If the Eagles are really leaning toward a reset, the Lions ought to be on the phone about Riq Woolen.
Detroit’s pass defense has been a problem by any measure through four weeks, and the secondary issues aren’t new. What’s happening now, though, is uglier than usual.
The Lions already poked around on Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., but that talk never looked like it was going anywhere unless Detroit was ready to make an offer nobody could refuse. General manager Brad Holmes may have said he likes the cornerback room, but at some point the roster says otherwise.
Then the Eagles started creating real noise. On Tuesday, right tackle Lane Johnson announced his retirement.
On Wednesday, Philadelphia sent center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens. That doesn’t automatically mean the Eagles are tearing it all down, but with a 2-2 record and a rough-looking start, something appears to be shifting.
That’s where Woolen enters the picture.
The Eagles probably aren’t moving Quinyon Mitchell or Cooper DeJean, since those two look like the kind of players you build around in any kind of reset. But Woolen is a different conversation, and he should be on Detroit’s radar if Philadelphia is willing to deal veterans and think ahead to 2026.
Woolen spent his first four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks before signing a one-year, $12 million deal with the Eagles last offseason. Detroit should have been in that market then, and the fact that it wasn’t is another reminder of the difference between Holmes and Howie Roseman.
Roseman keeps moving. Holmes tends to talk up what he already has.
Woolen hasn’t exactly been a star turn since his rookie breakout in 2022, when he picked off six passes. He has six interceptions total over the last three-plus seasons. Still, he’s been active around the ball, with 39 pass breakups in that stretch, and he has held opposing passers under an 80.0 rating in each of the last three full seasons.
The contract makes him even more interesting. Woolen’s deal includes four void years to spread out the cap hit from a $6 million signing bonus. Over The Cap noted that the Eagles used the “50 percent rule” to prorate $4.74 million in salary, leaving him with a base salary of just $1.26 million this season.
For a team making a move now, that’s a tiny number.
Spotrac’s Trade Machine shows that, as of this week, a team acquiring Woolen would absorb a cap hit of just $910,000. For Detroit, that kind of price tag fits the lane for a cornerback move almost perfectly.
An early Day 3 pick should be in play for that kind of target, and Woolen checks the box as the sort of player worth asking about if the Eagles are serious about collecting future draft capital by moving expiring contracts.
In Other News...
Darius Slay Just Said What Lions Fans Fear About This Secondary
Darius Slay has never been shy about giving his old team an honest evaluation, and his latest comments land at a time when the Lions are still trying to steady a defense that has drawn plenty of scrutiny. The former Detroit cornerback pointed to Carlton Davis as the player he thought fit best in the scheme and said letting him leave in free agency was the clubs biggest recent misstep, a remark that will sound familiar to anyone who has watched the secondary struggle to find consistency.
Slay also took aim at the broader direction of the defense under Kelvin Sheppard, suggesting the issues in the back end go beyond one departure and reflect a need for a different philosophy. He did leave open a sliver of intrigue about his own future, saying he might entertain a return for the right offer, though he made clear he is comfortable with life after football for now. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Secondary Problem Is Fueling A Trade Fans Will Want
The Lions search for help in the back end keeps circling back to the trade market, and Kristian Fulton has become one of the more interesting names attached to it. Detroit has already come up short on other cornerback targets, including Joey Porter Jr., which has only sharpened the focus on a defense that could use more stability on the outside. Fultons situation in Kansas City makes him a logical candidate to watch, especially with the kind of midseason deal that can sometimes benefit both teams.
Jeremy Fowler reported that Fulton is not currently a full-time starter for the Chiefs, and that matters for a Detroit team looking for a player who can step in without forcing a massive overhaul. A trade could come together if the teams are willing to split his salary, which gives the Lions a possible path forward if they decide to keep pressing for help. For a secondary still trying to find the right fit, this is the sort of move that can gain momentum quickly if the price is right. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Goff Has Set A Brutal Standard Against Arizona
Jared Goff has made a habit of making life difficult for Arizona, and that matters again as the Lions head into a matchup that could turn into another test of Detroits offense. Goffs career track record against the Cardinals has been strong enough to stand out on its own, and it has usually come with the kind of production the Lions need when they are trying to stay on schedule and keep pressure on the opponent from the opening series.
The challenge this time is less about whether Goff can move the ball and more about whether Detroit can keep up if Arizonas defense makes the game tighter than expected. The Cardinals have enough strengths on that side of the ball to force a real fight, and Trey McBride looms as one of the names that can shape the flow of the afternoon, which leaves the Lions needing another clean, efficient outing from their quarterback if they want to keep the standard going. [Read more 🡒]