A big three-team trade proposal changes the Lions, Patriots, and Saints overnight
Detroit Lions trade idea shakes up three rosters at once. A rare proposal involving the Patriots and Saints would move a veteran defender out of Detroit and bring help to a position of need.
This is always such a fun time of the year…for basketball. Not so much football. The NBA has free agency and the draft coming up, and they also have all these three-team trades.
For example, there is a lot of buzz going around with the Detroit Pistons right now, as they are linked to a deal that will send Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat and Tyler Herro to the Pistons.
There are not a lot of three-team trades in the NFL. They’re incredibly rare. There hasn’t been one since 2017. What if the Detroit Lions got themselves involved in one? That’s what we’re going to do today.
The Lions, Saints, and Patriots three-team trade proposal
Trade details
- Lions get:
DT Eric Gregory
Patriots 2027 7th-round pick - Patriots get:
OL Caesar Ruiz - Saints get:
S Avonte Maddox
Patriots 2027 6th-round pick
What the Lions do this
The Lions need some interior defensive line help, but they don’t need a big-time starter. They need a rotational guy who can come in and play some nose tackle. Gregory can do that and do it well. The second-year nose tackle had this role in New England last year and showed that maybe he should have gotten himself drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Patriots send a long a seventh-round pick to help facilitate the trade. Nothing crazy for Detroit, but every little bit helps.
Why the Patriots do it
Right now, the Patriots are going into this season with the possibility of starting Alija Vera-Tucker, who hasn’t played since the 2024 season. Ruiz gives them either a starter in 2026 or a backup plan in 2026. Either way, the Patriots would likely feel a lot safer at guard if they went this route, and they don’t have to give up too much.
Why the Saints do it
They get to clear some cap by moving on from Ruiz, and they get to bolster their secondary by getting a versatile defensive back who can play both safety and cornerback. He can start at either spot. The only reason the Lions move on from him is that if they get both Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph back earlier than expected, they’ll have too many cooks in the kitchen with Thomas Harper, Chuck Clark, and Christian Izien holding down spots.
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