Evaluating if Detroit Lions need to make trade deadline move

The trade deadline is just one week away, and the Detroit Lions are viewed as a team that could make a splash.

Detroit is viewed as a Super Bowl contender who has a pressing need within its pass rush. If the Lions add pass rush help in the right way, it can greatly improve its Super Bowl chances.

However, they are already among the league’s best and may be good enough to succeed at a high level without the addition of a marquee player via trade.

“I don’t believe they are the best team in the NFL right now without a replacement for Aidan Hutchinson. I think you can close that gap pretty quickly,” this writer said. “It’s not that much different, but Patrick Mahomes is all-world, Lamar Jackson is getting up there even though they had a bad loss. That might be something that gives them a wake-up call. I do think they’re competitive, they’re a top-five team, but I don’t think they’re Super Bowl caliber without more help. So that’s my assessment of that.”

Instead, the team could potentially benefit from not making a move, so as not to disrupt team chemistry and allow the team’s current roster to make up for the loss of Hutchinson.

“I would not be disappointed, I would not be devastated or angry, I would say, ‘We might get an answer as to how good this football team actually is,'” this writer explained. “If this football team just goes on with who they got and they ride the wave of the practice squad players and the guys you’ve been developing these last couple months. I would almost dare Brad Holmes not to make a move.”

The latest Lone Wolves podcast explores the Lions’ blowout win over Tennessee and key performances by Jahmyr Gibbs and Kalif Raymond. Additionally, the hosts look ahead to the pivotal matchup awaiting at Lambeau Field.

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