Detroit Lions: Tables have turned on trade deadline scenarios

The Detroit Lions’ trade scenarios with a certain NFC East team have changed dramatically in two weeks.

It’s amazing what winning a couple of games can do for these Detroit Lions. And no, I’m not worried about the record of the team they are playing against. You can only play the team in front of you on your schedule. If they are a team you should beat, then you need to beat them. The Lions have done just that.

Instead of sitting in the cellar of the NFC North, the Lions are slowly climbing the ladder and starting to see daylight. Sitting at 3-3, there is no longer the talk of trading starting quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Dallas Cowboys and starting from scratch in 2021. Instead, there are some small rumblings of playoff contention.

Quite the transition from two weeks ago when the doom and gloom surrounded the franchise with talk of head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn both being on extremely hot seats. Some even questioned if Quinn should be allowed to do his job without being let go. Yet, here they are, winning games.

It started with the bye week and an overhaul in defensive philosophy. Much more zone coverage has been played in the past two weeks. The pass rush has been getting home and causing disruption. The defense is gelling and becoming effective.

And now, the Lions might have gone from sellers in the trade market to buyers. One of the most recent options to add to the teeth of Detroit’s defensive line comes from none other than Dallas as the Cowboys have suffered, literally, insult to injury and dropped in the standings. And a familiar name might now be of interest to the boys in Honolulu Blue.

Who could be headed to Detroit?

A few short months ago, defensive end Everson Griffen was a prime target in free agency. The Lions lost out to the Cowboys in the Griffen sweepstakes – if he was even a target of Quinn at all. And today, he’s back on the market for a Lions team that could look to turn up the heat even more on opposing QBs.

If Quinn is still trusted to do his job and thinks this team has a chance to sting even more wins together, this should easily be considered before the trade deadline. If there’s one thing Quinn and the Lions have seemingly ignored in recent years, it’s been drafting players to the defensive line. If you’re not going to draft them, you’ve got to sign them.

Could Griffen end up playing for the Detroit Lions in the coming weeks? Could the Lions end up in playoff contention by the end of the year? Or will this front office stand pat and hope for the best? We’ll find out as the trade deadline approaches if more fuel is added to the tank on defense to help make a playoff run.