It is officially NFL trade deadline day. If any team wants to complete a trade for the 2025 season, it must be completed by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
For the Detroit Lions, they’re in an interesting place. Competitively, they still have reasonable Super Bowl aspirations, but if Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings was any indication, they’re not where they need to be right now.
Financially, they’re also in a quandary. Per the NFLPA public salary cap report, the Lions currently have about $20.9 million in cap space, good for fifth-most in the NFL. However, they’re expected to be over the cap in 2026, so they likely want to roll over as much of that as possible.
Then there’s the difficulty in evaluating their own needs. Defensively, they’re playing good football and are expected to get a few guys back from injury soon, including D.J. Reed, Marcus Davenport, Josh Paschal, and Kerby Joseph. Offensively, they should be set at skill positions, but the injuries on the offensive line could leave an opening to be filled.
So taking all of that into consideration, today’s Question of the Day is:
Who are the best fits for the Lions at the NFL trade deadline?
My answer: My first inclination is to go to the guard position. Not only is starting left guard Christian Mahogany expected to be out until nearly the end of the regular season, but that position could use a significant upgrade anyway. For the past few weeks, the Lions have struggled to run the ball between the tackles and protect Jared Goff from the middle.
There are a few popular options out there—one I’m in favor of, and one I’m less inclined to do.
The lesser option is Titans right guard Kevin Zeitler. He obviously has familiarity with the Lions’ system and is still playing at a relatively high level. The problem is that his addition would necessitate more shuffling on the offensive line. Zeitler is strictly a right guard, which means Detroit would have to move rookie Tate Ratledge to left guard or center. Relying on a rookie at center is asking for trouble, and even asking him to shift to left guard—where he hasn’t played regularly in even his college career—is a big risk. That said, with only a $3.745 million salary, Zeitler would be a cheap option (about half that number) at one of Detroit’s biggest needs.
However, the better fit is Cleveland’s Joel Bitonio. Not only is he a seven-time Pro Bowler, but he’s a full-time left guard, and he would come with just a $1.255 million salary (most of his money is tied up in signing and option bonuses that stay with Cleveland). That said, because of the cap hit the Browns would take, it could drive the compensation price up.
The biggest hurdle here is the Browns themselves. On Monday, Adam Schefter reported that Cleveland appears to be more inclined to buy than sell despite the fact that they’re 2-6 on the season.
“Though Cleveland already has completed three trades in the past month—acquiring offensive tackle Cam Robinson, sending quarterback Joe Flacco to Cincinnati and swapping cornerbacks with Jacksonville — most sources believe that the Browns will be aggressive in acquiring players before the deadline”
Schefter adds that they are looking for young players. Bitonio is 34 and in the last year of his contract in Cleveland. He is quite literally a perfect candidate for the Browns to trade. That said, for a team trying to evaluate their rookie quarterbacks, I could understand if they aren’t willing to jeopardize their own pass protection.
Sticking with the offensive line, I think the Lions could also use some reassurance at tackle. Both Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker are currently battling injuries, and while they aren’t expected to be long-term, Decker has not been at his best and could probably use more rest. That’s where Cardinals tackle Kelvin Beachum comes in.
Beachum is now 36 years old and a backup for Arizona, but he has 162 games of starting experience in his career. The drawbacks are that he’s never been a great run blocker, and he’s obviously not a starter right now. But he comes with just a prorated part of his $1.99 million salary, could help calm down pass protection on either side (he has good experience at both left and right tackle), and would likely be traded for a late-round swap.
Yes, the Cardinals did win on Monday night and moved to 3-5 on the season, but with a daunting NFC West where the other three teams have six wins each, I don’t think they have a realistic shot at making noise this year. So why not unload a 36-year-old backup for some draft capital?
Which potential trade targets do you see as the best fit for the Lions? Scroll down to the comment section and let us know. You can also track the latest Lions trade deadline rumors here.
