Detroit Lions Mailbag: Will Brad Holmes make multiple trades, will Kerby Joseph play again, and is Cade Mays taking over at center?
Detroit enters the bye at 3-2 with trade questions everywhere, uncertainty surrounding Joseph and a fascinating decision looming between Mays and Scruggs at center.
The Detroit Lions are 3-2 coming off a big win against the Arizona Cardinals, and now they get a week off. Lions fans have a lot of questions about the NFL trade deadline, Brad Holmes, Kerby Joseph, and the center spot. Let’s break it down.
Will Brad Holmes make a move to upgrade the defense?
I think he will. I just don’t know when, and that’s the problem. Detroit is still a good distance from the NFL trade deadline.
Conventional wisdom says the bye week is the best time to do it. You’d get some extra time to work a new player into the system. But does anybody else want to make a trade this week? The Lions can want a deal all they want. If no other team is ready to move, there’s only so much they can do.
Lately, it feels like teams wait until the deadline gets closer to get deals done. Some of them hold out thinking things will get better if they just wait a little longer. I think the Lions will try to make a deal this week, but I wouldn’t bet on it. If it happens, great. If it doesn’t, it makes total sense why.
Will the Lions make more than one trade?
It’s possible. If you can trade a fourth-round pick for Zyon McCollum and get Kristian Fulton from the Chiefs for a sixth-round pick, you do that all day long. A situation like that is how I see Detroit making more than one move.
If you’re hoping the Lions trade first-, second-, or third-round picks in one deal and then make another trade after it, I don’t see that happening. A mega trade followed by another medium deal isn’t likely. A medium trade and a smaller one? That I can see.
More than likely, though, they make one very good trade and call it a day.
Which player can the Lions least afford to lose?
This is an easy one. It’s Jahmyr Gibbs.
Look at what he does for this offense. He is the run game right now. The Lions aren’t getting much out of Sione Vaki, though in his defense, he doesn’t get many carries. When he does run, he’s been capped at around six or seven yards. Gibbs is running all over the place and maximizing what this offense can do.
You run the ball to set up the pass in Detroit. Without the run game, setting up the pass gets harder. I still think Jared Goff can ball out, and we saw some of that last year when the offensive line crumbled. But Gibbs is the one guy you do not want to lose on this team.
Will Kerby Joseph play again this season or any other season?
Simply, I don’t know.
I have hope. From being around him, I can tell you this guy loves football. The game has made him a rich man, and that’s awesome. But I doubt that’s enough for him. Playing football is his dream, and I would feel bad for him if he doesn’t get to do it again.
The Lions have been tight-lipped about where things stand. In one of the last updates we got, Dan Campbell said something to the effect of, “I can’t tell you anything that’s going to make you happy.” That pointed toward the more negative side of things.
At this point, it feels like we’re not going to see him this year. On the other hand, Detroit may save him for when it absolutely needs him. You might see Joseph play in December. It’s been a year since he last played, and he still isn’t practicing.
Should we take the Arizona performance with a grain of salt?
Yes and no. That wasn’t the best offense the Lions will face, but it wasn’t the worst either. The Cardinals have been putting up points, and they nearly beat the Giants the week before, which would have made them a .500 team coming into this game.
Coming into the season, I thought Arizona was going to be the worst team in football, tanking for the No. 1 pick and a quarterback of the future. They’re actually kind of good.
The biggest takeaway was Campbell on Monday. He made it clear that this game doesn’t mean the Lions are out of the woods. This team still realizes it has work to do.
Are defenders chasing punch-outs over tackling?
I’ve been feeling this way lately. There are plenty of plays where guys seem more focused on punching the ball out than tackling, and it isn’t just a Lions thing.
Detroit values turnovers, and they can change a game. But first and foremost, you have to stop the play. When it works, it feels good, so I’m not telling anyone to quit doing it. There just needs to be a time and a place, and the focus should be on getting stops.
Is Cade Mays the starting center against Green Bay?
I think the Lions absolutely plan to make Mays their starting center against the Packers after the bye. Juice Scruggs has looked very good and is still the top-graded center on Pro Football Focus, even after a rough first quarter. Campbell has mentioned Scruggs could get involved at left guard and possibly challenge Christian Mahogany.
Mays was Detroit’s biggest free-agent signing, and the Lions owe it to themselves to see what he looks like at center. This summer, I saw a pretty good center in Mays and a good one in Scruggs. Two good centers is a good problem to have. If Mays doesn’t work out, Scruggs goes right back in.
I wouldn’t be shocked if teams come calling to trade for Scruggs. I’m not saying the Lions will deal him. But if a starting cornerback comes back in that package, it might be worth it. We’ll see what happens.
Detroit Lions News