In the wake of Aidan Hutchinson's season-ending leg injury, plenty of people think the Detroit Lions should make a bold move to add an edge rusher. Head coach Dan Campbell quickly dismissed the overall urgency to add someone, and he effectively squashed the idea a big move will be made when he appeared on 97.1 The Ticket Tuesday morning.
"Honestly I think if anything, you’re looking for really a role player, somebody that can set an edge, that can transition into rush," Campbell said. "I mean, look, as you guys know, elite rushers and edge setters don’t just fall off trees — or if they do, then you’re going to have to sell the farm to get them. But I do think there could be some guys out there, man, that'll fit into what we're doing defensively. They can serve a role, they can help supplement what's going on inside with Mac and Reader and those guys. I think if anything, you're looking for at least a complimentary piece."
Still, it feels like adding someone with one career sack from another team's practice squad is not the answer to the Lions' Hutchinson problem. Campbell did acknowledge they were looking on Monday, presumably including general manager Brad Holmes surveying trade options to some degree.
NFL insider hints that Lions have an edge rusher trade brewing
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter was on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday, as he typically is on Mondays. He dismissed the idea the Lions would give up a lot in a trade for someone to replace Hutchinson, which aligns with what we know about this regime.
But as occasionally happens to Schefter when he's on live television, he got a call during his appearance with McAfee. McAfee took the interruption and hypothesized what the call was about, and Schefter had an interesting reaction.
Adam Schefter got a call during the @PatMcAfeeShow today 👀
— Crunch Time Sports (@officialctpod) October 14, 2024
McAfee: “Somebody else calling saying what are the Lions gonna give up for an EDGE?”
Schefty: “Ooooo Pat… you guys are SHARP”
The Detroit Lions and Brad Holmes COULD already be on the phone #OnePride pic.twitter.com/Jm6gELQdZQ
To be fair, Schefter may have been playing things up for a little bit of show. Only he truly knows what that call was about. But it also looked like there was some genuine reaction to what McAfee said from Schefter there, which is interesting as we speculate about what the Lions might do to replace Hutchinson.