Getty A proposed trade from Sports Illustrated sent Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Detroit Lions took a major hit in the secondary when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down with a season-ending pectoral tear, but one insider believes the team could find some help at the upcoming trade deadline.
SI.com’s Christian Booher suggested that the Lions could seek a trade to bolster their secondary, which struggled in last week’s blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He noted that the Lions could find a trade partner with an AFC team expected to be sellers at the upcoming deadline.
Lions Advised to Target Safety Justin Simmons
Booher wrote that the Lions could find a willing trade partner in the Denver Broncos, who insiders say are heading into a rebuild and looking to move players in exchange for draft assets. He noted that safety Justin Simmons, who is 29 and in the final year of his $61 million contract, could be a good addition to a Lions team that lost veteran leadership when Gardner-Johnson went down for the year.
“There’s a lot to like about the potential fit between player and team,” Booher wrote. “Simmons is a rangy free safety who has built an identity on being a ball-hawking safety. Last season, he tied for the league lead in interceptions in addition to totaling 69 tackles.”
Booher noted that the Lions have struggled with other injuries, with Brian Branch also missing time in addition to Gardner-Johnson.
“Kerby Joseph and Tracy Walker III have played the plethora of snaps as a result, giving the team two reliable players on the back end,” he wrote. “Joseph hasn’t quite matched his production from a season ago, though, as he’s yet to record an interception in his second campaign.”
When asked if GM Brad Holmes has brought anything intriguing to him prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline, #Lions HC Dan Campbell responded with a long pause…
…followed by a “maybe”…
…followed by a big smirk 😂
Booher suggested that the Lions could land Simmons with a middle-round draft pick, but it would be well worth the price given the team’s growing playoff expectations. Despite the blowout loss to the Ravens, the Lions still hold a strong lead in the NFC North and appear to be on pace to host their first playoff game in two decades.
Lions ‘Grinding’ as Trade Deadline Approaches
The Lions have been quiet about any specific plans as the trade deadline approaches, though head coach Dan Campbell did reveal that general manager Brad Holmes has been working to look out for potential deals.
“There’ll be some things that could come up. Now, Brad’s been grinding, I mean, he hasn’t stopped on that,” Campbell said, via SI.com. “So, that’ll continue, that’ll go all the way up to game time and beyond. But, that won’t affect me or us or anything we do, man. We’re business as usual.”
Some have suggested that the Lions could be sellers at the October 31 trade deadline as well. Former NFL general manager Randy Mueller wrote in The Athletic that rookie quarterback Hendon Hooker, who is spending the season recovering from an ACL tear suffered in college, could be a target for a quarterback-need team.
“Jared Goff is having an outstanding year — so much so that they almost have to extend his contract at some point soon,” Mueller wrote. “To that end, if you’re a team that had similar thoughts as I did regarding Hooker and still have doubts about your QB of the future, why not make a call to Detroit?”