Getty Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Chandler Jones.
The Detroit Lions are in a tough situation after a spate of injuries on defense, and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones is stuck in a “weird” situation with his team.
One insider believes they can both help each other out of them.
Brad Berreman of Fansided’s SideLion Report suggested that the Lions could target Jones in a trade to help make up for the loss of pass rusher James Houston to a broken ankle. The Lions have lost a number of other players on the defensive side of the ball, and Jones could help give a boost to their pass rush.
‘Weird’ Situation in Las Vegas
As Berreman noted, Jones and the Raiders are in a “weird” situation after the pass rusher called out the team and owner Mark Davis on social media and said he does not want to play for head coach Josh McDaniels.
“He is apparently being kept out of the facility for what’s been deemed personal reasons, but the team has said the bare minimum publicly and he’s still on the 53-man roster,” Berreman wrote.
While Jones had a disappointing first season in Las Vegas with just 4.5 sacks in 15 games, the 33-year-old has proven to be a top pass rusher in the past and could just need a change of scenery, Berreman added.
Sources: #Raiders pass-rusher Chandler Jones has been placed on the non-football illness list as he deals with a personal issue. The team has stood behind him and no one has ruled out a return if his situation improves.
If the Lions can land him on the cheap, that could make a deal even more attractive, he wrote — as long as they are willing to take on his $51 million contract.
“Jones and the Raiders seem to be headed for a parting of ways before too long,” Berreman wrote. ‘The Lions may not want to take on someone else’s headache without their own vetting of the situation, and they wouldn’t be blamed for that. But it’s fair to assume Jones would be a happier camper any or everywhere else but Las Vegas, and the Raiders may take whatever they can get in a trade.”
Other Options for Ailing Lions
The Lions could look in other directions for help replacing Houston, who was placed on injured reserve on Friday after suffering a broken ankle at practice on Thursday. Defensive lineman Josh Paschal was also added to injured reserve, leaving a bigger hole up front for the Lions.
Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports suggested that Washington Commanders pass rusher Chase Young could be another target.
“There’s been a bit of a falling out between Young and the Commanders as of late and they’re rumored to be interested in trading him all summer long. The Lions are now in the perfect place to be needing him,” Payton wrote.
Payton added that the asking price for Young is “probably not near as much as you would think” as Young just returned from injury and played 47 snaps on Sunday.
Because the Lions already stockpiled draft picks, the price could be right for them, Payton added.
“Back in June I speculated that a 2024 third round pick would probably get the job done,” Payton wrote. “I went with that pick based off of some of the edge rusher trades that had recently taken place in the NFL. That third round pick is right in the middle of what the other players were going for. Plus, the Lions have an extra third round pick that they got in the TJ Hockenson trade. So it all works out.”
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Lions Urged to Trade for $51M Raiders DE Chandler Jones: ‘Weird’ Situation