Today, November 10, is the NFL trade deadline. At 4pm EST, the Detroit Lions might look a little different - especially on defense - but as of now, their only addition has been a depth piece. Andre Cisco is coming over by way of the New York Jets, adding some health to a safety room that'll still be without Kerby Joseph in Munich.
It'd be nice to see them make a move for a cornerback, though, especially with their defense looking improved over the last few games.
Yes, they should still be aggressive despite their recent success. Why wouldn't you add more, reliable firepower to your secondary while you're actively improving on the margins? Relying on their core of D.J. Reed (great, but injured), Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (solid, but often injured), Keith Abney II (a rookie), and Roger McCreary (a bit inconsistent in coverage) is hard to stomach, especially with such a wide-open NFC.
Lions must go all-in on landing starting cornerback by deadline
Detroit has been connected to just one cornerback at this deadline, and that's Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen. He'd be a great fit next to Reed - an outside corner with youth and a nose for the ball, with eight pass breakups under his belt this season. He's having a down year with Philadelphia, which could be helped with a change in scenery, although it would sting to net him for a decent draft pick and get a subpar rest of year performance in return.
However, he may be the only available starting cornerback within the Lions' affordability. They aren't known to swing big picks for top-tier talent...because they're already chock-full of top tier talent. Adding on the margins tends to be enough for them, but not enough to get them over the hump of a Super Bowl berth. Yet.
Cornerbacks aside from Woolen that Lions should keep eye on
Two other targets that might be even better for Detroit to target at the deadline include Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward - both from the Indianapolis Colts. Ward is older, a bit more scary as a prospect due to his concussion injury, but would be a great veteran to inject into this defense next to Reed.
READ MORE: Falcons' Jessie Bates III trade adds another seller to the Lions' remaining schedule
Gardner, on the other hand, would provide a new, youthful core piece on this defense. His numbers don't really speak to his real impact on the field, and his size would make him the biggest threat in the Lions' secondary right away.
Ward would likely be had for a 3rd-rounder, but Gardner's previous price tag - a first round pick - would probably mean that the Colts aren't going to let him walk for anything less than a second.
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