The trade deadline came and went on Tuesday, and the Detroit Lions were as quiet as a church mouse. Yes, they're sitting at 5-3 and currently in the NFC playoff picture, but the margins look to be incredibly slim this year, both in the NFC North and the conference at large.
Plus, Detroit hasn't played its best football lately, losing two of its last three games, with the lone win coming against a beat-up Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. The Lions, particularly the defense, need a bit of a jolt, and fans might have expected some fireworks at the deadline.
But, despite there being several solid edge rushers available to pair with superstar Aidan Hutchinson, Brad Holmes opted to stand pat. The decision not to add pass-rush help, however, may come back and haunt them.
Lions may regret not adding EDGE help at the trade deadline
It is hard to complain too much, as Detroit currently ranks second in the league with 28 sacks as a team. Al-Quadin Muhammad has been a pleasant surprise alongside Hutchinson, but outside of these two, most of that sack production has come from linebackers or the interior defensive line.
Muhammad is also on just a one-year prove-it deal with the Lions, and there is no guarantee that he'll be around any longer than the remainder of the season. Detroit could have traded for a long-term running mate for Hutchinson or gone all-in on this year, but failed to do either.
Jermaine Johnson II from the New York Jets would have been a great long-term option. Even cheaper players with upside like Keion White -- who was traded from the New England Patriots to the San Francisco 49ers -- or the Las Vegas Raiders' Tyree Wilson might have done the trick.
READ MORE:Detroit Lions' future draft picks after the trade deadline
If Detroit wanted to go all-in on this season and finally get over the hump in the playoffs, they could have forked out several premier draft picks and a lot of cash for the Cincinnati Bengals' Trey Hendrickson. Veterans like Dre'Mont Jones and Bradley Chubb would have helped the cause as well.
However, Holmes opted against all of these options, despite having ample draft capital, specifically in the early and late rounds. Perhaps this is a good thing, and it means that the Lions have all that they need already in the building.
But if this team comes up short yet again this postseason, or they have a hard time fending through a suddenly crowded NFC, then perhaps fans will look back on this moment as a failure, or at least a major missed opportunity.