The Chargers are 0-6, so I started shopping their secondary for the Lions — here’s what each trade could cost
Los Angeles has resisted trade calls so far, but an 0-6 start could change things quickly. We used the A to Z Sports trade simulator to price out four defensive backs Detroit could ask about.
The Detroit Lions need help in the secondary. Some fans want a cornerback, and some want a safety. Right now, everyone is looking at the 0-6 Los Angeles Chargers and circling like buzzards. If the Chargers decide to unload at the trade deadline, Detroit should be one of the first teams on the phone.
So I pulled up the A to Z Sports trade simulator and went through the Chargers’ defensive backs to see what each one would cost the Lions. I even wondered whether Justin Herbert could get moved. That probably doesn’t happen before the offseason, but knowing how things go for the Lions, he’ll be the Vikings’ quarterback in 2027.
Tarheeb Still is the best option, but also the hardest to get
Still is the Chargers’ best cornerback, and that’s the problem. He’s 24 years old, he’s only been in the league for two seasons, and he’s on a cheap fifth-round rookie contract. Los Angeles would want to hang on to him.
The simulator values him at 253 points. A fourth-round pick gets it done, and the Chargers would get back more than they paid to draft him.
He’s playing well, too. Pro Football Focus has him at a 74.0 overall grade with a 77.5 coverage grade. The pause I get is his 61.2 run defense grade. The Lions’ secondary hasn’t been the most balanced group this year, but Detroit consistently drafts and signs cornerbacks who can do both.
Still is the least likely move of the bunch. If the Lions can pull it off, though, that’s a great start.
Cam Hart might be the most logical target
This one is personal for me. I watched Hart at the Senior Bowl ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft and came away thinking he was good. I mocked him to Detroit several times that offseason, and I was surprised the Lions never seemed to show much interest. He went to the Chargers in the fifth round instead.
The 25-year-old has a 58.1 overall grade from PFF and a 62.6 coverage grade. His 48.3 run defense grade is another red flag, although at this point stopping the run might just be a Chargers problem.
The simulator has Hart at 161 points. A fifth-round pick gets the deal done, and the meter even leans toward the Chargers.
He has two years left on his deal. He’s been up and down, which makes him more attainable. More importantly, he fits Detroit’s man coverage scheme. If I’m Brad Holmes, Hart is one of the first guys I’m asking about in L.A.
Donte Jackson is the cheap, realistic move
If we’re talking about what’s most realistic, Jackson is the easiest player for the Lions to pry away from L.A. He’s 30 years old, and his grades won’t excite anyone: a 59.8 overall grade, a 54.7 coverage grade, and a 77.5 run defense grade.
Grades don’t tell the whole story here. Jackson posted a 32.6 grade in the opener against Arizona, but followed it with games graded at 88 and 81.4. Then a hamstring issue hit.
He didn’t play in Week 5 or Week 6, and he isn’t on injured reserve. With the Chargers heading into their bye, the hope would be that he has a chance to get healthy and potentially return afterward.
The simulator lists him at 107 points, and a seventh-round pick makes it a fair trade. Lions fans would be upset if he’s the guy, and I know that. But for a seventh-round pick, you’re giving up essentially nothing for a longtime starter.
I’ve brought up the idea of Detroit adding multiple cornerbacks, and Jackson fits that plan perfectly. Pair him with another veteran, maybe Kristian Fulton, and the group gets better.
The Derwin James question
I know a lot of Lions fans keep bringing up Derwin James, so I’ll play the game once.
Do the Lions need safety help? Yes. Do they need a 30-year-old safety on a massive deal who has a 60.9 overall PFF grade this season? No.
If Detroit wanted to get crazy, a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick would make it a fair trade in the simulator. But you’re not getting the Derwin James from two years ago. You’re getting the Derwin James of right now.
Per the simulator, he carries $7.7 million this year, but he’s under contract through 2029 after signing a massive extension this offseason. Some team is going to make that move. It won’t be Detroit, and I’d be shocked if it was.
The Lions are better off looking at safety in the draft and seeing where the Keith Abney experiment goes. I was encouraged by the way Abney looked against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, and he has the potential to be a starting safety.
As for rookie Genesis Smith, he’s 21 years old and already playing well for Los Angeles. The Chargers aren’t trading him.
The Chargers aren’t losing because of their secondary. Their offense is one of several bigger problems.
Tom Pelissero recently reported that Los Angeles had been rejecting trade calls and wasn’t planning a fire sale. That report came before Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs dropped the Chargers to 0-6. At this point, things can change quickly.
We’ll see what the Chargers want to do, and we’ll see what the Lions do.
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