Should the Lions trade for Sauce Gardner after the Colts fired Chris Ballard? What would it cost, and the details a lot of fans will ignore
Indianapolis is starting over at general manager, Gardner hasn’t played up to his massive contract, and Detroit still needs a cornerback. So is there actually a deal here worth exploring?
The Indianapolis Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard, and the Sauce Gardner trade talk is about to hit the Detroit Lions.
Should the Lions trade for Gardner now that the Colts are starting over at the top?
My answer is a variation of no and absolutely not, with just a pinch of maybe.
That pretty much tells you where I’m coming from. Here’s why.
Sauce Gardner isn’t playing like a $30 million corner
Last year, the Colts traded two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets for Gardner, and it has not worked out.
He hasn’t looked like the guy he was as a rookie, or even the guy he was for half of last season in New York.
Gardner is the 55th-graded cornerback in the league with a 59.6 grade from Pro Football Focus. You can take PFF or leave it, but it works as a shorthand here. He’s also allowing a passer rating of 120.6. That’s not good.
So if you’re thinking he’s an upgrade over D.J. Reed or Ennis Rakestraw, in theory, sure. He’s just not playing like it. Detroit’s secondary doesn’t automatically get better because he’s in it.
The contract is the real problem
The Jets signed Gardner to a four-year, $120.4 million extension and then traded him. That’s $30.1 million per year. That’s a lot.
The Lions wouldn’t be taking on the entire $120.4 million deal from scratch. The Jets already ate bonus money when they traded him to Indianapolis, and Detroit would only inherit Gardner’s remaining contractual obligations.
The problem is that those obligations are still massive.
Gardner is scheduled to receive roughly $24.95 million in cash in 2027, $20.2 million in 2028, and $30.1 million in both 2029 and 2030.
If he were playing like that kind of player, I’d say give the Colts a call and see what they want. He isn’t. He’s not playing like a $30 million-a-year corner right now, and for that reason alone, why would you take on that kind of money?
Then there’s the price in picks.
You might think the Colts don’t hold all the cards here because he’s struggling, and you’re probably right that they won’t ask for the two first-round picks they gave up.
You could probably get him for a second-round pick, maybe two seconds, or maybe a second and a third.
That’s still a lot.
You’d be giving up premium draft capital for a player with a massive contract who isn’t playing anywhere close to that level right now. Financially, it makes no sense at all. It doesn’t fit anything the Lions do, and if Detroit did make this trade at that price, you should be mad at them.
It’s an insane trade.
Now, if by some magic the Lions could offer a fifth-round pick and have Indianapolis eat a huge chunk of the money, then fine. Do it.
But salary retention in an NFL trade isn’t as simple as another team just agreeing to pay half of a contract. Indianapolis would have to restructure or convert money before the trade to reduce what Detroit inherits.
The case for maybe
Here’s where the maybe comes in.
If you get the Jets version of Gardner, the one who played really well in man coverage, he fits defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s scheme very well. I could see that.
There’s also the sentimental side. Sauce is from here. It would be cool to see him come back and play for his hometown team.
The cap situation is part of the maybe, too. The Lions still haven’t paid Brian Branch or Sam LaPorta, but once those deals are done, who’s next?
Not much is coming up until 2028 or 2029, when you might look at Jared Goff’s contract again or eventually revisit Amon-Ra St. Brown. Maybe you redo Alim McNeill’s deal a bit.
Detroit also doesn’t have much of a 2024 draft class left to extend. Terrion Arnold is gone, and Rakestraw won’t be expensive if they keep him. Christian Mahogany is the one guy who might get paid. He’s playing very well, and PFF has him among the better guards in the league.
So theoretically, the Lions could absorb this contract.
So should the Lions trade for Sauce Gardner?
You have to understand, though, that the cap space and the draft capital are secondary here.
The only thing that matters is he’s not playing well.
Taking on a player who’s struggling just because you know his name is bad business.
My final answer is no. The Lions should stay away from this one altogether.
I might call Indianapolis about Cam Taylor-Britt and offer a seventh-round pick, because that’s not a bad idea. Other than that, I’d leave the Colts alone.
Am I wrong? Let’s see if anybody in Allen Park picks up the phone.
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