The offseason is in full swing for the Detroit Lions.
The Lions come off of a campaign that saw them earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but were eliminated in their Divisional Round matchup to the Commanders. So far, the biggest splash has been the signing of D.J. Reed, but it was offset by the loss of Carlton Davis III to the Patriots.
One thing the Lions have yet to do is make any sort of trade. Who could the Lions trade to improve their roster to try to get over the hump? PFF and Spotrac have two surprising candidates: Amik Robertson and Alex Anzalone.
Amik Robertson was the top listed PFF candidate, writing, “the Lions addressed the loss of Carlton Davis III by signing D.J. Reed to a big-ticket deal, but the list of defensive players entering the last year of contracts is long. Robertson feels like one of the more likely players to be dealt.
“In his first year in Detroit, Robertson churned out a 62.2 PFF coverage grade but a stellar 89.7 PFF run-defense grade. Given that the Lions drafted Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the second round last year, the team should figure to get him additional reps this year — potentially by trading Robertson.”
Robertson is an interesting trade candidate, as the veteran cornerback is one of the older members in the secondary. The former Raider turns 27 in July. Rakestraw (turning 23 in June), Terrion Arnold (22), Brian Branch (23), Kerby Joseph (turning 25 in November) are the young core of a developing defense.
Additionally, the Lions have signed Avonte Maddox (29 in March) and Rock Ya-Sin (29 in May) for additional depth. Both could step up if Rakestraw is not ready to return from injury or if the second year defensive back does not meet expectations. However, both Maddox and Ya-Sin are on one-year contract agreements.
However, Rakestraw has little experience and an injury history from last season. Maddox and Ya-Sin have not proven themselves as starters previously, with the two combining for six total starts over the last two seasons.
Between Robertson and Anzalone, Roberston may be the more natural fit for a trade. That said, it would be much too early to think Robertson has played his last game in Honolulu Blue without a hefty return.
Anzalone is the more unlikely candidate, but there is a case for him to be traded. The linebacker enters the final year of his deal, and is currently the oldest player in the position room. Additionally, the Lions have added Grant Stuard in free agency and re-signed Derrick Barnes to a multi-year extension.
However, the drawbacks are plenty. Anzalone was the highest graded Lion linebacker against the pass last year, and paired with Jack Campbell, gave Detroit two top-20 coverage linebackers in 2024.
When Anzalone missed time with a broken forearm, his presence was missed. In the regular season, every game that saw an opponent with a multi-touchdown passing performance came when the Florida product was out with injury.
“And we know he’s a hell of a player, and Alex, I thought, played great. I’m not watching their tape or anything, but to me, it looked like he was playing pretty well, and he’s an energy guy,” Jared Goff said, via MLive. “He brings a lot of energy to that defense, he’s a leader, he’s a captain, having him back out there is huge.”
In that game, Anzalone shut down T.J. Hockenson, holding the former Lion to two receptions for eight yards on nine targets.
“It (his play) was huge. Look, I’ve said it before, he’s really our quarterback on defense,” Dan Campbell added after the season finale. “He’s our quarterback on defense, and you know, he just brings, there’s a lot of confidence. He brings a lot of energy. He can calm the storms.”
He has also been ingrained in the Lions system for four seasons. Anzalone may be older, but brings that veteran leadership and locker room presence that is nearly impossible to find from another trade or high draft pick that the Lions could receive afterwards.
Both players are considered extremely valuable by the staff, and it would be reflected in their asking price if either are on the move this spring. The hope would be, if they have indeed played their last game as Lions, the return fires up the fanbase.
