The Detroit Lions are way more easily seen as a seller with the trade deadline nearing, but they are reportedly looking to add at a position of particular need.
At 0-6, and the NFL’s only winless team this season now, the Detroit Lions are far more easily seen as a seller in the weeks leading into the Nov. 2 trade deadline. But according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via SI.com’s John Maakaron), they are looking to add at a position of particular need.
“A team that could be a buyer here at the trade deadline is the Detroit Lions. Yes, I know that they don’t have any wins, but they also don’t have any receivers. They’ve had so many injuries at that position. (They) continue to deal with that. I won’t be surprised if they don’t go out and at least talk to some teams — and they’ve done so already — talk to some teams about acquiring a receiver.”
Tyrell Willams (concussion) and Quintez Cephus (collarbone) are on IR, with Cephus certainly out for the season and Williams not having played since Week 1. So the Lions clearing need some help, and ideally some sort of experience injection, at wide receiver. A trade acquisition at some point the next two weeks would also come with an eye on the future.
Lions rumors: Targeting the odd-man out in Arizona?
Rapoport added a name to watch as the Lions look to acquire a wide recever.
“One name to watch. I know a player that team’s have been interested in since training camp is (wide receiver) Andy Isabella from the Arizona Cardinals. He’s been mostly inactive this season. Talented player. They have yet to deal him and haven’t really talked to teams about doing so, but I would expect at least that talk, those inquiries to ramp up as we get get closer to the next couple of weeks.”
Isabella has indeed only played two games for the Cardinals this season, and only six special teams snaps at that (zero offensive snaps). Arizona’s signing of A.J. Green in the offseason has pushed the third-year man out of the picture, but Isabella’s highest snap rate in his two full NFL seasons is just 27 percent (2020). He has 30 receptions for 413 yards and three touchdowns over 30 career games (28 where he has seen the field on offense).
Isabella had more than 60 receptions in each of his final three collegiate seasons at UMass, culminating with 102 catches for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior in 2018. Arizona took him in the second-round (No. 62 overall) of the 2019 draft.
The Lions want to acquire future draft capital, not part with it. On that premise they won’t be making too big a splash to acquire a wide receiver, but general manager Brad Holmes has the right idea to try to add someone to the mix before the trade deadline.