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The Detroit Lions don’t have many elite players that figure to be on the trading block before the deadline, but they have a few veteran players that could be used as trade bait if the situation calls for it.
When push comes to shove, who is going to be a player who comes up on the trading block for the team? As an insider wrote, he believes the team needs to think about cashing in one of their best players on defense during the 2021 season.
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ESPN writer Bill Barnwell put together an Insider piece where he suggested trade proposals for teams and players across the league. When it came to the Lions, the team came up on the proposal once, and it involved a potential deal with defensive end Charles Harris. In his proposal, Barnwell had the Lions dealing Harris for a 2022 sixth-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick. As he explained, Kansas City might benefit from having a veteran pass rusher around even though Harris was not a big name.
From Detroit’s perspective, the Lions are trying to build for the future, so picking up additional draft picks could help the team over the top in the future. A sixth-round selection could be a little low, so Detroit should try to aim a bit higher in this type of deal.
Still, this kind of deal might be the one that makes sense for the Lions if they elect to sell at all this coming trade deadline.
Lions 2021 Trade Deadline Primer
While many believe the Lions could look to add a wideout, the team could be more poised to make a few key deals such as this one in order to gain more draft picks for 2021. Detroit already figures to be in play for the top overall selection, and if they were able to add more, it could go a long way toward their rebuild. In terms of players who could be placed on the block, Trey Flowers is quite possibly the best choice given his age and the possibility that the team is ready to move on from him in the defense. That could be especially true if a middle-round selection is offered up.
Others have speculated that the Lions should potentially look to deal Taylor Decker given the fact they have Penei Sewell playing a decent role for the team’s offensive line. The Lions, though, might prefer to have a stronger offensive line and keep both players in the mix. For the most part, Detroit’s roster is young, which means their best chance for a dealing a player could very well come in the form of putting Flowers or Harris on the block this month.
Harris’s Career Stats and Highlights
It’s clear that Harris had talent to fall back on that always seemed like it could help him cement a bigger role in Detroit. He was a former first-round pick out of Missouri back in 2017, and while he might not have lived up to the grade with the Dolphins, it’s clear he does offer some upside in the trenches. Harris has 6.5 career sacks, but 3 of those came when he was playing with the Falcons during the 2020 season. Harris also has 79 tackles, 4 passes defended and 1 fumble recovery in his career before joining the Lions.
Harris has yet to show signs of being a consistently elite pass rusher in the NFL, but he could offer the Lions some help off the edge given the major need Detroit has at the spot. The Lions re-made their defense this past offseason, and in previous years the team did not show an ability to get after the quarterback. That has disappeared thus far in 2021, given the team already has 9 sacks to their credit through the first four games. Having Harris come on at this point would be considered a win given he is leading the team currently with his 4 sacks.
Watching some of the career highlights, Harris is still a very talented player:
Harris is doing well in Detroit, but the team could manage to move him if the right deal comes around with regard to draft compensation.
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