The Detroit Lions weren’t completely inactive at the NFL trade deadline. General manager Brad Holmes acquired veteran safety Andre Cisco from the New York Jets.
But other NFC contenders made a lot bigger moves. The Lions are competing with two of those contenders who made significant trades, the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings, for the NFC North crown.
Head coach Dan Campbell, though, was rather matter of fact that those moves don’t mean much to his team.
“Nothing,” Campbell told reporters when asked what other teams did at the deadline means to him. “We’ve got to get ready to play New England.
“I know what our squad looks like. I know who they are. We’re going to have them ready to play and be ready to compete. That’s what I know.”
Dan Campbell Stresses Confidence in Lions Roster
There’s two ways to look at a team that’s mostly quiet at the NFL trade deadline. A lot of fans view it as a negative because it indicates the front office doesn’t believe the team can make a deep run.
But the opposite might also be true — general managers could have enough confidence in a roster that a big move is unnecessary.
At least for Campbell, the latter is the case with the Lions.
“I feel good. We love our guys. We love our guys,” Campbell said to the media Wednesday. “These guys are competitive. There’s been constant improvement, consistent improvement, and we’re pretty good with depth right now. So, I think we’re in a good spot here.
“As long as these guys just keep improving, keep trying to correct all the little things, and we keep gaining confidence and find ways to win. That’s what it’s about.”
One could argue the Lions began to feel a major move wasn’t necessary for them during the team’s 4-game winning streak. Over the past four contests, the Detroit defense has particularly excelled, giving up just 15.5 points per game.
But Campbell suggested the recent defensive hot streak didn’t have a big impact. The head coach stated the expectation from early October was the defense would begin playing better, and it has.
“We knew internally, we could get better with the crew we had,” added Campbell. “Then again, we made a couple moves, and those guys just kept cleaning up the little issues. Then the trust goes up, the confidence goes up, and then we started playing more as a unit. More as one, if you will, particularly defensively.
“The rush and the coverage go hand-in-hand. Now, it’s starting to play together.”
Campbell concluded saying the addition of Cisco would only allow more defensive improvement.
Safety Andre Cisco Could Make Detroit Debut in Week 10
The lone NFL trade deadline deal the Lions made happened Monday. The team added Cisco for a 2029 sixth-round pick.
Cisco could make his debut for the Lions in Week 10 versus the New England Patriots. The Lions will face the Patriots in Munich, Germany for the league’s final European game this season.
Campbell told reporters Wednesday the Lions considered other trades. Clearly, though, nothing materialized.
While that might be frustrating for Lions fans who wanted the team to add a cornerback, it makes sense. Not a single cornerback was traded before the deadline Tuesday, indicating it was a pretty dry trade market for the position.
Without great cornerbacks options, the Lions stayed with who they had after acquiring Cisco. Clearly, Campbell is confident that will be enough to make noise in January even with other contenders loading up for a run.
Lions’ Dan Campbell Gives Blunt Reaction to NFL Trade Deadline