When he has made trades in the time leading into the trade deadline, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has done it on deadline day. This year the deal he made happened the day before, acquring safety Andre Cisco from the New York Jets for what will be a 2029 sixth-round pick.
In a broad sense, a quiet deadline day for the Lions was not a surprise. The easy need for a cornerback was followed by a market at the position that simply had no movement, outside of the Dallas Cowboys' acquisition of Joey Porter Jr. just over a month before the trade deadline.
The Lions' defense has played far better lately, as a credit to Kelvin Sheppard, so maybe they indeed can survive with who they have at cornerback. Maybe, a big move to add someone there can happen in the offseason.
Things were better against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9, but the Lions have still allowed the most targets (10.8), receptions (8.0) and yards (88.0) per game to tight ends this season, along with the most touchowns to the position (11).
There's no way to sugarcoat it. The linebacking corps has been exposed and abused in coverage by tight ends this season, and a fix for the issue isn't really coming now.
Lions' biggest trade deadline miss was not at cornerback
With Jack Campbell out indefinitely due to the neck injury he suffered in Week 8, the Lions may have been (should've been?) exploring the trade market at linebacker.
Ultimately, on deadline day or at any time in-season, one linebacker was traded. On deadline day the Denver Broncos acquired Daiyan Henley from the Los Angeles Chargers for a fourth-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round pick in 2028.
Henley played safety and in the slot before becoming a linebacker during his college career. The coverage ability he showed has translated to the NFL, with an 82.2 passer rating allowed in his coverage over his four seasons.
For what it's worth, Pro Football Focus is not at all complementary of Henley's work in coverage over the last couple seasons. Entering Week 10, he has the 75th-best coverage grade out of 79 qualified off-ball linebackers (38.3).
The Broncos have also struggled covering tight ends this season, allowing the second-most targets and catches per game as well as the third-most yards per game to the position. And what do you know, they made a move to try to address that weakness.
The Broncos also got Henley for a trade cost the Lions should've matched, or slightly exceeded if that's what it would've taken. The Chargers also may not have wanted to send him to a division rival, but if Denver had the best or only offer on the table, they can't be blamed for taking it.
READ MORE: Lions lie down at the deadline while the Pats stand pat heading into Germany matchup
When he was backed into a no-leverage corner after Aidan Hutchinson suffered a broken leg, Holmes later lamented how arduous the big trade deadline acquisition he has made as Lions' general manager was. It's almost like he thinks partaking in difficult transactions isn't part of his job.
A general lack of big activity on deadline day, as seemingly clear-cut sellers hung onto a lot of players, is an important layer of the conversation. And even with a narrow number of needs, it's generally no surprise the Lions didn't get a notable trade done at or near this year's deadline.
That said, Holmes could've pivoted to a much-needed linebacker when the cornerback market stood still. The level he tried to do so is unclear, but Henley, in particular, was right there for the taking as an ideal-looking fit.
Add us as a preferred source on Google