The Detroit Lions would be criticized heavily for not pursuing the possible only available cornerback on the trade market this season. So, it does make sense that they've officially been linked to Joey Porter Jr. by ESPN's Adam Schefter ahead of their Week 3 game against the New York Jets.
Schefter shared of the Lions' interest, and the potential fit for them and Porter:
"Another team that could use help in the secondary is the Lions, who have yielded the second-most passing yards in the NFL over the first two weeks of the season. Detroit is without injured safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, who are both on the PUP list, and cornerback Avonte Maddox, who is out for the season with a foot injury."
Of course, reported interest doesn't mean that a deal is imminent. In fact, with Schefter reporting that the Pittsburgh Steelers would be expecting a sizable haul for him in any trade, it feels like you could almost already write this off as a real possibility for the Lions - amongst other reasons.
Lions' reported interest in Joey Porter Jr. will likely stop there
Detroit is unlikely to want to part with a ton of assets to get Porter into the fold for a few reasons. Two main ones: the team rarely gives up a lot in these deals in the middle of the season, and the team is also unlikely to want to pay Porter what he's seeking with a new extension. Unless they have decided that they won't be extending one of Sam LaPorta or Brian Branch, Porter is out of their pay range.
Another hitch to this trade idea at this juncture is that the Lions are actually in greater need for safety help now. Thomas Harper, who was part of the trio that has been filling in for the lack of Branch and Kerby Joseph this season, is on the IR. That leaves Detroit with very limited options at safety for the next few weeks.
READ MORE: Lions vs. Jets Week 3 tracker: Injury updates, prediction, storylines, and more
The team should be looking to add a safety, either through trade or whoever is still available to them through free agency, rather than focusing entirely on the cornerback market right now. Hopefully, Bishop Fitzgerald or Christian Izien can provide that pop, but it's unlikely.
General manager Brad Holmes should be waiting to see if another team is willing to overpay for Porter's services first, to be sure. But, it's also not going to be a great look if he ends up going for a lower price than anticipating, showing that the Lions could've legitimately been in on a deal but opted to be too passive regarding one.
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