As they shape their offseason plan, the Detroit Lions will of course have to consider who to keep and who not to. That extends beyond free agency, to trade possibilities as areas of the roster are upgraded or otherwise tweaked.
A lot of trade speculation for the Lions, and rightfully so, has been around backup quarterback Hendon Hooker. But there are others who could be on the trade block, or at least have others teams inquiring about them.
Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac recently offered up one trade candidate for each NFL team. With Hooker or others (Kalif Raymond? Josh Paschal?) not big needle-movers compared to what some other teams have as a potential trade candidate, thinking outside the box a little for the Lions was a practical requirement.
Ginnitti had wide receiver Jameson Williams as his Lions' trade candidate.
"The Lions may be hesitant to move on from any key offensive pieces as they usher in life without Ben Johnson, but it also might be the perfect time to sell high on Williams (58 catches, 1,001 yards, 7 TDs in 15 games). Is there a higher ceiling for the almost 24-year-old? Sure. But it’s also a down year both via free agency and the draft at the WR positions. Williams’ rookie deal still contains a fully guaranteed $3M in 2025, with a decision on his 5th-year option due May 1st. An acquiring team will need to give up a small ransom to drive Williams out of Detroit at this stage, but it’s exactly what the Lions might be looking for as their roster gets more and more expensive elsewhere."
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The Lions are incredibly unlikely to consider trading Jameson Williams
After a breakthrough 2024 season, Williams approaches being an untouchable player for the Lions. A decision on his fifth-year option looms, like Ginnitti noted, and he is eligible for a contract extension this offseason. A case can be made for both sides, the team and Williams, to see how next season plays out before an extension is done. From the Lions' side of things, picking up his fifth-year option (which seems inevitable) gives them two more years of contractual control to see how things play out.
And as good as Williams was last season, a two-game performance-enhancing substance suspension and his attachment to an incident involving possessing an unregistered gun stand as concerns.
Questions about when or if Williams gets a contract extension from the Lions are separate from any idea they would consider trading him. There has been zero indication they're anywhere near ready to give up on him, but if someone offered a "small ransom" it'd make sense to listen. There also may be no offer another team would reasonably make that would get them to move him right now, but nothing would stop someone from finding out. And that seems to be the root of Ginnitti's premise.
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