Getting back to the top of the NFC North won't be a cakewalk, of course. But with a renewed focus, some offseason tweaks to the operation and the fortune of a last-place schedule, everything is lining up for the Detroit Lions to have a rebound season in 2026.
Among his 61 predictions heading into the season, SB Nation's Jarrett Bailey had a few good things about the Lions (winning their division, for one). But a move, while not a knock on the player at all, insinuates that something far less positive will also have taken place.
Bailey forecasts the Lions to acquire Arizona Cardinals standout safety Budda Baker via trade, which naturally raises questions about Detroit's Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch:
"After dismantling the Cardinals [in Week 5 of the 2026 season], the Lions go into their bye week and make a big addition, trading for the Cardinals’ star safety to help shore up a secondary that needs help."
Where the 30-year-old Baker is in his career and where the Cardinals are in a rebuild do not align at all. So, he's a prime candidate to be sent to a contending team by the trade deadline. His production in coverage has waned in recent years, but he remains a highly productive tackler with functional versatility to line up all over the defensive formation.
Lions trading for Cardinals' Budda Baker would imply troubling turn for Brian Branch and/or Kerby Joseph
If the contending team Baker ends up with is the Lions, assuming he is traded, that would mean general manager Brad Holmes was compelled to trade for someone of his stature to fill a void at safety. That, on its own with no regard for anything else, would be an uncharacteristic shift in mode for the always hesitant-to-go "all-in" executive. Multiple suitors may have to be bested with a trade offer, adding a layer to the hypothetical acquisition.
Trading for Baker would also very likely mean that one or both of Joseph and Branch had issues returning to action from significant health concerns.
Joseph is dealing with what seems to be a chronic knee issue that cost him the final 11 games of last season. With no firm answers about his status offered up to this point, what he's able to do on the practice field (or unable to do) will be one of the headlines of training camp.
Branch suffered a torn Achilles last December. While there's a solid level of optimism about him being ready to play quickly, that's a question mark until fully shown otherwise. The range of outcomes for his return to the field is wide; anywhere from Week 1 to December, when he'd be a year removed from the injury.
Baker would be a welcome addition for any contender with a need at safety. But if the Lions specifically find themselves with the required level of need to make a trade for him, that means the availability of Joseph and/or Branch took an irretrievably negative turn to force their hand.
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