Getty AtoZ Sports' Mike Payton proposed head coach Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions trade for wide receiver Chase Claypool.
Trades within the same division don’t often happen in the NFL. But AtoZ Sports’ Mike Payton argued that a deal between the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears could occur before the league’s trade deadline.
Payton wrote on October 1 that the Lions could pursue Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool, who was a healthy scratch for their Week 4 match against the Denver Broncos after expressing frustration with the team on September 29. An hour before the game, the Schultz Report’s Jordan Schultz reported that the Bears were shopping Claypool.
“Here the Lions are presented with an opportunity to try again (to acquire an X receiver) and for really cheap,” Payton wrote. “When I say really cheap, I mean really cheap. Cheaper than what they laughably think they can get right now.”
Schultz reported the Bears are looking for a fifth or sixth-round pick in return for Claypool. That’s a low asking price considering Chicago gave up a second-round pick (which became the No. 32 overall pick) when they traded for him just 11 months ago.
Payton suggested the Lions give up a 2025 seventh-round conditional pick for Claypool.
“The condition is that Claypool has to play 40% the Lions snaps through the end of the season,” Payton wrote. “That’s essentially nothing if it works out and 100% nothing if it doesn’t.”
How WR Chase Claypool Could Fit With the Lions
The reasons for liking Claypool haven’t really changed since the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.
“He’s a 6-foot-4-inch big-bodied receiver that can fly through the air,” Payton wrote. “Even though Jameson Williams is back, the Lions could still use a guy in the red zone that could highpoint the ball. If you can get him for basically free, why not take the shot?”
The Detroit News’ Justin Rogers implied that he agrees about the possibility of the Lions pursuing the disgruntled Bears wideout.
Claypool was once one of the best young receivers in the NFL. As a rookie, he had 62 receptions for 873 yards and 9 touchdowns. He set a Steelers rookie record with 4 touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020.
But after losing Ben Roethlisberger as his quarterback, Claypool struggled to be relevant with either the Steelers. He has not made a significant impact on the Bears, either. He has 50 catches for 502 yards and 2 touchdowns in 18 games since the start of 2022.
With a competent quarterback, Claypool has the talent to shine again. Plus, in an offense where he wouldn’t be even one of the top five pass-catching options, in theory, Claypool should feel less pressure to perform.
“It’s up to Chase if it all works out. I don’t think he’s done yet,” Payton wrote. “I think he’s on a very bad team with a coaching staff that’s about to get fired any day now.
“I think there’s reason to believe that there’s some sort of cause and effect there,” he wrote.
Potential Trade Compensation for Claypool
It would be a little odd to see the Bears trade Claypool within the division, but it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. Just last year, the Lions dealt tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings.
As for compensation, the Lions could use their trade for receiver Denzel Mims as a blueprint in a deal for Claypool.
Detroit acquired Mims, who was also a former second-round pick looking for a fresh start, for a conditional 2025 seventh-rounder. The condition was Mims had to make the Lions roster out of training camp.
When Mims failed to do that, the trade was essentially voided, and the Lions didn’t owe anything.
The Bears will surely look for a better deal than that. But the asking price is likely to be very low for Claypool, who will be a free agent in March.
Why the Lions Shouldn’t Be Interested in Claypool
A potential free look at a receiver with as much talent as Claypool is definitely an intriguing proposition. But there are a few reasons the Lions shouldn’t even both to pursue the 25-year-old.
For one, the Lions aren’t exactly in dire straits at receiver. The Detroit offense has looked great through four games, and the NFL reduced the suspension for second-year receiver Jameson Williams. He can return to practice this week.
Although not wide receivers, rookies Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta have been heavily involved in the passing game. As it stands now, Claypool would be the seventh or eighth best pass-catching option in Detroit’s offense.
Although Detroit would probably be a better situation for Claypool than Chicago, the receiver doesn’t tend to thrive with limited opportunities. It’s his main problem with the Bears.
On September 29, Claypool simply said “no” to a question about whether Chicago was “using him in the best way.”
Not to mention, the Bears don’t seem to be the only issue. Claypool had fallen out of favor in Pittsburgh as well.
It makes more sense for the Lions to prioritize Williams’s integration into the passing game rather than pursuing Claypool.
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Proposed Trade Ships Lions Rival’s Disgruntled WR