The Detroit Lions had an interesting visit over the weekend as they prepare for the 2025 NFL Draft.
They hosted a top-30 visit with Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, who is expected to be selected in the first round of this year's draft.
The visit came as a surprise as Golden is expected to fill a role similar to Jameson Williams in the NFL.
That has led to speculation the Lions may be ready to move on from Williams this offseason.
It would be a mistake for them to actually do it right now.
The best reason not to do it is that it's really unclear what Williams' trade value would be right now.
Yes, he's coming off of a strong 2024 season, but it's the only good season he's had in the NFL.
A.J. Brown only got the Titans a first rounder and a third rounder back in 2022. The asking price for Brandon Aiyuk was believed to be in that same range last offseason. He ended up staying with the 49ers.
Williams shouldn't command anywhere near the same price as either of them, so the Lions could be looking at a second rounder for a player they selected 16th overall just three years ago.
That would be a disappointing return, especially with the potential he showed this past season. Another year with the team could give him a chance to increase his trade value.
The team also doesn't need the cap relief of moving on from Williams yet. They have plenty of cap space for the 2025 season and he only carries a $5.4 million cap hit for the year anyway.
Their cap space concerns aren't really going to become an issue until their large contract extensions start to pile up.
We're still a couple of seasons away from that.
If the Lions extend Kerby Joseph, that will hit their cap next season, but they can get two more years out of Aidan Hutchinson's rookie deal.
Brian Branch has two years left on his. So does Sam LaPorta. Jahmyr Gibbs can have three more on his.
If the Lions don't want to give Williams a large extension, that's totally understandable. They're already pretty heavily invested in the wide receiver position with Amon-Ra St. Brown making $30 million per year.
They're going to have some tough decisions to make with all of the young talent on their roster and Williams may just end up not being a priority.
If the Lions are going to trade him, they'd be better off doing it next year.
This draft class is loaded with red flags at receiver. That includes Golden.
It doesn't make sense to offload a proven option on a rookie deal for a prospect who will likely be worse when your team is actively chasing a Super Bowl.
That also pushes the rookie deal for their Williams replacement a year further down the road, which is when they'll really need it.
There's nothing outside of that visit with Golden that gives any reason to believe the Lions are considering trading Williams right now, but if they are, they should wait another yer to make the move.
