Lions suggested to use Hendon Hooker as a trade chip to acquire an edge rusher

If the Detroit Lions trade for an edge rusher between now and the Nov. 5 deadline, there should be few stones unturned and few things (draft picks, players) considered off-limits to potentially part with. But there are certainly some lines being drawn in terms of "too much to give up" as general manager Brad Holmes surveys options.

It's fair to say the Cleveland Browns are in a tough situation. The massive fully guaranteed contract they gave quarterback Deshaun Watson has proven to be a huge mistake (as expected), and they are basically stuck with him for two more years.

It's also fair to say the Browns have at least one edge rusher that is peaking the Lions' interest on the trade market, so it seems likely the two sides have had conversations recently.

Detroit Lions rumors: Is Hendon Hooker off-limits in the pursuit of an edge rusher?

In a recent piece proposing a trade landing spot for six quarterbacks, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report offered the Browns for Lions' backup quarterback Hendon Hooker.

"The Detroit Lions likely won't actively shop quarterback Hendon Hooker. The 2023 third-round pick earned the backup job this offseason, and the Lions have realistic Super Bowl aspirations. They would be wise to hang onto their top insurance policy behind center."

"However, the Lions might be persuaded to part with Hooker after signing starter Jared Goff to a four-year extension in the offseason. Hooker is purely depth for Detroit, but his untapped potential could interest teams without a long-term quarterback plan."

"It's also worth noting that Hooker won't carry a cap hit above $2 million in either of the next two seasons. That could make the 26-year-old an ideal flyer for the Cleveland Browns."

"The Browns may—and should—target a quarterback prospect in the 2025 draft. However, acquiring Hooker would give them another quarterback on a rookie contract to compete with Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the prospect-to-be-named."

Knox eventually got to the punchline for the Lions.

"The sinking Browns could also offer a veteran pass-rusher like Za'Darius Smith in a trade. That should interest the Lions, who recently lost Aidan Hutchinson to a fractured leg."

Hooker is 26 years old (27 in January), in his second NFL season and Jared Goff's contract extends beyond his rookie contract. So he has no path to being the starter in Detroit, unless Goff suffers a major injury or has a severe drop-off in his performance over the next couple years.

So to some degree Hooker is a tradeable asset, if not now than perhaps at some point fairly soon.

If the Lions have talked to the Browns about Za'Darius Smith (in particular), as reports have suggested, would Hooker be off-limits if Cleveland wanted him? What if another team with an available edge rusher wanted Hooker as part of the deal? The easy thought is no, he's not off-limits, or at least the shouldn't be. But would the Lions want to go with Jake Fromm as Goff's backup for the rest of the season?

It's incredibly unlikely the Lions would entertain trading Hooker. But it's interesting to consider where their line of demarcation might be in pursuit of an edge rusher who can be impactful in place of Aidan Hutchinson. Is Hooker a representation of it?