Detroit Lions trade rumor from The Athletic is exactly what fans want to hear

Mike Moraitis

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Detroit Lions trade rumor from The Athletic is exactly what fans want to hear image

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After an entire offseason of basically ignoring a major need, it appears the Detroit Lions are looking to address it.

That need is edge rusher, where the Lions don't have a great situation opposite Aidan Hutchinson after failing to adequately address the position during the offseason.

Al-Quadin Muhammad is the current starter there with Marcus Davenport on injured reserve (it remains to be seen when Davenport be back), and while he did get off to a hot start this season, Muhammad has cooled off a bit in recent weeks with just one sack in his last three games.

After what we have seen all year long, it was hard to have faith in general manager Brad Holmes making a move for an edge rusher at the trade deadline, but it now appears that's being considered.

According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Lions are indeed shopping around for an edge rusher ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline.

"Detroit is making calls, looking for an edge rusher," Russini reported.

While that's music to Lions fans' ears, we wouldn't expect Holmes to make a huge splash, and for a few reasons.

For starters, elite edge rushers don't just grow on trees and it's rare that one becomes available for trade. Also, the Lions aren't in a position to make any big, long-term financial commitments because of their shaky 2026 cap situation that has Detroit sitting with a projected $2.5 million in cap space.

So, while we'd love to see Detroit go all in for a massive upgrade, chances are that isn't going to happen, barring said edge rusher coming over with an expiring deal.

Even still, just about any addition would be welcomed at this point.

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Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who covers the NFL for the Sporting News. Over his nearly two decades covering sports, Mike has also worked for Bleacher Report, USA TODAY and FanSided. He hates writing in the third person.