Lions Urged to Add ‘Best Edge Rusher’ on Trade Market
The Detroit Lions have a star in edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, but have struggled to find a competent counterpart who can pressure quarterbacks off the opposite edge.
They may have a chance to add that missing piece at the upcoming trade deadline, with several analysts predicting the team could take a run at Miami Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. The Dolphins are watching their season spiral and could be just a few weeks away from being essentially eliminated from playoff contention, leading many to peg them as sellers at the trade deadline.
The Lions could take advantage, taking aim at Phillips to round out their edge rushing group.
Lions Could Add ‘Very Effective’ Defensive End
Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News identified top trade candidates for all 32 NFL teams, noting that the Lions may have their eyes on Cincinnati Bengals star Trey Hendrickson but would find Phillips a more attainable player.
“With Hendrickson unlikely to happen and the Lions may be being a bit reserved in giving the Bengals that great desired haul, they can take a shot on another very effective would-be complement to Defensive Player of the Year candidate Aidan Hutchinson,” Iyer wrote.
Phillips has endured some injury issues over the last two years, appearing in just 12 total games between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. But he has proven to be a productive pass rusher when healthy, averaging more than seven sacks in each of his first three seasons in the NFL.
Reporter Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports predicted the Lions could land Phillips with a Day 3 draft pick.
“The Lions will have to give a high Day 3 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,” Payton wrote. “In my opinion, this is the deal the Lions should do at the deadline because there’s a chance for a future, it doesn’t cost a first-round pick, and you don’t have to break the bank.”
Payton noted that Phillips is the “best edge rusher” on the trade market, which could make competition fierce to land him.
Lions Could Look at Other Targets
Iyer noted that the Lions could look at another potential trade target on the Dolphins, edge rusher Bradley Chubb.
Other potential targets could be slipping out of their grasp. New York Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson, seen as a top trade candidate, said this week that he wants ot stay with the team and expressed that on social media.
“I’m definitely wanted here, and I want to stay here,” Johnson told ESPN. “That’s been understood. Hence the tweet.”
The Lions have used the trade deadline to add help in their edge rushing group before. They made something of an emergency addition last year, acquiring Za’Darius Smith to lead the position group after Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury in October.
The Lions have put together a Super Bowl-caliber roster and could take an aggressive approach this season, especially after the pass rush has faltered in last season’s early exit from the playoffs.
49ers $38 Million Superstar Named Team’s ‘Most Disappointing’ Player
In a year where the San Francisco 49ers offense has battled instability at quarterback and multiple injuries to its primary playmakers, running back Christian McCaffrey has stepped up.
CMC currently leads the NFL in total yards from scrimmage (981), and is also first in touches (185). Despite his heavy workload, some aren’t keen on what they’re seeing from McCaffrey this season.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon listed each team’s “most disappointing” player, and for the Niners, he named CMC.
“While the three-time Pro Bowler has at least remained healthy as the rest of the roster crumbles, he’s averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per carry,” Gagnon wrote on October 23, adding: “That said, he carried the team to victory in Week 7. Again, I’m just trying to avoid going after injured guys, but Brandon Aiyuk would also be an acceptable answer here.”
Is Christian McCaffrey the San Francisco 49ers’ Most Disappointing Player so Far in 2025?
GettyChristian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers has been named the team’s most disappointing player so far in 2025 by Bleacher Report..
Put simply, saying McCaffrey is the team’s biggest disappointment is nonsense. We’d argue McCaffrey remains the team’s most reliable all-purpose player. Despite his 3.5 yards per carry average being low, he has 465 yards on the ground, and he also leads the team in receptions (53) and receiving yards (516). His dual-threat role alone would make him indispensable for
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan has heard the talk about his All-Pro running back not playing up to the expectations of others.
“I don’t know what he listens to or not,” Shanahan said on October 22. “I know Christian has a high standard, what he expects to do running the ball. I do personally, I know our whole team does. So, not getting the production that we would like these first five weeks I think had us all pissed off. I’m not saying we were pissed off, that’s why we did it well in Week 6. We try our hardest every week. But yeah, when we’re not running the ball well, no one’s happy around here, especially Christian.”
49ers Currently Have Top 10 Offense, Passing Game
The 49ers offense is currently ranked sixth in the NFL in total yards per game (366.6), and the unit is ranked No. 1 in most passing yards per game (271.3). McCaffrey’s versatility is a big reason for that.
Moreover, McCaffrey, who is on a $38 million deal, entered 2025 fully healthy after the injury-plagued 2024 season that limited him to just four games. Thus, selecting him as “most disappointing” feels just wrong.
If one sought a better candidate on the 49ers roster more worthy of the “most disappointing” tag, there are stronger contenders. The absence of Aiyuk looms especially large—his injury and delayed return significantly impacted the receiver room and thrust even more burden onto McCaffrey. Quarterback Brock Purdy also hasn’t been able to stay on the field, and rookie defensive lineman Mykel Williams has yet to make much of an impression for a first-rounder.
All are better candidates for the label than McCaffrey. It’d be totally fair to say CMC might be under-celebrated in his role this season, but calling him disappointing after all he’s done is silly.
