Analyst’s Hypothetical Lions’ Lamar Jackson Trade Has Significant Cost

The NFL quarterback carousel is set to begin this offseason, and the Detroit Lions won’t figure to have a seat at the table when all is said and done.

Jared Goff played well down the stretch for the team, and is just 28 years old. That could mean the team has their quarterback of the present and future. But what if that wasn’t the case and they wanted to chase a big name on the market?

Pro Football Focus looked into one of the more fascinating cases in terms of Lamar Jackson trade proposals. Writer Gordon McGuiness provided some hypothetical trades, and had the Lions making one for Jackson with the Baltimore Ravens.

McGuiness had Detroit sending pick six and 18 in the 2023 first round, pick 59 in the second round, 2024’s first round pick and third round pick in exchange for Jackson. As McGuinness wrote, that would set Baltimore up nicely to be able to check off all of their needs.

“With the sixth overall selection, the Ravens would again be in position to target a quarterback, albeit with a small risk that four could come off the board by the time they would be on the clock. Here, they land Stroud at No. 6 overall before drafting Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, one of the top cornerbacks available. Wide receiver is still a big issue, though, and here they were able to grab Stroud’s Ohio State teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Penn State’s Parker Washington in the mid-first and second rounds,” McGuiness wrote in the piece.

The Lions, of course, would get Jackson out of the deal, but they would give up a massive amount of draft capitol in order to do so. In such a scenario, the Lions would likely move on from Goff and anoint Jackson the starter.

The trade would represent a massive risk for Detroit. If the team couldn’t put a quality defense around Jackson, nor have enough assets for the future to give him help on offense, the deal would be unlikely to help the team in the long term and could stunt what looks like a solid rebuild.

So far, the Lions have done well in the draft. Eliminating most of their draft capitol from this year and next year would likely stunt their team growth, and could be to the detriment of the franchise.

---

Jackson Could Draw Major NFL Interest

This isn’t the first time an analyst has hinted at potential Detroit interest in Jackson. Earlier this year, a piece speculating about the quarterback market wondered if the Lions could consider the quarterback.

The Athletic’s Jeff Howe took a closer look at breaking down what could be a crazy quarterback market. Jackson was one of the cases he analyzed, and the Lions came up as a team he believed could have interest in the event Jackson was on the market.

“If a quarterback-desperate team steps up with a fully guaranteed $250 million contract, or at least 80 percent of that guaranteed, Jackson needs to entertain that offer. Perhaps those teams could include the Jets, Colts, Steelers, Texans, Giants, Commanders, Falcons, Lions, Panthers or Saints. Don’t worry about the cap. If a team needs a franchise quarterback, they’ll find a way to make the money work,” Howe wrote in the piece.

At 25 years old, Jackson is in the prime of his career. It wouldn’t be a shock to see half the league eyeballing him to take over as their starter. It’s been clear that Jackson, a former league MVP in 2019 who has thrown for 12,209 yards and 101 touchdowns while rushing for 4,437 yards and 24 touchdowns, is one of a handful of game-changers at the position.

Jackson’s scrambling style would add a new dynamic to a rapidly changing Detroit offense. There’s more than a few catches, though, which could make a move like this a huge surprise.

---

Lions Still Unlikely to Ditch Goff

While many will like to ponder thoughts of a massive trade for a top quarterback, it doesn’t seem the Lions would be willing to mortgage their future for Jackson, or anyone else at quarterback.

The team has Goff in the fold already, and just over a month ago, a report surfaced that they weren’t going to be heading in a different direction at the position when the offseason comes.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport quoting sources familiar with Detroit’s thinking back in December, the Lions aren’t poised to move on from Goff, but rather stick with him for the future.

“As sources have explained, Goff is believed to be their starting QB. Period. Not just until someone else comes along. With all due respect to the unknown — weird things happen in the NFL — the plan is for Goff to be in Detroit for the future,” Rapoport wrote in the piece.

A big reason this is the case? Goff has settled down within the teams offense and is also enjoying a solid season. He’s leading the team on the field and off, and has been the total package for the Lions.

As Rapoport would go on to say in the piece, the team has draft options with Goff playing much better.

“If Goff continues to impress and Detroit doesn’t need to select a QB in this draft, that pick could end up being used on a top position player or a perfect pick to trade. There’s plenty of time left until then, but where it stands right now is a huge positive for Detroit,” he wrote.

Goff’s play indeed did not fall apart down the stretch, and only seemed to improve en-route to a 9-8 finish for Detroit and plenty of momentum. Additionally, general manager Brad Holmes gave Goff his vote of confidence in the season wrap up press conference.

A trade like this would seem to be farfetched for the Lions, who look more primed to continue to build through the draft. As the offseason begins, though, it’s simply food for thought for the fanbase.

1 Comment