Getty The Dallas Cowboys had an interest in Patrick Surtain II heading into the 2021 NFL draft.
The Detroit Lions may need to move off their preferred course for the upcoming trade deadline, and one insider believes that’s a good sign for the franchise.
MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke noted that general manager Brad Holmes has preferred a careful approach to building Detroit’s roster, making additions through the draft and mostly sticking to trades that give them more draft capital. But with the Lions out to a 5-2 start and a strong early lead on the division, the team may need to adjust the approach and look for players who can help with a potential Super Bowl run.
Those plans could start with Denver Broncos All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II, Meinke writes.
Lions Likely Buyers at Deadline
Meinke wrote that he expects the Lions to be buyers at the upcoming trade deadline, looking to build on their 2.5-game lead in the NFC North and prepare for the potential of a playoff run that starts in Detroit.
“The loss in Baltimore was brutal, but they still lead the NFC North by 2.5 games and are big favorites to host their first playoff game since 1993,” Meinke wrote. “They’re currently third in the NFC pecking order, and would host Dallas in the postseason if the season ended today. It doesn’t, of course. But with just one winning team left in their final 10 games — against the Cowboys in Week 17 — the Lions have an opportunity to set themselves up for success in the postseason.”
Meinke wrote that the Lions could use the trade deadline to fill some of the holes in their defense. Top safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was lost to a torn pectoral and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley went down just two snaps into his season debut, suffering another torn ACL after he had just recovered from one suffered last season.
There are other, less-serious injuries throughout the secondary, but Meinke believes the Lions could have a chance to make a big move at the deadline.
“There could be some good options on the trade block too, notably Denver’s Patrick Surtain,” he wrote.
It would likely not be cheap for the Lions, as the 23-year-old Surtain is already an All-Pro and the Broncos would likely want a big return.
Lions Could Find Other Targets for the Secondary
Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports suggested that the Lions could have other players in mind to help bolster the injury-struck secondary — including one rival player. He noted that the Chicago Bears could be willing to part with Jaylon Johnson, but it would likely be costly and force the Lions to look into a contract extension to keep him beyond this season.
“Johnson is a guy that could come in and be a starter right away,” Payton wrote. “You might be hesitant to get on board here because it might seem like he’s a guy the Bears wouldn’t trade, but he’s been in the conversation the whole time. The big reason here is that he’s in the final year of his rookie deal and the bill is about to come due on him. The Lions have the means to bring him in via trade and then sign him to a new deal if they wanted to. In return they get a new cornerback one.”