The Detroit Lions have high hopes that receiver Jameson Williams can form an effective tandem with Amon-Ra St. Brown, but that has yet to materialize as Williams endured an injury-shortened rookie season and will now miss the first six games of his second year while serving a gambling suspension.
With the Lions entering the season as the division favorites, they may not have the patience for that suspension to end. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine suggested in a July 7 article that the Lions could pursue a blockbuster trade that brings in a former All-Pro wide receiver in exchange for a package of draft picks.
Lions Land ‘Superstar’ in Trade Proposal
Ballentine suggested that the Lions could give an immediate boost to their offense by landing Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp in a trade this summer. The Bleacher Report writer proposed that the Lions could entice the Rams to move Kupp in exchange for a package of picks, including first- and third-rounders in 2024 and another third-round pick in 2025.
While Ballentine acknowledged that there might be a bit of an overlap between the skill sets for Kupp and St. Brown, he noted that would be a good problem for Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to solve.
“The Lions were one of the better offenses in the league behind a good offensive line, a resurgent season from Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown carrying the receiving corps,” Ballentine wrote. “Pairing him with Kupp would make the receiving corps downright nasty.”
The trade could also be appealing to the Rams, who are entering a rebuild and stocking up on capital after having spent so much to put together their Super Bowl-winning team in 2021.
After leading the league in 2021 with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns, Kupp took a step back in 2022 as he played just nine games. Kupp still managed more than 90 yards a game, finishing the season with 75 receptions for 812 yards and six touchdowns.
Jameson Williams Faces Question Marks
Though the Lions may see Williams eventually become a true No. 2 receiver next to St. Brown, the 22-year-old has yet to have many opportunities to prove himself and still faces questions over both his play and maturity. The Lions worked him into the offense slowly last season as he returned from an ACL injury suffered in his final year of college, with Williams making only one catch for 41 yards last season — though it did go for a touchdown.
Williams also got off to a rough start this offseason, being handed a suspension for gambling while at a team facility and then struggling at times through the team’s early practices this spring. Jeremy Reisman of SB Nation’s Pride of Detroit noted that Williams and quarterback Jared Goff were sometimes out of step at practice, with Goff growing visibly frustrated after the receiver missed his route on one play.
“Beyond [maturity concerns], Williams’ game still looks a bit unrefined based on OTAs and minicamp,” Reisman wrote. “His chemistry with Goff is still clearly not there, there were issues with drops, and there are nuances to route running he’s still trying to learn.”
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