3 Lions players other teams could call about before the trade deadline, including one Detroit should seriously consider moving
Detroit isn’t selling its stars, but Juice Scruggs, Levi Onwuzurike and Isaac TeSlaa could all draw legitimate interest, and one of them might be worth turning into help at cornerback.
We’ve spent all season talking about who the Detroit Lions might trade for before the NFL trade deadline. So let’s flip it around. Which Lions players will other teams call about, and would Detroit actually pick up the phone?
We’re keeping this realistic. Sure, somebody might call about Jahmyr Gibbs, and the Lions would hang up immediately. Most teams already know better than to try. Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Aidan Hutchinson, Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jameson Williams aren’t going anywhere.
But three players could draw legitimate trade calls, and the Lions might at least listen to offers.
Juice Scruggs could be worth more than you think
This one sounds crazy at first. Juice Scruggs is the highest-graded center in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. The Lions are also probably about to put him on the bench.
Cade Mays, who Detroit signed to be its starting center, appears to be on track to step back in, presumably against the Green Bay Packers. It isn’t 100% official yet, but that’s where things seem to be heading. Football is usually a hot-hand sport, so benching your best-graded lineman is a strange spot to be in.
Conventional wisdom says you keep both centers, and I think that’s ultimately what the Lions will do. But Scruggs is a free agent after this season, and he’s probably going to get paid somewhere. If Detroit doesn’t expect to keep him, getting something for him now isn’t the worst idea.
Baltimore is the first team that comes to mind because it could use help on the interior of the offensive line. Green Bay might too, but I doubt the Lions want to hand an NFC North rival a starting center.
So what’s he worth? When the Lions acquired him, Scruggs felt like the bone and the fourth-round pick felt like the meat. Now? Call me crazy, but I think a team that wants him badly enough could give up a third-round pick. Realistically, his market value is probably a fourth- or fifth-rounder.
The ideal scenario is a flip. Find a team that needs a center and has a starting-caliber cornerback it doesn’t need. If the Ravens slide in the standings before the deadline, maybe Scruggs and a sixth-round pick gets you Marlon Humphrey. Nate Wiggins would be a tougher ask. Seth McLaughlin would slide in as the backup center, which carries some risk if Mays goes down again.
I don’t think the Lions move him. But it’s worth thinking about.
Levi Onwuzurike is the odd man out
Let’s set expectations right away. Levi Onwuzurike probably gets you a seventh-round pick. Maybe a sixth on an off chance. That’s not exciting, but it’s realistic.
Right now, he’s just kind of lost in the shuffle. You’d barely notice he was on the field if he hadn’t committed two bad penalties in the last two games. That’s a tough way to get noticed.
The interior of the defensive line is in a great spot without him. Detroit has Alim McNeill, Tyleik Williams, and Skyler Gill-Howard, plus Tyler Lacy bumping inside. With that much depth, moving Onwuzurike just makes sense.
There’s also a roster crunch coming. The Lions need to clear spots to bring Mays and Brian Branch back onto the active roster. Thomas Harper is on IR, too, and could eventually factor into that roster math as well. Somebody is going to lose a spot, and Onwuzurike could be one of them.
If a team calls and offers a seventh or a sixth, Detroit could take it and get something rather than nothing. More likely, he plays out the year here or gets released and lands somewhere else. Either way, I hope it works out for him.
Isaac TeSlaa is a luxury the Lions could afford to part with
This one is more of a long shot. Keeping Isaac TeSlaa is understandable, and I don’t think the Lions entertain a deal unless it’s a good one.
The thing is, he’s kind of a luxury right now. St. Brown is playing at a high level. Williams is starting to come on over the last two or three games. Gibbs catches passes out of the backfield, and LaPorta looks like the LaPorta we’re used to seeing. Goff is also spreading the ball to Brock Wright, Sione Vaki, and Jackson Meeks when he plays.
That’s a lot of options. If a receiver-needy team like the Kansas City Chiefs called and offered a third- or fourth-round pick, I would take that deal if I were Brad Holmes. I don’t know if he would, but I would. Then I’d flip that pick into a cornerback, or send TeSlaa to a team with extra corners.
I know Lions fans are frustrated with how little he gets targeted, especially considering what Detroit gave up to draft him. He’s a great blocker and fits what the Lions need from him right now. But Tay Martin could probably handle a similar role.
Maybe Detroit comes out of the bye and opens things up for TeSlaa, and we all forget this conversation ever happened. But if the right offer comes in before the deadline, I think the Lions might listen. We’ll see.
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