3 trades to make the Detroit Lions championship contenders in 2023
The Detroit Lions enter the 2023 season with something new--expectations. Winning eight of their last 10 games last season, finishing above .500 and falling just short of making the playoffs, was the first mark in that column. Then came a a good run in free agency, and another good draft (however critiqued for its first round)
The Lions are the standing favorites to win the NFC North, and hosting a playoff game would come with that. The chances of winning said home playoff game would be subject to the matchup, but that wouldn't be out of the question.
ESPN analyst Louis Riddick has been all-in on the Lions being one of the last teams standing in the NFC playoffs this year, and a Super Bowl contender. Still, expecting much more than an end to franchise's drought without a playoff win feels aggressive. A few analysts see too much hype attached to the 2023 Lions, and expectations they're not fully equipped to meet.
The Lions have done their rebuild the right way, and they've done it fairly quickly as Year 3 of the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell regime nears. The future is bright, but there's a reason NFL stands for "Not For Long." Windows to win can close as quickly as they open, and reaching the highest level you can has to be timed right along with the right decisions being made.
This year looks like the start of the Lions' window to win, or even possibly win a Super Bowl. But how many years will that window remain open?
On that note, here are three trades (taken individually, separate from each other) that could make the Lions into championship contenders this year.