4 teams who could make an interesting trade offer for Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson

T.J. Hockenson is on a short list of players the Detroit Lions could consider moving before the trade deadline, and these four teams could make a solid offer.

The 1-5 Detroit Lions are a seller in the days before next Tuesday’s trade deadline, should they be so motivated to make a deal or other teams have interest in any of their players. On the short list of tradeable assets for the Lions, if not No. 1 on it for some, is tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire offered Hockenson as the Lion who could be moved before the deadline, if only for lack of better options. It makes sense on a certain level, with the contract market for tight ends rising the way it is and the Lions and Hockenson not coming together on an extension yet. They did pick up his fifth-year option for 2023, so he would be more than a rental for any team who may have interest.

Absent agreement on a new deal in the next handful of months, it may make better sense for the Lions to try to trade Hockenson during the offseason.

Two different hosts on Woodward Sports, Spencer Raxter and Ryan Ermanni, are open to the idea of trading Hockenson right now. The question would be the return. When Ermanni proposed a fourth round pick, his co-host Braylon Edwards wasn’t on board with that return for a top-10 tight end in the league according to many preseason rankings

A team or two that fancies themselves as a contender may have interest in Hockenson, and they may be sufficiently in a mode of need to make an interesting offer.

Who might be interested in Hockenson?

NFL Rumors: 4 teams who could make an interesting offer for T.J. Hockenson

4. Seattle Seahawks

Raxter offered the NFC West-leading (!) Seahawks as a possible suitor for Hockenson, and there may be something to it. They have some options at tight end, in Noah Fant, Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson, but the are not on Hockenson’s level when he’s at his best. Fant is a former college teammate of Hockenson’s at Iowa, and a fellow first-round pick from the same draft class in 2019.

The Seahawks seemed headed for a rebuild after trading Russell Wilson. But they also have the NFL’s oldest head coach in Pete Carroll. They are equipped with some future draft capital from the Wilson trade to continue bolstering the roster, and almost $53 million in cap space for 2023 (fifth-most in the league right now, according to Over The Cap) after removing Wilson from their books.

Seattle could offer Fant and a mid-round draft pick to Detroit in a deal for Hockenson. Fant has a cap hit of $6.85 million next year, then he’ll be a free agent. Hockenson haters will surely say the talent drop-off from Hockenson to Fant is negligible, and the lower cost for next year is worth it when the Lions took the promising James Mitchell in the fifth round of this year’s draft.

3. New York Giants

The 6-1 Giants are the most surprising team in the NFL so far this season, to the good side anyway. How much they’ll legitimately stick in the playoff race is a legit question though, as they walk a tightrope of winning or losing every week. But they’ve also lost rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger for a while due to a bad eye/face injury, and their lack of weapons in the passing game for Daniel Jones is well-documented.

Hockenson could help this year’s team and be a long-term piece for the Giants, and it wouldn’t matter who their quarterback is beyond this year (Jones or someone else). It truly depends on what they’d be willing to give up, and the Lions shouldn’t just move Hockenson just to move him, but the Giants could have a lot of interest.

2. New York Jets

If not the Giants, why not the other team who calls MetLife Stadium home? After losing running back Breece Hall to a torn ACL in Week 7, the Jets went right out and traded for Jaguars running back James Robinson the next day. It’s hard to say they’re all-in for this year and they should mortgage the future, but general manager Joe Douglas is clearly not sitting on his hands.

With Hall out for the year, more onus will be on quarterback Zach Wilson to carry water for the Jets’ offense now. Tyler Conklin has had some moments as their top tight end so far this year, but Hockenson would be a clear upgrade/creat a nice duo at the position to go with a talented set of wide receivers when they’re all healthy or one isn’t asking to be traded.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh said he was going to keep receipts attached to people that doubted his team. Potential shopping for more reinforcements as the deadline gets closer could include a call to Detroit about Hockenson.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers committed to all-in mode for as long as Tom Brady is the quarterback when they signed him in 2020. That may only be the rest of this year at this point, but even at 3-4 right now the NFC South is still their division to win and they obviously see themselves a contender.

But Tampa Bay clearly needs some help virtually across the board offensively, with offensive line the most glaring issue. But with Cameron Brate (neck) out indefinitely, they’re currently leaning on rookie Cade Otton as their No. 1 tight end. And no, Rob Gronkowski is not coming back to help. Let’s assume Brady has already made that phone call, and got something like a “sorry Tommy, but no” answer.

As mentioned, though he didn’t appear thrilled about it, Ryan Ermanni tentatively proposed the Lions could get a fourth-round pick from Tampa Bay for Hockenson. And Braylon Edwards, expressing sentiment many would have (raising my hand), was not on board with that potential return.

But could that hypothetical fourth-round pick be bumped to a third based on certain reasonable criteria Hockenson reaches over the rest of the season (production, playing time, etc.)? It sure feels like it could if the Lions wanted it (they should), and the Buccaneers would agree to that parameter if it meant adding a notable weapon for Brady.

The Lions probably aren’t actively shopping Hockenson as the trade deadline nears, but it would be foolish to tell other teams he’s absolutely off-limits. Tampa Bay may be sufficiently aggressive to make an offer which can’t be refused.