With free agency just days away, most NFL analysts are focused on the pool of available players and the best team fits for each.
The Detroit Lions may or may not be active in free agency, but there are other ways the team can add help to their roster. The trade market is quite hard to predict, but some of the best acquisitions happen that way. We’ve already seen a couple significant trades agreed to this offseason, like David Montgomery going to the Texans and cornerback Trent McDuffie heading to the Rams.
This year, it may be a little easier than previous years to find some trade talent. With 10 new head coaches around the league, there could certainly be a lot of players who won’t fit the incoming schemes. And given Detroit doesn’t have a ton of salary cap resources to play with, perhaps this is something Lions general manager Brad Holmes can take advantage of.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
What is a realistic trade the Lions should make?
My answer: If I’m the Lions, my primary goal is to find a starting center. With Tyler Linderbaum likely the best option—but too pricey for the Lions—a trade may be their best choice for an upgrade. Heck, they’ve already added one via trade in Juice Scruggs.
When looking for a realistic trade, I narrowed my focus to two things: a player who has undergone a regime change this offseason and is on the final year of their contract. I found four potential starting talents there:
1. Cardinals center Hjalte Froholdt
I’m far from the first to suggest this trade target. He’s the easy dot-connecting choice given his connection to Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. At the Combine, Petzing was even asked about Froholdt as a player, but he sidestepped the question masterfully.
“Whether it’s established as a vet or a young guy, I think the offensive line position is a group that anything you do on offense is going to go through those five guys. You can’t throw the ball, you can’t run the ball, you can’t do anything without those five guys doing their job at a high level.”
Froholdt will be 30 when the season starts, and he has started every single game for the Cardinals in the past three years. He’d come with a $4.8 million salary, a $500,000 roster bonus if traded before March 15, and some other bonuses that would total a cap hit of $5.625 million—a reasonable figure for an above average center.
There’s not a lot of precedent for starting center trades, but given his age and the fact that he’s on the final year of his contract, I would imagine fourth or fifth-round pick would do it.
2. Giants center John Michael Schmitz
It’s unclear if the Giants would be willing to part with their 2023 second-round pick after three years of about average play. If they don’t plan on giving him an extension, this would be the time to depart. But if they believe the 27-year-old showed enough development, they may want to see out his full potential. He’s coming off career bests in sacks (1) and pressures (14) allowed, but his run blocking has been around average the past couple years.
The bonus is Schmitz has ties to new Lions pass game coordinator Mike Kafka, who was the Giants’ offensive coordinator last year.
3. Falcons center Ryan Neuzil
Neuzil is coming off his first year as a full-time starter, and it was a good one. PFF gave him the fifth-highest overall grade (77.4), including the fifth-best run blocking grade (82.1). Will Kevin Stefanski want to part ways with that given he’s facing only a $6.25 million cap hit and Neuzil is just hitting his potential? Hard to say, but this is why we look at players on the final year of his deal. If the Falcons determine they aren’t going to pay Neuzil, this is the time to unload him.
4. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer
This would likely be the most costly option for the Lions—and perhaps the least likely. Brewer is coming off a fantastic year. His 87.4 PFF grade ranked only behind Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, and it comes after his previous best season in 2024. At just 28, Brewer has plenty of good play ahead of him.
The Dolphins are rebuilding with a new quarterback—and they’ve already shed Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb. They’re slightly over the cap, but trading Brewer wouldn’t free up a ton of cap space for them (just over $1.5 million). So the Lions may have to sweeten the deal by bumping it to a third-round pick (which they don’t currently have).
Let’s hear some of your trade proposals! Share your best in the comment section below.
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