Proposed Lions Trade Sends $22 Million Star Away for New Edge

Yes, it’s the offseason for the Detroit Lions and all of the other NFL teams, meaning that people who cover the NFL, including yours truly, are indulging in speculative stories about what could happen before and during the season. There’s nothing wrong with that, because it’s fun to look at what could happen when things get rolling for good.

When it comes to the Detroit Lions, the team absolutely needs to look at bringing in an edge to compliment Aidan Hutchinson. Well, they don’t have to, per say, and general manager Brad Holmes doesn’t seem too concerned about it, but it would help the squad and depth in the edge position to bring in someone new.

So, here we are, a few months before the season starts, and one NFL analyst is looking at a possible trade that would bring a new edge to Detroit.

A New Pass-Rusher to Help Aidan Hutchinson

Mike Payton of A to Z Sports has pitched a trade proposal for the Lions to bring a new edge to town. In this trade, the Lions receive edge A.J. Epenesa, and the Buffalo Bills get DJ Reader. So, it’s a clean trade.

In the piece, Payton notes that “there’s a chance” that the Lions “may still bring back Za’Darius Smith, but that has not happened yet.” Frankly, that’s a move that would be amazing, but as Payton says, it has yet to come to fruition. When the season starts and pass-rushers start to get injured, you know that Smith is one of the first guys who will get called, so now is our chance.

Payton notes in the feature that when it comes to Reader, “it seems kind of crazy to trade Reader at this time while the Lions don’t have Alim McNeil, but they’re pretty deep in the middle of that defensive line and even Brad Holmes will tell you that.” But, “in terms of cap space, this move would open up $11.6 million in cap space today.”

He adds that, “The Lions would have to eat $3.6 million in dead cap next year, but at this point they’re doing that anyways since his void years triggered in March and he’s owed some of his signing bonus still.”

In total, Payton says the idea is “a low risk trade with potential for rewards. Maybe not huge rewards, but rewards nonetheless.”

Grading the Detroit Lions Trade Proposal

Meanwhile, NFL expert Brad Berreman of SideLion Report gives this idea a grade of a C-. “The idea of Reader as a trade candidate is not outlandish,” he says. “While Pro Football Focus graded him out solidly (No. 36 overall out of 118 qualifying defensive tackles) last year, his first season in Detroit was not overly impressive in any facet.”

He adds that “the ship has pretty much sailed on the Lions making a notable move to add an edge rusher, so any trade proposals have to have that in mind. But there’s one word to best describe this one, focused on the player they’d acquire far more than who they’d give up.”

So, the Lions will likely have to go into the new season with an uncomfortable depth at the position. Let’s brace ourselves and keep Hutch safe.