The Detroit Lions are in unprecedented air as a legit Super Bowl contender heading into the 2024 season. They also have a loaded roster, virtually unrivaled in the league, which has been quite a journey too over the course of the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell regime.
It ultimately means the Lions have a surplus of talent, and 53 roster spots to fill come final cuts before the season starts. Some younger players could be brought back on the practice squad, but there will be some good players who are let go.
On a different tangent than outright cutting players others teams may quickly bring aboard for themselves, the Lions may have some veteran players who become trade candidates between now and Week 1. Some offers may even come on that front, allowing the Lions to recoup an asset for someone who won't make their roster.
Here are three Lions players who could be traded before Week 1.
3 Detroit Lions players who could be traded before Week 1
3. DL John Cominsky
Cominisky has been mentioned as a potential preseason trade candidate a couple times now, and it makes some sense. The Lions have a lot of competition along the defensive front, and Cominsky took a pay reduction this offseason in lieu of potentially (though probably unlikely) being cut. It's possible he was given an either or scenario, and he took the pay cut rather than be let go.
Cominsky's inside-outside versatility is an asset for him, and he's certainly someone who could appeal to other teams who may need a defensive line piece as camp and the preseason rolls on. His production dropped last season compared to 2022, but he certainly proved capable in 2022 (and tough, playing with a club on his hand after thumb surgery).
As training camp looms, it seems unlikely the Lions would actively shop Cominsky right now. But he needs a strong training camp, and if he's not pretty well in line to make the roster that could change and he becomes a tradeable asset from an area of depth.
2. LB Malcolm Rodriguez
Rodriguez looked like a steal the moment the Lions took him in the sixth round (pick No. 188) of the 2022 draft, and he delivered on that idea immediately as a rookie (87 total tackles, eight tackles for loss over 16 games-15 starts). Over that meaningful sample of snaps his first year, his tackling, run defense and pass rush grades from Pro Football Focus were all 65.0 or better.
When Jack Campbell was taken in the first round of the 2023 draft, it was obvious bad news for Rodriguez's playing time. Add in how Derrick Barnes emerged last season, and "Rodrigo" was the odd-man out in the Lions' linebacking corps. He became a core special teamer (320 snaps) as he played just 120 defensive snaps (50 of them over the first three games, with 31 more in a game Alex Anzalone missed late in the season).
As a nod to his athleticism and latent potential versatility, Rodriguez started one game at fullback last year when the team was thin for options there. He also caught a pass against the Packers on Thanksgiving Day, as he played 20 total snaps at fullback.
While some may want to dismiss him as sheer hype based on "Hard Knocks" in 2022, Rodriguez could at least compete to start for a lot of other teams as an off-ball linebacker. That kind of opportunity naturally waned right away with the Lions upon Campbell's arrival, and it simply may never come back. If a solid offer came between the start of training camp and Week 1, perhaps driven by that team losing someone to injury, the Lions may just have to take it.
1. RB Craig Reynolds
The Lions have three running backs who are locks to make the roster: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery and rookie Sione Vaki. That leaves Reynolds and a now healthy Zonovan Knight to compete for what looks likely be one roster spot during training camp and the preseason. The Lions are not likely to retain five running backs.
A case can be made for Knight as the runner with more upside. He is certainly younger (23, to 28 for Reynolds). If not for a shoulder injury that sidelined him early last season after the Lions brought him aboard late last preseason, he may have eventually overtaken Reynolds as the No. 3 running back and a top kick returner option.
Reynolds is clearly well-liked by the Lions' coaching staff and his teammates, as a "do whatever is needed" team guy. That stands to give him some level of intangible edge in any battle with Knight, and make him a bit more difficult to overtake.
But if Knight is healthy and stands out during camp, and also shows out in preseason games with plenty of work sure to come his way, he will make it hard for the Lions to choose Reynolds over him on merit.
Reynolds has done well when he's gotten a bigger offensive role for the Lions (see Week 14 and 15 of the 2021 season). In a broad sense other teams surely notice how he's managed to stick around through the team's rise to prominence. If there's no room for him on the depth chart in Detroit, a team looking to add a solid depth running back could easily offer a late draft pick.
