Dan Campbell Quinnen Williams
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Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox called the Detroit Lions a potential suitor for New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams.
The Detroit Lions are in a familiar position at this year’s NFL trade deadline — seeking help for their lack of depth at pass rush.
The Lions were more desperate last season, when they had just lost star Aidan Hutchinson to a season-ending broken leg, but are still short on depth this year and expected to seek some help before the deadline arrives.
One insider suggested the Lions could make a modest addition, swinging a deal with the New England Patriots for a “low-cost” help.
Lions Urged to Target New England Patriots Edge Rusher
NFL reporter Jordan Schultz noted that the New England Patriots are willing to shop linebacker Anfernee Jennings available at the trade deadline.
“Sources: While the Patriots are in buying mode, one player they’ve been shopping is OLB Anfernee Jennings. Jennings started 30 games over the past two seasons but hasn’t started a game this year under the new defensive staff,” Schultz reported.
Reporter Mike Moraitis of The Sporting News suggested several teams could be interested in the “low-cost” edge rusher.
“The Niners and Eagles have already made additions to their edge rusher groups with the trades for Keion White and Jaelan Phillips, respectively, but there’s no doubt the two teams could use more depth thanks to injuries,” Moraitis wrote.
“The Lions have sported an effective pass-rush but are short on bodies behind Aidan Hutchinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad, so a trade for Jennings would make sense for Detroit.”
The Lions could have a bigger target in mind. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that the Lions were among a large group of teams that inquired with the Cincinnati Bengals about star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
“Many teams, including the Rams, 49ers, Lions, Colts and Eagles, have called the Bengals on numerous players, including LB Logan Wilson, CB Cam Taylor-Britt and, of course, DE Trey Hendrickson,” Russini reported. “For now, some teams don’t believe Cincinnati has any real interest in moving its core pieces.”
Lions Could Focus on Other Positions
While the Lions could use more depth behind Hutchinson and Muhammad, some insiders believe they will put their trade deadline focus on other positions. Reporter Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press suggested the team could instead bolster their offensive line, which has looked strong at times but suffered from some persistent problems.
“But the performance Sunday against Minnesota is the continuation of a troubling trend: For three weeks, the offense hasn’t been crisp. The lack of push – and protection – is where it starts,” Windsor wrote.
Windsor added that injuries — including one on Sunday to Christian Mahogany — increased the urgency to boost the offensive line.
“Tate Ratledge, the second-round rookie, has looked promising this season and may well be the center of the future,” he wrote. “On Sunday, he hurt his shoulder, left the game and then returned. So, his status is uncertain.”
The Lions have been hit by injuries across other position groups on defense, including the secondary, and could also look at some modest additions to boost depth there.