Lions' trade proposals for Myles Garrett are taking different forms, but let's hone in on one.
After Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett made his trade request public on Monday, fans of any teams that fits the bill as a Super Bowl contender have been dreaming about getting him. The Detroit Lions should be involved in the conversation, even if they don't ultimately get a deal done for the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year.
Going all-in for Garrett, or anyone like him, would go against the template Lions general manager Brad Holmes has used with great success. But they also could be close to the "F them picks" mentality Holmes' mentor, Rams general manager Les Snead, adopted on the way to getting that franchise a Super Bowl win. The Lions' "draft and develop" template works well for sustained success, but at some point a bold move may need to be made to get a team over the top.
Holmes has rejected the idea that the Lions are in a "Super Bowl window", but they undeniably are and the past two years falling short in the playoffs has naturally narrowed it.
Early trade proposals being put out there for the Lions (or any other team) to get Garrett vary a bit, but they start with at least one first-round pick and go from there. An often noted deal for comparison is the trade the Chicago Bears made to get a then 27-year old Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders in 2018.
The Bears sent two first-rounders, a third-rounder and a sixth-rounder to the Raiders for Mack, a second-rounder and a fifth-rounder.
Grade the trade proposal: Lions get a bit more than Myles Garrett from Browns
Richard Silva of the Detroit News has a trade proposal along the lines of the Mack deal for the Lions to land Garrett. Let's take a look at it.
Getting two draft picks back as part of a deal for Garrett would have to be considered a win for the Lions. Cleveland has four sixth-round picks this year, with the best one (No. 181 overall) having a value of 19 points via the classic Jimmy Johnson draft pick value chart. The 2025 fourth-round pick the Lions would send to Cleveland here has a value of 40 points on that chart.
The 2026 third-round pick the Lions give up in this trade proposal is a compensation pick for losing Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets' head coaching job. They retain the 2025 third-round pick they're also getting for losing Glenn, which replaced their own third-round pick, which they traded during last year's draft.
The Day 2 and Day 3 picks switching sides here are not a precise value swap, which is fine and expected with a two-round gap for each. But the Lions recoup some of the draft capital they're giving up for Garrett. Giving up their next two first-round picks is not without consequence, but it's probably the base level cost to get seriously involved in talks to get Garrett.
For some people, the idea of the Lions trading for Garrett will be dismissed at every turn and in every possible way. But they should a least make a call to the Browns, and an offer like this proposal from Silva should be in play if it means adding someone of Garrett's caliber.
