The Lions have a really good reason to make their trade before deadline day, like this week
Detroit’s Week 10 trip to Munich creates a compressed schedule right after the Nov. 10 trade deadline, making an earlier deal much easier to integrate before facing New England.
The NFL trade deadline is just over a week away, and the Detroit Lions face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in Week 9. If the Lions plan to make a trade, this is the week to do it. The biggest reason why is Germany.
Next week, Detroit plays the New England Patriots in Munich, Germany. That trip changes the whole calendar for onboarding a new player, and it makes waiting until deadline day a lot less appealing than it normally would be.
Why the Lions’ schedule favors a trade this week
Here is how the week plays out. The Lions play the Dolphins on Sunday. I would imagine they take Monday off and practice Tuesday and Wednesday. Then they fly out Thursday and spend the weekend in Germany before facing the Patriots.
The deadline falls on that Tuesday, so the team is probably practicing that day.
Now look at it from the point of view of bringing in a new player. If Detroit makes a deal on Monday or Tuesday of this week, the player can arrive Wednesday. He gets practices on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and he could play against Miami.
Then he gets a full week with the team after that. I’m only guessing here, but I imagine the Lions do a walkthrough Monday, practice Tuesday and Wednesday, and fly out Thursday. That new player would have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with his teammates before getting on the plane. Friday in Germany could be a practice or a day to adjust to the time change, and then he plays Sunday against New England.
Compare that to a trade on deadline day. You might get him in for one practice on Wednesday, assuming the team practices that day. Thursday is a travel day, so there likely isn’t a practice. Maybe you squeeze in a session Friday in Germany, and then he’s suiting up Sunday.
Could the Lions do it that way? Sure. It’s realistic. But a player who gets two weeks of practice and a game under his belt before a road trip overseas is in a far better spot than one who meets his teammates on a plane. It just makes sense.
The other team has to want to deal, too
Here’s the problem the Lions run into. Just because Detroit wants to make a deal right now doesn’t mean the other team does.
To be clear, this is only an example. We’re not reporting anything here. If the Lions wanted Riq Woolen, that doesn’t mean the Philadelphia Eagles want to move him this week. Philadelphia might want to wait until deadline day to make sure it’s truly in a rough spot.
As I’m writing this, the Eagles haven’t played the Washington Commanders yet. If they win, they’re 3-5 and in second place in the NFC East. They’re still very much in it at that point. Win the following week and they’re 4-5, and suddenly the season looks salvageable.
I know it feels like the Eagles are dead in the water. They don’t have Jalen Hurts, and Saquon Barkley has been dealing with his own issues. But if they beat Washington, they have every reason to hold onto their players for another week. If they lose to the Commanders and slide further below .500, they’d have a lot more reason to sell.
That’s just one team, and it’s only an example. Every potential trade partner is going to have its own timeline, and it all depends on whether those teams are ready to make moves.
Who should the Lions call?
If I’m the Lions, I’m probably calling the Indianapolis Colts to see what I can offer for Charvarius Ward. The Colts are done, and a team in that position has less reason to wait around until the last minute.
That’s just my idea, though. Detroit has historically made its moves during deadline week itself, so this would be a change in approach. But if Brad Holmes has his eye on someone, the most logistically smart thing to do is get it done this week, before the Lions pack their bags for Munich.
We’ll see where it goes.
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