First reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and later confirmed by head coach Dan Campbell on Monday, Detroit Lions defensive end Marcus Davenport was officially placed on IR Tuesday. His left elbow/triceps injury is expected to sideline him for the season, leaving a void in the Lions' defensive front.
Replacing Davenport could just be done internally, with Campbell already prominently mentioning third-year man Josh Paschal. Some others (Levi Onwuzurike, James Houston; Isaac Ukwu or Mitchell Agude off the practice squad) could help too.
But it's also fair to assume the Lions have some eyes on who is or could be available. If not immediately, as they flesh out internal options, then potentially before the Nov. 5 trade deadline.
So let's explore some of those potential options, as in those the Lions could aggressively target on the trade market to replace Davenport. And no, Haason Reddick will not make the list.
5 edge rushers the Detroit Lions could aggressively target to replace Marcus Davenport
5. DeMarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys
Let's start out a little bold.
Lawrence is in the final year of his contract, and even with a drop in sack numbers over recent years and at 32 years old he'll probably get one more pretty lucrative contract. It's also fair to assume Jerry Jones won't open up his pocket book too much for him, pleading poverty after giving Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and eventually Micah Parsons big contracts.
Heading into Week 4, upon offering solutions to every team's needs (real or perceived), Bleacher Report proposed Lawrence as a potential target for the Lions in 2025 free agency.
"While Lawrence's sack numbers have gone down in recent years, he's an edge-setter and plays the physical brand of football that Dan Campbell covets. The 32-year-old posted an elite 92.4 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus last season, and he can still win as a pass-rusher with 48 total pressures in 2023."
The 1-2 Cowboys aren't likely to trade any notable players, even if things go bad from here over the next several weeks. But Lawrence would seem to be in a subset of player they'd be willing to move, possibly alone-older, final year of his contract, etc. If the Lions really dig deep to find potential options to replace Davenport, this could be one they unearth.