Getty Lamar Jackson throwing a pass in 2022 with the Ravens.
The Detroit Lions continue to let the offseason evolve, and as they do, it continues to take some fascinating twists and turns.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson was the latest to request a trade, and as a result, has shaken up the offseason to this point. Plenty of teams have a decision to make about whether to pursue Jackson, the Lions included.
Though it seems their decision has been made especially as it relates to Jared Goff, that hasn’t stopped some from making pleas for Jackson to land in Detroit. The most high-profile name doing this was former linebacker Stephen Tulloch.
On Twitter the morning of Wednesday, March 29, Tulloch explained that he wants to see the Lions prioritize a trade for Jackson being they have a quarterback and the draft compensation to make a deal work.
“Lamar Jackson to the Lions for a QB and a 1st round pick ONLY makes sense. Lions have two 1st round draft picks. I’m the only person thinking this?,” Tulloch wrote on Twitter.
Indeed, many folks have been thinking about the possibility of the Lions adding Jackson, no matter how farfetched it might seem. With Jackson on the block, many Lions fans and even some in the media have been trying to concoct a narrative that the team needs to strike a trade for the quarterback in order to improve their offense and give them an elite player at the position for the future.
As Tulloch points out, the Lions have the firepower to make a deal happen, with both a quarterback and draft capitol to offer the Ravens in a potential trade. Tulloch would know about playing with great quarterbacks. In Tennessee, he played with Heisman Trophy winner Vince Young. In Detroit, Tulloch had Matthew Stafford under center.
Tulloch put up 959 tackles, 14.5 sacks and five interceptions in an 11 year career in the league.
No matter how much Tulloch might lobby, though, it seems the Lions will be out on Jackson as his market begins to take shape.
Dan Campbell: Lions Unlikely to Consider Lamar Jackson
No matter what some might think, at this point, it doesn’t seem as if the Lions are going to be strongly considering Jackson. The reason? They’ve got a quarterback they feel content with.
Speaking during the NFL owners meetings on Tuesday, March 28, Campbell was asked directly about Jackson, and provided a very succinct answer. The team is set at quarterback as he sees it, no matter how good Jackson might be.
“Lamar’s a heck of a talent. Trying to defend that guy has been something else. We played them two years ago. But man, we got a quarterback, so I’m like ‘we got a quarterback and thank God we got one.’ So we’re good, but man, he’s a heck of a talent,” Campbell told the media.
The Lions have been in Goff’s corner this entire offseason and last, so it’s not a surprise to see them remaining there as the offseason continues to push forward.
Bleacher Report on Lions’ Decision With Lamar Jackson
Whether the Lions should be interested in Jackson remains a major question, and something which folks are debating endlessly at this stage of the game as the drama unfolds.
Most teams in the league have a good reason to pursue a player like Jackson, but also avoid him. The Lions aren’t alone in that respect, and recently, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report took a look at breaking down where the Lions stand.
As Gagnon wrote, there are compelling reasons for the Lions to both consider a trade for Jackson as well as avoid it.
“Like the Jets, they have top-10 Super Bowl odds, per DraftKings Sportsbook. And with two draft picks in the top 20, they have plenty of trade ammunition for Jackson. Unlike the Jets, they have an established veteran quarterback coming off arguably the best year of his career. And even if they aren’t sold on Jared Goff and want to move on and save money, they might be better off using all that draft capital to land a quarterback like Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson or Will Levis in the upper part of Round 1,” Gagnon wrote in the piece.
With a resurgent Goff sounding like he will remain the guy in 2023 and beyond, it doesn’t seem as if the team will be taking the gamble on Jackson for their future. In the end, the cons might outweigh the pros for the team, especially if they want to look toward a developmental quarterback.
That didn’t stop Tulloch from sharing his opinion about what the team should do with Jackson, of course, even if it feels unlikely to happen.