadcasters were celebrating.     I gave my mom such a hard time about making me leave it.  To this day I bring it up (now that she watches Lions games). 

 

 

[Hongbit]

7 hours ago, holygoat said:

Remember when Howard Roseman and the Eagles traded for no one at the deadline last year and won the Superbowl?

Remember when the Rams traded for Von Miller at the deadline and he they went on to win the Super Bowl and he was the MVP? 
 

[Hongbit]

I’m not telling anyone who thinks differently, they are wrong.  They aren’t.   I’m not wrong either.  

They are just a different opinions on subject whose answer looks like it will never be known.

{I really hope it does get answered and I turns out I was wrong}

Edited Wednesday at 01:17 PM by Hongbit

[Mr.TaterSalad]

1 hour ago, Hongbit said:

I’d argue the Lions need think more about winning a Super Bowl right now and less about what future roster needs may or may not be.   

This 💯.

[Jason_R]

They are #2 in the league in sacks despite having missed their entire starting secondary for a game and both starting CBs for multiple games. Not sure what they could have done defensively that would have moved the needle other than let guys get healthy. 

Offensively, are we supposed to think that they should have traded for a starting center or left tackle in the middle of the season? Has that ever happened at the trade deadline? What needs to happen is Dan Campbell, Johnnie Morton, and Hank Fraley lock themselves in a room for a day and come up with a simple game plan with a lot of two TE and jumbo sets and some play action. Lay off the cutesy screens for a bit. 

[Hongbit]

1 hour ago, Jason_R said:

They are #2 in the league in sacks despite having missed their entire starting secondary for a game and both starting CBs for multiple games. Not sure what they could have done defensively that would have moved the needle other than let guys get healthy. 

Offensively, are we supposed to think that they should have traded for a starting center or left tackle in the middle of the season? Has that ever happened at the trade deadline? What needs to happen is Dan Campbell, Johnnie Morton, and Hank Fraley lock themselves in a room for a day and come up with a simple game plan with a lot of two TE and jumbo sets and some play action. Lay off the cutesy screens for a bit. 

Thinking they didn’t have a potential problem because mid-season stats were good has been the demise of many very talented teams.    You have always got to be trying to get better.  

I do agree that the coaches need to get better.  The screens are perfect when you call them into a blitz.   Jared and Morton need to do a better job of getting them in and out of these plays at the right time.   Flores had their number on Sunday.  He was like a hot roller at the craps table.
 

 

[Jason_R]

Would you have traded two first round picks and Kalif Raymond for Sauce Gardner?

If you aren’t ready to give up a massive trade package at the deadline, you are only going to end up with marginal players. The Bears got Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. He was barely seeing the field in Cleveland. Whose roster spot are you going to give up for him? Is he any better than Paschal or Davenport or Wingo for that matter?

The defense has been sound, not great, but improving and getting healthier. The biggest problem on offense is not with personnel, it is with scheme and coaching. Yes, OL took a hit on Sunday but the solution to a problem that is largely based on communication is not to drop in new players. 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

What I want to know is were there offensive lineman available at the deadline, who were they, and did Brad Holmes call about acquiring one of them.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

2 hours ago, Jason_R said:

Offensively, are we supposed to think that they should have traded for a starting center or left tackle in the middle of the season? Has that ever happened at the trade deadline?

Just last year at the deadline Minnesota traded for starting LT Cam Robinson from the Jacksonville. At the 2023 deadline Jacksonville traded for G Ezra Cleveland from Minnesota. Other than those two examples, I couldn't find anything else within the last 4-5 seasons of trades. Historically, the NFL has not been a very active trading league at the deadline, so unlike the MLB, there isn't a big sample size. But the above trades show it has been done.

[Hongbit]

1 hour ago, Jason_R said:

Would you have traded two first round picks and Kalif Raymond for Sauce Gardner?

If you aren’t ready to give up a massive trade package at the deadline, you are only going to end up with marginal players. The Bears got Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. He was barely seeing the field in Cleveland. Whose roster spot are you going to give up for him? Is he any better than Paschal or Davenport or Wingo for that matter?

The defense has been sound, not great, but improving and getting healthier. The biggest problem on offense is not with personnel, it is with scheme and coaching. Yes, OL took a hit on Sunday but the solution to a problem that is largely based on communication is not to drop in new players. 

I would have 100% traded 2 firsts for a player that is all pro level.  I’m not sue that would’ve been Sauce Gardner.  I would’ve done it for Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson. I would trade 3 firsts and even more later round picks for Myles Garrett.*
 

*I’m confident that Brad and Co. are so good at drafting and managing the cap, they could do what nobody has ever done before and figure out how to have 2 DE paid that much and still keep a championship contender under the cap.

As for iOL -  Saints Cesar Ruiz, Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio from the Browns, John Simpson from the Jets are just a few that would’ve been available for draft picks the Lions wouldn’t have missed.  

[Motown Bombers]

If they traded for someone like Sauce, that means Laporta and Branch are likely gone and non first round picks to replace them. 

[Hongbit]

27 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

If they traded for someone like Sauce, that means Laporta and Branch are likely gone and non first round picks to replace them. 

That’s very possible.  That would suck to lose them.

I’d be willing to take that risk if Branch, Laporta, and let’s say Maxx Crosby got them to the Super Bowl this year or next. 

[Jason_R]

1 hour ago, Hongbit said:

I would have 100% traded 2 firsts for a player that is all pro level.  I’m not sue that would’ve been Sauce Gardner.  I would’ve done it for Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson. I would trade 3 firsts and even more later round picks for Myles Garrett.*
 

*I’m confident that Brad and Co. are so good at drafting and managing the cap, they could do what nobody has ever done before and figure out how to have 2 DE paid that much and still keep a championship contender under the cap.

As for iOL -  Saints Cesar Ruiz, Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio from the Browns, John Simpson from the Jets are just a few that would’ve been available for draft picks the Lions wouldn’t have missed.  

How do we know that Ruiz, Teller, and Bitonio were available? 

[Hongbit]

Just now, Jason_R said:

How do we know that Ruiz, Teller, and Bitonio were available? 

All those teams are out of it and sold other players.   Not a stretch to assume a good offer gets it done.   None of these guys were worth a late first but we had other picks that could’ve got it done.   

I do think there’s some credence to the point that bad teams are a little less likely to weaken their lines in an attempt to protect their young QB’s.  

[Adullin]

Depressing trade deadline. If you're not in to win what are you doing? 

[NYLion]

6 hours ago, Jason_R said:

Would you have traded two first round picks and Kalif Raymond for Sauce Gardner?

If you aren’t ready to give up a massive trade package at the deadline, you are only going to end up with marginal players. The Bears got Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. He was barely seeing the field in Cleveland. Whose roster spot are you going to give up for him? Is he any better than Paschal or Davenport or Wingo for that matter?

The defense has been sound, not great, but improving and getting healthier. The biggest problem on offense is not with personnel, it is with scheme and coaching. Yes, OL took a hit on Sunday but the solution to a problem that is largely based on communication is not to drop in new players. 

It's about adding depth not necessarily upgrading because, as you said, real upgrade are costly but some depth guys on the defensive and offensive lines could have been out there. We all know the offensive line issues and the D-line at edge is Hutch, a relatively unproven AQM and two bandaids, it wouldn't have hurt to bring in some insurance, can never have enough pass rushers.

With that said, there were no real options out there that truly move the needle so there's no need to be overly critical of Holmes. Ultimately the Lions have a very talented team capable of making a run and every team outside of maybe the Rams have some real question marks so it's all there for the taking for the Lions. I think the coaches need to scheme better. I think Morton has been very poor at adjusting, we saw no adjustments against the ultra aggressive Tampa and Minnesota defenses, just a bunch of Goff drop backs with no time to throw. He needs to be better as does Fraley with the blocking schemes up front.

Edited Thursday at 12:05 AM by NYLion

[Hongbit]

29 minutes ago, NYLion said:

Ultimately the Lions have a very talented team capable of making a run and every team outside of maybe the Rams have some real question marks so it's all there for the taking for the Lions.

It’s week 10.   Not week 17.    A few of those teams with question marks will likely have solved them and be playing at a contender level.   A few of them will not and will stumble in and then out of the playoffs.   Depth on both lines was a lingering problem last year and eventually played a big part in the Lions elimination.  They haven’t really solved this problem and I hope it doesn’t bite them again.