The Detroit Lions are in a Super Bowl window, and tough roster decisions are starting to surface. Radio host Mike Valenti stirred the pot this week when he said he’d be willing to trade Brian Branch, one of Detroit’s brightest young defensive backs, if it meant landing Bengals star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
Valenti’s Bold Take
Valenti didn’t mince words on 97.1 The Ticket. In his view, Branch is a fantastic player, but Hendrickson’s impact as an All-Pro edge rusher outweighs what the Lions would lose on the back end.
“There are very few players that are non starters for me, right? Very few players are untradeable,” Valenti explained as quoted by Lions OnSI. “I’m not trading Penei Sewell. I’m not trading my quarterback. I’m not trading Aidan Hutchinson. But if the Bengals called and asked for Jack Campbell and a first-round pick? Or Brian Branch? It’s not supposed to be an easy decision. You’re talking about acquiring a guy who led the league in sacks last year.”
And then came the kicker:
“I love Brian Branch, but yeah, I’d do that deal. I’d trade my mother for a Super Bowl.”
The Money Factor
Part of Valenti’s logic comes down to finances. Branch is still on his rookie contract, but the Lions will eventually have to pay him top-tier safety money. With Kerby Joseph already extended, Detroit might not be able to afford two expensive safeties.
“You do have to pay him and pay him real money,” Valenti said. “Now that doesn’t bother me — where there’s a will, there’s a way. But for me, players are commodities. They’re production quotients. Ultimately, there is nothing that Brian Branch will do that would remotely compare to Trey Hendrickson’s down-in, play-in and play-out effect.”
Would Holmes Do It?
Of course, Valenti is looking at things from a fan-first, win-now perspective. Lions GM Brad Holmes has built the roster through the draft, preaching sustainability and long-term team building. While Holmes hasn’t shied away from aggressive moves before, betting on Hendrickson at the cost of Branch and future picks would be a franchise-defining decision.
Valenti, for his part, doesn’t think the Lions will pull the trigger.
“I don’t think they would. I think they’re happy paying increased prices and just staying good. And they’re happy ESPN talks about them. I don’t think they’re all in to win a Super Bowl.”
The Bottom Line
Mike Valenti says he’d send Brian Branch and more to Cincinnati if it meant bringing Trey Hendrickson to Detroit. It’s a classic clash of philosophies: win-now aggression vs. patient, draft-driven roster building.
So here’s the real question for Lions fans: Would you trade away one of Detroit’s best young defenders for a proven pass-rush star who could put this defense over the top?