The Detroit Lions have finished their offseason program, and now everyone gets a break before training camp and the months-long grind of the season. Any roster additions between now and the start of the season are unlikely to be needle-moving.
As the NFL hits the slower time of its calendar, other sports can have an unchecked moment in the spotlight. In particular, the NBA and NHL offseasons are getting going, with a big NHL trade already going down and an even bigger NBA trade on the way to being done (and possibly done by the time you're reading this).
In the vein of some of the trade talk around the Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo as the NBA offseason gets rolling, at least as it relates to the Detroit Pistons' potential involvement,Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports has put together a three-team trade proposal involving the Lions.
Here's how it looks.
-Lions get:
DT Eric Gregory
Patriots 2027 7th-round pick
-Patriots get:
OL Caesar Ruiz
-Saints get:
S Avonte Maddox
Patriots 2027 6th-round pick
Lions' trade proposal would strip them of valuable safety depth without a viable return
Payton made a case for why all three teams would do the trade, but let's focus on why the Lions would do it.
"The Lions need some interior defensive line help, but they don’t need a big-time starter. They need a rotational guy who can come in and play some nose tackle. Gregory can do that and do it well. The second-year nose tackle had this role in New England last year and showed that maybe he should have gotten himself drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft."
"The Patriots send along a seventh-round pick to help facilitate the trade. Nothing crazy for Detroit, but every little bit helps."
The losses of Roy Lopez and D.J. Reader this offseason notably thinned the Lions' interior defensive line depth of proven commodities. They also lack a true nose tackle, and Gregory would fill that void.
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Payton noted how the Lions would have "too many cooks" in the safety kitchen if Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are good to go sooner than expected.
"The only reason the Lions move on from him is that if they get both Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph back earlier than expected, they’ll have too many cooks in the kitchen with Thomas Harper, Chuck Clark, and Christian Izien holding down spots."
Of course that's a big "if" on both counts, due to the timing of Branch's Achilles' tear late last season and ongoing concern about Joseph's knee issue. Maddox's versatility is also incredibly valuable, compared to Harper and Clark in particular.
If the Lions are in a position to consider trading a safety before Week 1, and they could be, Maddox is not the one to part with. And if they did part with him, they should get a better return than this.
Many NBA three-team trades have one team that helps facilitate it with their assets, while seemingly getting little, at least by comparison, in return.
The Lions are clearly that team in this proposal from Payton. While the other two teams add a very useful player, they get an inconsequential draft pick and what would be in line to be an inconsequential player.
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