After falling short in the playoffs for a second straight year, and despite Brad Holmes dismissing the notion any chance he has, the Detroit Lions are in a “Super Bowl window” that has narrowed a little bit but is still absolutely open.
That makes this offseason a little more interesting than it might otherwise be. Holmes is not afraid to make trades during the draft, and if it’s right he’ll make a deal to acquire a veteran. But if a big trade for a big name happens this offseason, it’ll be a huge departure from the draft-and-develop plan in Detroit, since it will surely require surrendering premium draft capital/multiple draft picks.
Whatever the circumstance; a reduced role, a lack of a future with the team, etc., these three Lions players could be traded this offseason.
Detroit Lions players who could be traded this offseason
3. WR Kalif Raymond
Despite missing five games due to a foot injury, Raymond led the NFL in punt return yards (413) and he was third in the league in punt return average (13.8). But there’s no getting around how much his role in the Lions’ offense has diminished over the last two seasons, culminating in 17 catches for 215 yards over his 12 games in 2024.
As good a punt returner as Raymond is, and as great a fit as he is in the Lions’ locker room, a $6.4 million cap hit in the final year of his contract stands out. A restructure to make that more palatable could be in order, but as part of a package in a bigger move, there’s a remote chance “Leaf” could land elsewhere.
The next two players are far more likely to be traded.
2. DE Josh Paschal
Three years into taking someone with a top-50 overall pick in a draft, ideally they’d have more than five sacks and less than 15 missed games. But that’s what Paschal has done since being taken 46th overall in the 2022 draft. 34 quarterback pressures this past season looks solid, but his pass rush win rate (5.5 percent, according to Pro Football Focus) was outside the top-100 among edge rushers who played enough snaps to qualify.
Injuries were not really a factor for Paschal in 2024, as two of his three missed games came after a relatively minor discovery during his annual screening after his bout with cancer in college. He just did not stand out in any capacity (No. 106-graded edge rusher out of 119 by PFF, counting the playoffs).
Opportunity has knocked for Paschal here and there over the last three seasons, but he has not answered. The Lions could give him one last shot in the final year of his rookie contract, but he’s also among the reasons edge rusher is such a need. A change of scenery would likely benefit him, sooner or later. To that end, Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire has offered the New York Jets and former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as a possibility to trade for Paschal.
1. QB Hendon Hooker
The Lions have made it very clear how they view Hooker. All through last summer there was talk of keeping three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, then he barely seized the No. 2 spot on the depth chart from Nate Sudfeld during training camp and the preseason.
Hooker saw action in three blowouts this past season, and while a lack of pass attempts is easily explained by said blowouts, it would have also been a limited opportunity to let him air it out downfield a few times. There was rumored interest in Daniel Jones from the Lions during the season. Then came the cherry on top.
Late in the season, after he had led his high school alma mater to a state championship, the Lions brought Teddy Bridgewater back under the idea he had so much more experience (one career playoff start) and a “veteran presence” Hooker simply doesn’t have. Then Bridgewater was Jared Goff’s backup over Hooker in the playoff game against the Washington Commanders.
Hooker was an older prospect coming off a torn ACL when the Lions took him in the third round of the 2023 draft. Now he’s 27 years old, halfway through his rookie contract, hardly a lock to be No. 2 on the depth chart next season and Goff is under contract through 2028.
Hooker is broadly a tradeable asset, and there are spots where he’d have a better shot at playing time. The Lions may do him that favor and move him, because there’s no doubt they need a more viable option behind Goff and they had eyes on just that before the offseason even came.
