The Lions have reason to like where they stand after a 2-1 start, but that hasn’t stopped the trade deadline chatter from creeping in early.
Detroit’s win over the New York Jets gave the team a boost, and a primetime shot against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday Night Football is next on the schedule. From there, the calendar starts inching toward Nov. 10, the NFL’s trade deadline, which arrives after Week 9 and after the Lions’ trip to Miami to face the Dolphins.
The market has already started to move, with deals involving quarterback J.J. McCarthy and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. setting the tone.
Detroit is still viewed as a buyer, which fits a team with real expectations to chase a third divisional title in four years. Even so, there are a few players who could wind up in the rumor mill if the right situation comes along.
At cornerback, Khalil Dorsey is part of a group that has already seen some shuffling. The coaching staff adjusted the rotation before the Week 3 win over the Jets, and Dorsey ended up with a smaller role Sunday after starting the first two games.
With Ennis Rakestraw and Keith Abney both carrying upside, the Lions could decide Dorsey is more movable if the younger corners start producing. If Detroit gets healthier in the secondary and likes what it sees from the younger options, a deal becomes easier to imagine.
Dorsey is in his eighth season and may not bring a huge return, but the position is always in demand and he has the kind of veteran reliability teams tend to chase. If Rakestraw plays well, the Lions could be in position to squeeze a late-round pick out of a cornerback-needy club.
The same general logic applies to Brodric Martin, though his path is a little different. He has bounced between the practice squad and active roster after missing all of last season, and Detroit has gotten encouraging production from sixth-round pick Skyler Gill-Howard, who has already carved out a meaningful role three games into his NFL career.
Martin brings the value of experience, and his career has been shaped in part by health issues - he has missed two full seasons. Still, he offers something teams can use: a versatile interior lineman who can slide out and play defensive end.
That kind of flexibility can matter in November.
Then there’s Christian Mahogany, who sits in a tricky spot early in his second season. He’s buried on the depth chart behind Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge and Ben Bartch all ahead of him.
He has shown some promise, but when everyone is healthy, he isn’t Detroit’s first choice off the bench. Injuries to Mahogany and Bartch have already opened the door for him to contribute this year, and that makes him a more interesting name than a typical back-end lineman.
His upside is real, and a team searching for help inside could take a look.
Detroit may be more hesitant to move him because of the injury issues the line has dealt with, but his tackle versatility gives him added value around the league.
In Other News...
Dan Campbell Hinted At Big Lions Roster Decisions Before Carolina
With a short week leading into Carolina, Dan Campbell spent part of his pregame update signaling that the Lions still have some roster chess to play. Detroit is in trade talks for Joey Porter Jr., while safety Brian Branch is nearing a return to practice, and Campbell also made clear that he remains confident in linebacker Jack Campbell even after a slow start to the season. The message was less about the headlines than the direction: the Lions are still sorting out how their defense wants to look as the schedule tightens.
The immediate assignment, though, is straightforward enough. Detroit is focused on keeping Bryce Young from settling in, and Campbell said the biggest defensive concern beyond that is handling tight ends in the middle of the field. He also raised the possibility of rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder getting defensive snaps, a reminder that the Lions may not be done adjusting the group as they balance short-term needs with longer-term decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Branch Return Timeline Just Got A Lot More Interesting
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What happens after that will be the part Detroit is watching most closely. The Lions would then have the 21-day window to work through before deciding on activation, and Kelvin Sheppards recent comments about the defense and its preparation only add to the sense that the unit is bracing for a potentially meaningful addition. For a team trying to keep its defensive rhythm intact, Branchs return would be one of the more notable developments on the horizon. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Goff Is About To Pass A Hall Of Fame Name
Jared Goff is on the verge of a notable climb up the NFLs all-time regular season passing yards list, with a chance to move past Joe Montana in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers. Goff enters the week at 25th with 40,424 yards, sitting just behind Montanas 40,551, another reminder of how far his career has come as hes settled in as the steady face of Detroits offense.
For Goff, the moment is more than a passing-game milestone, because it speaks to the consistency and durability that have defined his run. He has talked about the preparation behind that stability, and now the Lions are watching a quarterback who keeps stacking productive seasons move into territory once occupied by one of the sports biggest names. [Read more 🡒]