The Detroit Lions are looking spry, starting out the season 3-1 and looking to improve to 4-1 against a struggling Cincinnati Bengals squad in Week 5. It's been an even effort in all three phases of the game for the Lions, who suddenly look like the favorites to once again get out of the NFC North.
But, what's a successful season without some speculation that the team could get even better via trade? With the deadline looming in about one month, Detroit is likely to be brought up in a few conversations - specifically, conversations around available pass rushers and cornerbacks.
Injuries to Marcus Davenport and D.J. Reed have suddenly made addressing those two positional groups a bit more important for Detroit, which is likely why Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame has the Lions pegged as a team that should take a swing on New Orleans Saints' pass rusher Carl Granderson.
Lions urged to take a swing on Saints EDGE ahead of deadline
Verderame writes: "The Lions always seem connected to available pass rushers. For the most part, they make it work with what they have the opposite of Aidan Hutchinson. But you can never have enough pass rushers, and Detroit knows better than most teams after last year’s injury wave how quickly depth can disappear from the deepest positions."
He added, "Granderson, 28, is an underrated edge rusher who gets opposing offensive coordinators to scheme against him, which could provide advantageous opportunities for Hutchinson. Granderson has 4.5 sacks and 16 solo tackles this season."
Verderame says that the Lions could likely get Granderson in exchange for a third round pick, which honestly makes sense for Detroit. However, the one thing that could throw a wrench in this idea is Granderson's current deal with the Saints. He carries an $18 million dollar cap hit in 2026 and 2027, which might give the Lions pause.
The team still has deals to work out with Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, and others ahead of 2026, and bringing in a somewhat sizeable contract ahead of those negotiations could make things more difficult for Detroit financially.
Without shedding money in exchange for Granderson, it's not something they're probably trying to get aggressive about. It's exactly why a trade for Trey Hendrickson and Micah Parsons never made sense - they'd be sacrificing their future core for a temporary fix.