The trade Lions fans have wanted for years has realistic possibilities for the first time ever, sort of
Could the Lions finally make that Cameron Jordan trade?
Going back to 2021, when Dan Campbell took the head coaching gig for the Detroit Lions, there has always been a perception that every time a player from the Saints was either a free agent or on the trade block, Lions fans would plug that player into Detroit.
They have some examples to point to, such as Alex Anzalone, Al-Quadin-Muhammad, and a couple of other individuals. But there’s been one guy they’ve wanted over and over again, and that’s edge rusher Cameron Jordan. For the first time ever, that seems like it could happen in this world.
The Saints are expected to entertain trading Cameron Jordan and other veteran players around the bye week
Jordan to the Lions feels like one of those classic moves where the team trades a long-time veteran to a good team so he can win a championship. It makes a lot of sense in the grand scheme of what we know about professional sports. It even makes sense for the fit with the Lions, too. Jordan can only elevate the Lions’ defensive line, and he’s still playing at a high level right now.
The holdups are two-fold. Maybe even threefold. Let’s start from the Saints’ side. Jordan, who has played for the Saints for 15 years, has constantly talked about how he wants to retire with the Saints, and it makes sense that a guy who has spent 15 years in one place probably doesn’t want to leave.
But we’ve seen this stuff happen before. I mean, Patrick Ewing played for the Orlando Magic after two decades with the Knicks. It can happen. But it still feels unlikely.
From the Lions’ side, Jordan is 36 years old. Do they want to send a draft pick for him? Even if it’s a low pick, would they do it? Which brings us to the Saints’ side of things. What’s the point? Jordan is cheap, and if all you’re getting is something like a sixth-round pick, why would you do it? It’s not like Jordan is an expensive player. He’s in the final year of his deal, and it’s dang near a veteran-minimum deal at this point. So what do the Saints gain here?
The only way it happens is if Jordan agrees to get traded somewhere to try to win a championship. Other than that, it seems pretty unlikely. At least the Saints are willing to hear offers at this point, and that’s pretty big.
This doesn’t mean that the Lions and Saints won’t get together on a deal. There are other veterans on that team to keep an eye on. Guys like Chase Young, Quincy Riley, and Johnathan Bullard are interesting names who could be moved. Let’s see what happens at the deadline.