Getty Kerryon Johnson runs for the Lions in Jacksonville.
The Detroit Lions are trying to decide what path to take in the coming days in terms of the trade deadline, and though they made one move to add a player, many believe they could still subtract others.
In recent days, it’s been speculated that the Lions could still look to deal players off of their current roster. A recent list by Vinny Iyer of the Sporting News showed some of the names that are “most likely” to be traded at the deadline. The Lions had a pair of entries on the list in Marvin Jones and Kerryon Johnson.
As it relates to Johnson, Iyer wrote that the team’s current situation
“The Lions are entrusting their backfield more to rookie D’Andre Swift and up to that recent point, Adrian Peterson did well as their veteran bridge back. Johnson, a once promising 2018 second-rounder, is down to getting no touches. At 23, he’s an appealing cheap backfield stash for teams looking for depth.”
In terms of Jones, Iyer thinks that his sudden inability to make big plays in the offense could hurt his chances of sticking around moving forward.
“Jones has seen a suddenly smaller role in the Lions’ passing game as their No. 2 wideout outside opposite Kenny Golladay. He turned 30 earlier this year and won’t be re-signed as a free agent next year. It took him until Week 7’s win over the Falcons to do something of note. All the above wideout-needy mentioned teams should have some interest, but it’s unlikely Detroit makes a move to help Green Bay inside the division.”
Overall, the chances of the team trading a pair of their key pieces seem slim. Jones might have greater ability to move given his contract situation and age, but the Lions are also contending now and theoretically need both of the players to put their best foot forward for 2020 the rest of the way.
Detroit could make a smaller move such as shipping out a player like Bo Scarbrough, but it might not be wise to bank on them making anything dramatic happen ahead of the deadline next week.
Chances Of Lions Trading Kerryon Johnson
Detroit’s backfield is suddenly very deep, with Adrian Peterson and D’Andre Swift combining with Johnson to represent the present situation. There’s not a huge need for a runner anymore as there has been in the past, which could change the dynamic for a team like Detroit, who suddenly has depth at the spot. Even such, Johnson is a relatively new player with the team and still seems to be part of the future. He’s also improved with pass blocking and remains a player who is highly regarded by the staff. For these reasons, a deal doesn’t seem likely. Johnson remains the future without knowing if the team plans to re-sign the 35 year old Peterson this offseason.
The Lions would likely have to be blown away in order to trade Johnson away at this point.
Who Could Trade for Marvin Jones?
If the Lions look to trade Jones, who could be a bit more expendable than Johnson at this point on the roster, it would have to be a team that considered a pass catcher a big need. There’s been several teams mentioned in recent days as it relates to a potential wideout trade like the Packers and Ravens. New Orleans could always use more weaponry as well. As for what it might cost to acquire Jones, a middle round pick would likely be the asking price if the Lions do indeed decide to make the move.
Even such, it seems unlikely the Lions deal Jones simply because the team is in the hunt and figures to need him in a big way for some offensive punch down the stretch. That could be true for Johnson as well regardless of what’s reported.
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