Getty Sidney Jones playing for the Seattle Seahawks in 2021.
The Detroit Lions have bottomed out before their bye week, and already have one of the NFL’s worst records at 1-4.
To some, that leaves only the dreams of the 2023 NFL draft as a hope for the team. But reality says there is plenty of time left on the season to right the ship and get things going in the proper direction.
How will the Lions do that? Improving on defense is a significant strategy, and it’s one that Bleacher Report sees as a must for the team if they want to change their fortunes this year.
The site and writer Alex Ballentine named the Lions as one of the top teams that needs to make an early season trade to shake things up, and as Ballentine wrote, the side of the ball that needs the most help is the defense.
Specifically, Ballentine thinks the Lions need a cornerback, and suggested a deal for Sidney Jones to turn things around. As he wrote, the team’s defense is woeful.
“For the current regime to make it to Year 3, the Lions have to show some progress. Right now, quarterbacks are having a field day against the Lions defense. Bringing in a veteran cornerback such as Sidney Jones could be a temporary solution to the problem. Jeff Okudah has shown signs of progress this season, but Amani Oruwariye went from being the starter to being a healthy scratch against New England,” Ballentine wrote.
Detroit is seemingly in a desperate spot, but how desperate will the team be? It would seem as if the team would be happy with the depth they have even though a move might be needed. The question will be whether or not Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell think their team can contend.
If not, they might ride things out with the players they have. Even such, a deal could make lots of sense.
Jones’ Career Stats & Highlights
It’s easy to say that Jones has not lived up to the hype since being a second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017. The cornerback played with the Eagles until 2019, and was then cut in 2020. He landed on the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2020 season.
After that, Jones was with the Seattle Seahawks, where he went via trade. Statistically, Jones hasn’t made a huge mark in the league with just 142 tackles and four career interceptions. Here’s a look at some highlights:
Jones is not great enough to be the complete solution, but if the Lions made the call, he could certainly be a body that could step in and give the team some snaps. At this point, that’s something the Lions could prioritize given the injuries they have sustained.
Lions Secondary Still Looking Questionable
Entering into this season, many folks were pushing the panic button about the Detroit secondary, and so far, their analysis has been justified.
Outside of a bounce-back season from Jeff Okudah, the team has struggled. Oruwariye has struggled and was benched. Beyond that, the team has some depth in Mike Hughes, Bobby Price and Chase Lucas, but players have been hurt and inconsistent in the second level in a big way. Will Harris is also possible of playing a role, but has been inconsistent.
Jerry Jacobs will come back and lend to some depth once he is off injury midseason, and AJ Parker was called up from the team’s practice squad and will have to work his way in. Both played key roles in 2021. The hope is that the Lions get solid turn around play on the back end, but as this analysis reveals, they might not be able to do so without help from the outside.
Whether the team agrees and makes a move remains to be seen, but some are suggesting it at the very least.