Dan Campbell explains why the Lions didn’t get involved with trade talks for Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson, and others, explains what they’d need to do so in the future

Check the boxes

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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If there’s one thing that a lot of Detroit Lions fans wanted this offseason, it was for their team to get involved in all the crazy edge rusher trade talks. There was Myles Garrett in March, and then Trey Hendrickson, for what seemed like an eternity, and then Micah Parsons in the last month or so. The Lions didn’t do any of that to the bewilderment of some.

On Tuesday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell was asked about the complexity of making a deal for such a high-profile player, and his response echoes some of the similar sentiments that Lions general manager Brad Holmes has expressed in the past. However, it also explains the Lions’ process in a clearer way when it comes to acquiring a bigger-name player.

“I think it’s all encompassing, really. I really think it’s got to be,” Campbell said. “You got to check a lot of boxes. You have to be able to check every one of them off and say it’s right. We can make it work financially. What are you going to have to give up? There’s more than just, is he a great player? Well, of course he is. That’s the easy one. But, yeah, there’s a lot more that goes into that.”

What are the boxes to check?

With all that in mind, this might be a fun little exercise for everyone to do when a big player becomes available for trade. Can the Lions check all these boxes? If they can’t, it won’t work.

  • Do they fit the scheme? First off, you have to know that the player you’re going to get fits what you run on defense or offense. If not, are you willing to make a shift, or do you believe that player can make it work with what you’re doing?
  • Do they fit the culture? The Lions aren’t going to bend on this for anyone, and they really shouldn’t. The player has to be the right type of guy, and they have to know that he will mesh well with the rest of the locker room.
  • Can you afford to make this move? This is another big one. Of course, you want Micah Parsons. But when you’re also about to pay Aidan Hutchinson more than Parsons, can you afford to have the top one and two pass rushers in the NFL at the same time? Can you then also afford to pay the new guy while also continuing your draft and retain strategy that’s made you this good in the first place?
  • Do you have the assets to give up? In the Parsons case, the Lions had two first-round picks to ship to Dallas, but who would they have had to part with player-wise to get it done, and would that player have been a pillar of this team? You might think a guy like Brian Branch, who is one of the best players in the league at his position, is expendable, but I promise you the Lions don’t.
  • Is this move worth it? At the end of the day, you have to live with this decision as a team. If it works out, you look great. If it doesn’t, you just blew up the team’s entire identity, all their ideals, and mortgaged the future on a player who didn’t make a difference. You’re probably getting fired over this. This type of move isn’t the old “well, we tried” type of thing. You gave up everything for it. Including the trust you had with the team and its fans. Make no mistake that Lions fans would have loved Holmes had he made a trade for Parsons. But if that didn’t work out, they would blame him for making that trade.

The last box isn’t the GM playing it scared. The individuals who are scared are the ones who make deals for big-name players without considering the repercussions. Either that or it’s a desperation move like when Stan Van Gundy traded for Blake Griffin. That deal ultimately proved more harmful than beneficial.

As long as the Lions continue to refer to their boxes, they will be in good shape.

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