ALLEN PARK -- Dan Campbell said last week that he didn’t expect the Detroit Lions to be active at the NFL’s trade deadline.
The Lions coach didn’t move off that position much on Monday, saying he can’t say “one way or the other” what they might do or not do before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.
Campbell said he and general manager Brad Holmes were finishing up going over the tape against the Minnesota Vikings, and hadn’t dug into trade talks too much.
“And look, Brad and I and the coaches just got done with the game, looked at the game, talked about it, graded the players,” Campbell said. “So, we haven’t even discussed this coming out of that game into today. So, I don’t really have anything to say on it.”
The Lions have swung a trade at the deadline in each of the previous three seasons. Campbell said he leaves most of the majority of that work to Holmes, and that if the general manager has a thought or interest, then he brings it to him. And it’s a two-way street from the team’s leaders, saying he’s brought players, needs and thoughts to Holmes in the past.
Heading into Tuesday’s deadline, the Lions have been rumored to be checking on cornerbacks, edge defenders and safeties in recent weeks. But after their loss to the Minnesota Vikings, they appear to have some major issues on the offensive line.
Christian Mahogany suffered a broken bone in his leg and is expected to be out until at least late December. The starting left guard was spotted in a walking boot and on crutches after the game.
So, all of a sudden, the struggling offensive line is down one starter for the foreseeable future. On top of that, starting tackles Taylor Decker (shoulder/knee) and Penei Sewell (undisclosed) are dealing with injuries, and their statuses are up in the air for this week’s trip to Washington.
For now, the Lions are evaluating their internal options to replace Mahogany at left guard. Kayode Awosika replaced Tate Ratledge for five plays, then switched to left guard when Mahogany went down.
The other top option is veteran Trystan Colon, while Michael Niese and Kingsley Eguakun are interior players on the practice squad.
With the trade deadline looming, MLive asked Campbell about his confidence in Awosika and those internal options to replace Mahogany. The Lions coach didn’t reveal any state secrets, but he made it sound like it’s a conversation worth having with the general manager before Tuesday’s deadline.
“So listen, we’re looking at everything,” Campbell said. “We are. Like I said, we’ll see where we’re at. But I don’t feel like this is -- I can’t say one way or another whether we’re going to make a move, I’ve got to go talk to Brad. As of right now, I don’t know of anything.”
With less than 24 hours until the deadline hits, Holmes and Campbell have plenty to talk about. Mahogany’s injury was a big loss, but the Lions were already needing some offensive line depth before he went down.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Lions are hopeful their returning injured players will provide enough boost. Cornerback Terrion Arnold returned after a two-game absence following the bye week. DJ Reed might need a little more time, but he is eligible to be activated from injured reserve this week.
Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez had his 21-day practice window opened last week. The Lions expect to get edge rusher Marcus Davenport back this season, too, and are hopeful to finally get Josh Paschal back on the field late in the season.
“We’re going to start getting some good players back,” Campbell said. “Some really good impact players ... So, we’ve got some guys that are going to start coming back. And that does give you a boost. That helps you. Not only makes your team better, makes your roster better.”
Here is a look at Detroit’s future draft picks ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline:
Lions have picks in Rounds 1, 2, 4, 6, 6 and 7 in 2026. They are projected to receive a compensatory fourth-round pick for cornerback Carlton Davis.
They own a pick in every round in 2027.
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