The Detroit Lions are in the market for an edge rusher after the team lost both Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport to season-ending injuries, but could the Lions add to a different position on defense ahead of the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline?
One NFL analyst, Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano, apparently thinks so. He has offered up a trade proposal that would land Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jack Jones in Motown.
In the trade suggestion, Manzano has the Lions sending the Raiders a sixth-round pick to acquire the former fourth-round pick, who could very well be moved at the deadline thanks to the Raiders' abysmal season.
"Raiders owner Mark Davis has said Maxx Crosby isn’t for sale, but the Lions should still call anyway," Manzano wrote. "If they don’t budge on Crosby, perhaps the Lions can convince the Raiders to give up Jones, a feisty cornerback. The Lions’ defense would be set for the postseason if they land Jones and Za’Darius Smith, as mentioned above for the Browns’ one trade they need to make. Jones would provide depth for a disappointing group of cornerbacks. But there’s some risk because Jones tends to make head-scratching mistakes. Perhaps Jones will provide full effort and return to making impact plays with a change of scenery."
Jones resurrected his career in 2023 after he was cut loose by the New England Patriots and claimed off waivers by the Raiders. But he has not been as good in 2024, and has had his effort questioned on more than one occasion, which makes him a bad fit for the Lions' culture.
The Lions are already pretty well set at cornerback, anyway, with Carlton Davis and Terrion Arnold on the boundary, and Amik Robertson in the slot. And they have a solid backup option in Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Jones isn't likely to be an upgrade over any of those four players.
Knowing all that, a trade for the Raiders cornerback is unlikely. The Lions are better off saving their assets for their pursuit of an edge rusher, which is a far more pressing need at the moment.
