The Detroit Lions were in the mix for Joey Porter Jr. Head coach Dan Campbell admitted that General Manager Brad Holmes was in the mix for the star cornerback until the very end. However, they did not offer enough to get the job done. The Lions likely offered a third-round pick and a day three pick, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic.
“It felt like the sweet spot for a Lions-Steelers trade would’ve been a third-round pick and a Day 3 pick,” wrote Pouncy. “The Cowboys offered a second and a sixth.”
Pouncy did not clarify if the Lions offered a 2027 third-round pick or a 2028 third-round pick. While Dallas did beat Detroit in the slot selection, they offered a 2028 second-round pick, which is a bit less valuable due to how much further in the future the pick is.
Either way, if the Lions did offer their 2027 third, the Pittsburgh still preferred the second-round pick, even if it was in the future.
Detroit Lions Missed on Joey Porter Jr.
Pouncy added that the reason the Lions did not go above and beyond to acquire Porter is because of the salary that would be attached when they do pay him. Porter expects to be paid at the top of the market, and the Lions did not want to trade premier assets for a rental player.
So, they went in with the thought that they had to extend him. The issue is that the Lions are a team built on the draft-and-develop mindset. Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs got paid this offseason.
The team also has Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta due contracts after the season. The Lions trading a big asset and paying Porter while forcing those two to play out the last year of their deal does not look like good business for the team.
So, they would have added Porter for the right price, but did not need to overpay him.
Lions Leaning on Internal Options
Detroit has been scrambling to find a cornerback opposite D.J. Reed since they had to release Terrion Arnold. They started Rock Ya-Sin in the first two weeks, and he struggled. The team benched him for Week 3.
They started Roger McCreary on the outside, but he is also their starting slot. So, when they needed a slot, they would bring in former second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw.
Rakestraw played well, and head coach Dan Campbell noted that he is going to earn more opportunities.
Now that the Lions missed on Porter, they are likely to give Rakestraw a couple of weeks to see if he can stick as an outside option. If not, they will go back to looking at cornerbacks before the trade deadline.
The trade deadline is November 10, which is after Week 9. So Rakestraw should get at least three or four more weeks before they have to decide who aggressive they get at cornerback.
Lions’ Potential Joey Porter Jr. Trade Offer Revealed