The Detroit Lions have been linked to Trey Hendrickson essentially from the start.
It happened at first just on principle. Football fans felt that the Lions needed a pass rusher to put opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
Why not Hendrickson? He's got 17.5 sacks in each of the past two seasons, and he's unhappy with contract negotiations in Cincinnati.
The Lions could step in, if they can make the money work to sign Hendrickson to an extension on the back end of a trade.
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The Sporting News' Daniel Chavkin sees a way to get it done.
This is his pitch:
- Lions receive: Trey Hendrickson
- Bengals receive: 2026 first-round pick, OLB Derrick Barnes
And this is how Chavkin explains it:
"Of all the teams vying for Hendrickson, the Lions have perhaps the most defensive talent, but likely don't want to trade much from their defense. A solid compromise is Barnes, who is currently in the first year of a three-year extension and has produced over 200 tackles in 51 games in the NFL. "
It does fit the reported asking price of a first-round pick and a young defender.
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Detroit doesn't have as much financial wiggle room as some of the other teams that have been linked to Hendrickson. That's more likely to be their undoing here than anything about the offer itself.
Hendrickson and Hutchinson would form a fearsome duo for the Lions, the kind that could finally end a Super Bowl drought. It's certainly worth consideration for Detroit, because if it's a deal that can actually get done, it could be huge for the history of the franchise.
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- The Lions' moment to trade for Trey Hendrickson has arrived