Getty Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia.
The Detroit Lions hare deciding whether or not to make a trade in the 2020 NFL Draft, and if they manage to, there is some definitive reasoning as to why they would make that decision.
Speaking with reporters, Bob Quinn outlined some of his expectations for the draft and potential moves that get made. As Quinn said, if the Lions do make a trade, it would have to be for a player that they perceive as a value considering where he was at on their draft board.
More from Quinn on trading: “If you like 6 guys and you feel like you can move back and they’re all similar graded, then you try to do that. If there’s a grade variance .. then you can’t go back as far.”
Using this formula, it could be wise to assume that Quinn and the Lions wish to stay relatively high in the draft, as it could be assumed the drop off from the top players further down would be pretty significant. That means the Lions have to be happy with the player they’d get at pick No. 5 or 6 as much as the one they’d get at pick No. 3.
Obviously, the goal is to get a player the team likes while also perhaps picking up some extra draft capital when all is said and done.
Bob Quinn Could Make History With Draft Trade
If things play out with the Lions making a draft day deal with their first round selection, it will be the first time that Bob Quinn has traded a first round draft pick during his tenure as the team’s boss.
Repeated reports of the #Lions being open for business with the 3rd overall pick in the draft. GM Bob Quinn has never made a trade involving a 1st-round pick as Lions GM (5th season).
Obviously, if Quinn were to orchestrate a deal, the Lions would benefit given they will be able to score a major haul for the pick which will give them a chance to boost their roster for 2020 and beyond. If Quinn is able to pull off this first, it will be a huge bonus for the Lions.
It’s worth watching to see if history is made in the coming weeks for the Lions.
Lions Exploring Draft Trade Possibilities
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Lions are open for business as it relates to trading back in the draft, and have already had multiple conversations with teams that are looking to move up in the draft, perhaps with the intent of selecting a quarterback.
One team to watch during the NFL Draft is the #Lions: At No. 3, I’m told they’ve had discussions with teams about potentially moving back from their slot and that teams wanting to move up have been receptive. As it maps out possibilities, Detroit is always an intriguing team.
It’s been speculated for weeks that the Lions are looking to deal back, and this seems like the easy case now, especially for a team like Detroit that wants to stockpile picks ahead of a very important draft. Landing a few more players to help the team is a major goal for Detroit in order to change their fortunes for 2020.
Some of the teams that have been speculated to perhaps be interested in moving up are the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers. Each need a quarterback, so it would not be a shock to see both teams very interested in moving up to where the Lions pick to give themselves a great chance.
All that’s left to find out for Detroit is what the best deal is and how motivated teams are to make a move.
Former General Manager Sets Lions Trade Price
Will the Lions shoot for the stars in terms of trying to land a king’s ransom for the pick? That’s exactly what a Hall of Famer thinks they should be shooting for. Gil Brandt of NFL.com was asked on Twitter what his asking price would be for teams to come up to the No. 3 pick in the draft. As he said, it should be more than a bit expensive for a team like the Miami Dolphins.
Brandt thinks the Lions should ask for the No. 5 pick, the No 18 pick and the No. 26 pick from the Dolphins as a price for moving up. That deal, he thinks, represents a fair value.
Safe to say if the Lions managed that, it would be a score. Even if Detroit managed to pry loose a pair of first round picks from Miami it would be a huge win. Would teams bite on that? It would be a huge cost to pay to move up for Tua Tagovailoa or another such player.
Regardless, it seems that Quinn understands that he needs to make sure he can get solid player value if he makes a move.