Potential Trade Sends Lions Super Bowl Champion Defensive Tackle

Getty CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin linked the Detroit Lions to New England defensive tackle Lawrence Guy.

Insiders of the Detroit Lions have hyped the defensive depth the team possesses heading into the 2023 season. But nationally, the media is still connecting the Lions to possible defensive line trade candidates.

On August 23, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin named the Lions a potential suitor for New England Patriots defensive tackle Lawrence Guy.

“Defense is the name of the game in New England, so dealing a mainstay in the trenches would be illogical if it weren’t for the promising arrival of second-rounder Keion White, a preseason darling,” Benjamin wrote. “At 33 and reportedly seeking a new deal since the start of camp, Guy could provide Bill Belichick another opportunity to split with a player too early rather than too late.”

Benjamin did not propose what the Lions might have to offer in order to land Guy. Benjamin did, though, also name the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings as potential suitors for the 12-year defensive tackle.

How Lawrence Guy Could Fit With the Lions

The Lions re-signed 26-year-old Isaiah Buggs this offseason. He spent 2022 in Detroit and three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

However, the Lions do not have a primary defensive tackle with more experience than that. Fellow defensive tackles Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike are each entering their third seasons while defensive tackle Brodric Martin is a rookie.

Potential depth defensive tackle Benito Jones debuted in 2020 but missed all of 2021 and is still only 25 years old. Furthermore, veteran Christian Covington is entering his ninth season, but he could play defensive end and defensive tackle for the Lions.

Guy is an upgrade from Covington, and like the fellow veteran, he has mostly played defensive tackle in his career but also has extensive experience at defensive end. Guy debuted in 2012 with the Indianapolis Colts after the Green Bay Packers selected him in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft.

Guy also played for the Baltimore Ravens and then San Diego Chargers before joining the Patriots in 2017. He was a starter for New England in both 2017 and 2018, with the 2018 season being the year the team won the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams.

In six seasons with the Patriots, Guy posted 341 combined tackles, including 21 tackles for loss, 37 quarterback hits, 10.5 sacks and 1 interception. He had 46 combined tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks in 2022.

Why the Lions Shouldn’t Trade for Guy

At 32 years old, Guy could be a tremendous veteran asset for the Lions. However, the team might not really need him.

In fact, the Lions are going to have a hard enough time finding the roster room for who they already possess along the defensive line. Trading for Guy would mean cutting another quality player.

“The Lions have more depth across the board defensively than they’ve had in years and that’s particularly true with the edge rush/defensive line group,” wrote The Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett on August 21. “I had 11 linemen making my roster last week and think there are even more worthy candidates, but putting a roster together is a numbers game in many ways; that may be too many bigs to keep.”

Birkett projected the Lions to waive Covington because of the lack of roster space. While that could mean the team may lack a versatile, experienced depth along the defensive line, trading for Guy would mean departing with another defensive lineman such as Onwuzurike or Jones on roster cutdown day.