The Detroit Lions are in the market for a solid edge rusher to replace the injured Aidan Hutchinson until he’s better, but finding someone isn’t going to be a piece of cake. While some Lions enthusiasts would like to point to massive trade deals that would land Detroit a star overnight, it’s likely more realistic to look at a less dramatic deal that would still bring a good edge rusher to the Motor City.
NFL analyst and expert Mike Payton of A to Z Sports has a wild trade pitch that would bring not one but two defensive players to Detroit without “breaking the bank,” but in turn, the Lions would lose a quarterback and more. Let’s face it: Hutchinson is so good that it could take two defensive players to replace him until he’s back.
Detroit Lions Could Strike a Deal With the Tennessee Titans
In an October 16 feature for A to Z Sports, Payton says that he keeps thinking about the Tennessee Titans being the team able to strike a deal with the Lions.
“The Titans are a really bad team right now, and there’s a lot of thought behind the idea that they may be looking to go into rebuild mode,” he stated. “If that’s the case, there’s multiple players to be had from that roster. Specifically, players that just spent the last five seasons with Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams.”
Payton proposes that the Lions get Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and linebacker Harold Landry in exchange for Lions backup quarterback Hendon Hooker, cornerback Ennis Rakestraw, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-fourth pick. That second-round pick hurts.
Payton notes that while Simmons is “usually listed as a defensive tackle,” he “actually moves all over the line.”
“He’s played defensive end for two games this season,” Payton noted. “His whole career has been that way. He plays inside and outside. In Detroit he can continue to do that.”
As for Landry, Payton says he’s “a steal money wise.”
“The way his contract is structured the Lions would essentially be paying him around $1 million per game and then they could part with him after the season for no loss,” Payton added. “His salary is not guaranteed in 2025 or 2026. He could be a one year rental or the Lions could chose to keep him around for two more years. It’s a great deal.”
‘The Titans Are Desperate at Quarterback’
Now, the Hooker factor. Payton says that the quarterback “has to go in this deal” and that we would likely be welcomed with open arms in Tennessee.
“The Titans are desperate at quarterback, and here’s an opportunity for them to get a mobile guy that can make some plays for them,” he wrote. “Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he’s played in the area for years and had success for the Vols. Hooker could replace Levis tomorrow and the Titans would be happy for it. Titans fans would probably love it, too.”
Mike Moraitis of Sporting News says he thinks the Lions would give a green light to this deal but not the Titans.
“Would the Lions make this deal if available to them? I think they absolutely would. Whether or not the Titans would is a different story, though,” he wrote in an October 18 piece about the trade idea.
He added, “I don’t think Carthon and the Titans would hang up on the Lions if this trade was offered, but I do think they’d want better picks and someone other than Rakestraw as part of the deal.”
