Lions trade proposal for Dolphins edge rusher, cost Detroit would take on, and what they have to give up
The NFL trade deadline is right around the corner on Nov. 4. We know that the Detroit Lions are already making calls looking for an edge rusher.
With that in mind, we will be taking a look at each edge rusher that could be available for trade, and we’ll put together a proposal and go over what the cost of each deal could be and what the Lions could get from each player. So far, we've covered Titans edge rusher Arden Key.
Lions trade proposal for Miami Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips
Let's start with the why and the fit. It's really simple for that. This is the best edge rusher available for trade right now without a doubt. The former 18th overall pick is just 26 years old, and there is still a lot of upside for him as a starter opposite Aidan Hutchinson. This is the Lions' chance to grab a guy they can look to re-sign and that can grow with the team over time. They're not getting that elsewhere.
Yes, Phillips has some injury history, and I know that turns Lions fans off, but he is not Marcus Davenport. These were freak injuries that were somewhat related to each other. They actually do the Lions a favor in the re-signing process, too, because that drives his value down.
They could get away with something like a four-year deal worth up to $80 million, where there's a lot of injury incentives and protections for the Lions laid out in the deal. They could also backload it because of that, and that allows them to still get other big deals done. Let's get to the trade proposal.
Lions get: Jaelan Phillips
Dolphins get: 2026 4th round pick
The Lions are going to have to give a high day three pick to get it done, but what they get back is a player who has racked up 22 pressures this season and is just begging to take advantage of the one-on-one opportunities that Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill provide. In my opinion, this is the deal the Lions should do at the deadline because there's a chance for a future here, and it doesn't cost a first-round pick, and you don't have to break the bank.
Rumored Vikings QB Move Could Spell Early End of J.J. McCarthy Tenure
The Minnesota Vikings have a serious issue under center and trading for a veteran QB may be the only answer.
J.J. McCarthy remains injured with a high ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2, which has cost him five games and counting. Backup Carson Wentz has a banged up left shoulder (non-throwing) and is 2-2 in four starts with five touchdowns and four interceptions.
Minnesota is playing on a short week and will take on the Los Angeles Chargers in L.A. on “Thursday Night Football,” which means the team may need to turn to 24-year-old undrafted rookie Max Brosmer as the starter, or potentially as an early substitute for Wentz if he plays poorly to open the contest.
None of that can feel good for a Vikings squad that went 14-3 under Sam Darnold last season and has a similarly talented defense and set of skill-position players in 2025, with a revamped offensive line that has suffered myriad injuries through the first half of the campaign.
As such, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Tuesday, October 21 pitched a reunion trade with the Atlanta Falcons for QB Kirk Cousins.
“With two weeks left until the trade deadline arrives, could the Vikings pull the rip cord on the Kirk Cousins emergency option?” Florio wrote. “While the Falcons possibly have a diminished appetite to trade Cousins now that starter Michael Penix Jr. is day-to-day with a bone bruise, the Vikings presumably would get through Thursday night’s game at the Chargers and the following Sunday’s visit to the Lions before making a final decision in the two remaining days before the time for 2025 trades ends.”
Kirk Cousins Makes Sense as Multi-Year Backup QB Plan for Vikings
GettyQuarterback Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons.
The relevant questions are what bringing Cousins back to Minnesota means for McCarthy longterm, and are those ramifications something with which the Vikings are willing to deal?
Minnesota moved on from Cousins ahead of the 2024 season because of the money he was demanding/could demand, proven by the Falcons’ willingness to pay him $180 million over four years. But circumstances are different now.
Cousins is 37 years old and will turn 38 just ahead of the 2026 season. He is familiar with head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system and with several players still on the roster. If the Vikings traded for Cousins that wouldn’t necessarily mean they’d have to keep him beyond this season, but doing so may be the most logical decision.
Cousins has been better than Wentz over their respective careers and has vastly more experience in Minnesota. He also stated publicly that he enjoyed living in the area, and it is clear from his Pro Football Reference page that Cousins had his greatest success with the Vikings.
Meanwhile, McCarthy missed his entire rookie campaign with knee injury. He played poorly in seven of eight quarters to start this season and has now missed another five games with the ankle issue. Minnesota appears in no rush to move back to McCarthy, despite Wentz’s struggles, which is a statement in and of itself.
Trading for Kirk Cousins Could Signal Beginning of the End for J.J. McCarthy as Vikings’ Long-Term Plan at QB
GettyQuarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.
Even if the team still prioritizes the 22-year-old McCarthy, which it certainly will once he is healthy, having Cousins as the No. 2 guy gives Minnesota back the security it had before allowing Darnold (5-2 with the Seahawks) and Daniel Jones (6-1 with Indianapolis) to walk in free agency.
And if McCarthy can’t stay healthy and/or doesn’t work out over the next year and a half, Cousins gives the team a viable option that raises its floor over that stretch — likely all the way back to a playoff-caliber team given the talent across the rest of the roster.
That would allow the Vikings to look at other quarterback options, potentially in the draft or via a trade for a guy like Colts backup Anthony Richardson come next offseason to create multiple opportunities to hit on a young QB.
None of those outcomes bode well for McCarthy’s future in Minnesota, and it would all start with a Vikings trade to reunite with Cousins. But the NFL is about the now, the clichéd question: What have you done for me lately?
The Vikings handed McCarthy the keys to a Ferrari, which he drove into a ditch during his first two weeks on the wheel and hurt himself in the process. The time to plan for the eventuality that he ends up a bust, or simply that he’s not durable enough to survive at the professional level, has arguably already arrived.
Cousins is the team’s best shot to do something about that now, and moving on that could signal the beginning of the end for McCarthy as the Vikings’ longterm plan at quarterback. But, in fairness, it’s an end that could be coming sooner than later anyway, regardless of whether Cousins returns or not.
