The Detroit Lions are 2-2, but the record only tells part of the story. After getting crushed by Carolina, the bigger issue is impossible to ignore: this defense is getting lit up, and one ESPN insider thinks Detroit has reached the point where a trade is no longer optional.
Jeremy Fowler pointed straight at the Lions as a team that needs to act, and his focus was on the secondary.
“The Lions should make a move for a cornerback. They were in on Joey Porter Jr. before Pittsburgh traded him to Dallas.
Detroit's secondary is swimming right now, and though safety Brian Branch is close to a return and safety Kerby Joseph should eventually be back, the Lions don't have enough corner help to run the coverages they want,” Fowler wrote. “This team has elite players on both sides of the ball and must embrace its window of contention, whether it's slipping away or not.”
The numbers back up the concern. Detroit is sitting with the worst defense in the NFL by a huge margin, allowing 423.8 yards per game. That’s 30 yards per game worse than the next team, and the biggest culprit is a secondary that has been badly short on reliable help.
Fowler also floated a couple of names who could step in right away. One is Kansas City corner Kristian Fulton, who has been in and out of the Chiefs’ lineup. Fowler noted that Fulton is due real money, with $5 million of his $9.75 million base salary guaranteed, though he suggested the Chiefs and Lions could split the bill to make something work.
He also mentioned another possible path: calling Pittsburgh about Jalen Ramsey.
“Is it worth calling Pittsburgh for Jalen Ramsey? Not sure he's available, but the Lions' defense seems far from settled.”
Detroit could certainly use help in the back end, but whether the front office makes a move before the trade deadline is still an open question.
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