After reaching the NFC Championship in 2023 and finishing with a 15-2 record in 2024, the Detroit Lions could be one blockbuster move away from reaching the Super Bowl.
The offseason hasn’t officially started yet, but there are already several trade targets that could help the Lions. Detroit has a loaded roster heading into next season but getting over the hump could be as simple as adding a star edge rusher.
While Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett has been the most popular, more players have hit the trade market on a daily basis and one player in particular could be a gift from the football gods.
The Lions latest trade target emerged on Sunday morning when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero wrote that the Dallas Cowboys have had internal discussions about trading Micah Parsons.
“While there have been no trade talks, sources say there have at least been some internal discussions about whether to pay Parsons or trade him for a king’s ransom,” The report states. “If the Cowboys are willing to listen, they may get it.”
The Lions may be in a position to make such an offer. Detroit earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC last season but injuries including Aidan Hutchinson’s broken leg and Alim McNeil’s torn ACL made things difficult. While the trade for Za’Darius Smith softened the blow, he’s likely to be released due to his contract structure this offseason, leaving the Lions to look for depth this offseason.
Conventional wisdom has the Lions targeting a defensive lineman at some point in free agency or during the NFL Draft. Hutchinson also questioned the need to go all in as the Lions had “too many dudes” on their defensive line when healthy.
But after coming up short the past two years, it would be a time to go all-in by acquiring Parsons. The compensation and future contract would require some time to figure out but it would be a bombshell to acquire a star edge rusher in his prime and make a move in a wide-open NFC next season.
Parsons is entering the final year of his rookie scale contract and has a $24 million cap hit for next season. But the 25-year-old would become the most coveted commodity on the trade market and the Lions would be foolish not to pounce if he becomes available.
