With the Nov. 10 trade deadline closing in, the Detroit Lions are being linked to the kind of move that would go straight at the soft spot in their defense: cornerback.
JP Acosta of CBS Sports laid out a list of deadline possibilities for every NFL team, splitting them into “pipe dream” swings and more realistic targets. For Detroit, the position he circled was no surprise. The Lions have been searching for help in the secondary, and Acosta made it clear why that area stands out.
“If you’re reading this, the Lions still might need you to play cornerback,” he says. “Their secondary has been the weakest part of the defense this season by a massive amount.”
In Acosta’s view, the dream option is Charvarius Ward of the Indianapolis Colts. The more attainable name is Amik Robertson of the Washington Commanders. He also pointed to the return of S Brian Branch and noted that S Kerby Joseph has returned to practice, but said the Lions could still use more help at corner because injuries and uneven play have left the room in rough shape.
“Even though they got S Brian Branch back (and S Kerby Joseph has returned to practice), adding more cornerbacks to a room devastated by injury and poor play could help this defensive line transform from being very bad to at least passable for a playoff team.”
Detroit general manager Brad Holmes has not been known for making splashy in-season trades, but this is the kind of situation that could force his hand.
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