Defensive tackle trade ideas attached to Detroit Lions a mix of boring and not very ideal

Shy of adding a more credible backup quarterback (Teddy Bridgewater?), or maybe a more experienced kicker, the Detroit Lions are not lined up to make any more significant moves before this season starts. A bold move to fill the middle of the defensive line is not realistically on the table.

The Lions may be content to see if Levi Onwuzurike can stay healthy and find a way to notable contribute. Alim McNeill is lined up to have a breakthrough season, whilerookie Brodric Martin is staking his claim to a notable role on the interior defensive line so far in training camp. Isaiah Buggs and Martin could be a nice nose tackle duo.

But we know general manager Brad Holmes won't necessarily rest, and if there are tweaks to the roster out there to be made they could be made.

In recent piece proposing trades each NFL team should consider before the 2023 season starts, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report certainly had a theme for the the Lions.

Trade ideas attached to the Detroit Lions are equal parts boring and not ideal

First up from Ballentine is a trade another team should make with the Lions.

"Bills Receive: 2024 sixth-round pick

Lions Receive: DT Tim Settle"

Settle, as Ballentine suggested, seems to have no place in Buffalo's defensive tackle rotation. He played just 38 percent of snaps in his 15 games for them last year and they are a little deeper now. But even for only a sixth-round pick next year, the deal idea doesn't make much sense for the Lions.

Shifting to the defensive tackle trade the Lions should consider...

"Lions Receive: DT Grover Stewart, 2025 sixth-round pick

Colts Receive: 2024 third-round pick"

Stewart had a nice 2022 season for the Colts, with 70 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and four sacks. He has not missed a game in any of the last four seasons, starting every game the last three. Being in the last year of his contract with a cap hit near $10.9 million (and the ability to clear $9.6 million of that by trading him) enhances him as possible preseason trade bait for Indianapolis. But this is another trade idea that doesn't feel like a real needle-mover for the Lions, leaving aside giving up a third-round pick and taking on Stewart's cap number to make it even less ideal.

The Lions should be on the lookout for interior defensive line reinforcements in a broad sense, with Onwuzurike's health a wild card right now. But it'd be better to wait for roster cuts than make either of these proposed trades.