For years, the Detroit Lions have had Aidan Hutchinson and little else in term of consistent production at edge rusher. While Al-Quadin Muhammad had a big season in 2025, he was inconsistent and left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency.
Otherwise, Hutchinson's broken leg in 2024 brought Brad Holmes' biggest move to add an edge rusher and he went on to lament how difficult it was to get done.
In April's draft, by trading up to take Derrick Moore in the second round, Holmes answered the critics who dared to say he hasn't been doing enough to try to add a second capable edge rusher. With the free agent additions of D.J. Wonnum and Payton Turner, the spot opposite Hutchinson at least has multiple options now.
There are still some veteran free agents who might look pretty good in Honolulu Blue, but another edge rusher addition as things are right now is unlikely. The ship, barring something unforeseen, has surely sailed on any kind of particularly significant edge rusher addition for 2026.
Lions urged to make a move they surely won't make now (and hopefully don't need to)
The arrival of OTAs around the league brings whiffs of potential player discontent. While it's often some (or much) ado about nothing, since everything's voluntary until mandatory minicamp, a player's absence lands differently when it seems to have deeper roots.
The Arizona Cardinals are in line to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this year. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who is ostensibly the starter but surely senses that likelihood, is staying away from offseason work in search of pay raise.
While defensive end Josh Sweat may or may not have an issue with his current contract in Arizona, one year into a four-year, $76.4 million deal, his absence from OTAs may have roots in a rumored (and refuted) trade request from early this offseason. Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard seemed to hint that trade request might have been real, and there's a chance it still stands.
Don’t know the exact reason for the absence, but I’ve been hearing for awhile that Josh Sweat is not particularly happy in AZ https://t.co/kDxy09mRLg
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) May 19, 2026
Sweat's situation prompted Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report to offer seven teams who should trade for the veteran edge rusher if he's made available. The Lions made the list, of course.
"The Detroit Lions have one star pass-rusher in Aidan Hutchinson. However, they've lacked a high-end complement over the past couple of seasons and have tried filling that role with journeymen like Marcus Davenport, Za'Darius Smith, and Al-Quadin Muhammad."
"The Lions have tried to reload their edge rotation this offseason. They signed Payton Turner and D.J. Wonnum before drafting Derrick Moore in Round 2. However, none of them are as proven at the NFL level as Sweat is."
"Adding Sweat would give Detroit the sort of dependable edge presence it has lacked opposite Hutchinson. He'd be an ideal replacement for Muhammad and would help the Lions tremendously in their quest to return to the postseason in 2026."
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The structure of Sweat's contract, via Spotrac's trade machine, puts an acquiring team on the hook for a $12.65 million cap hit this year, followed by $18.1 milllion cap hits in 2027 and 2028.
The Lions could comfortably take on that cap hit for this year; the bigger questions would be the future cap hits for a player who will be in his age-30 and 31 seasons then. And that leaves aside any vague idea Sweat will want his contract re-done at some point.
There is one thing that could bring the Lions somewhere into trade talks around Sweat, if they happen. Knox projected his trade value at a "conditional 2027 4th-round pick that can become a 3rd-rounder based on statistical thresholds." For a consistent, proven edge rusher who can help re-open a Super Bowl window, that would be a steal.
It's an easy default setting to say the Lions should trade for a big-time edge rusher, but for 2026 those ideas can pretty much be put to bed. Holmes would likely need a notable circumstantial push
in the coming months to get into trade talks for an edge rusher of Sweat's ilk.
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