The Detroit Lions control their own destiny when it comes to the 2020 NFL Draft. They are in a coveted position to draft a serious playmaker for their team or trade down in hopes of garnering a few more picks and potentially striking gold with multiple playmakers.
General manager Bob Quinn has repeatedly said the Lions are keeping an open mind heading into the draft and could trade down to generate more value for the third overall pick.
If I am in the front office for the Lions, I am fielding all phone calls, and asking a king’s ransom for the third overall pick to whoever wants to win the Tua Tagovailoa sweepstakes.
Is Matthew Stafford expensive? Yes. However, Stafford comes in at ninth on the list of quarterback contracts averaging at least $27 million, and he will likely drop further down the list this offseason with Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Dak Prescott, Phillip Rivers, and Ryan Tannehill unrestricted free agents. Stafford is also still a young 32 years old, despite being an 11-year veteran.
Bottom line, the Lions do not need to spend a draft pick on getting a successor to Stafford in April.
The Lions have a lot of work to be done on defense, not only immediately, but as our own Erik Schlitt and Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman mentioned on the Detroit Lions Breakdown podcast, there are a lot of expiring contracts following the 2020 season. In a very deep draft, with a lot of playmakers, the Lions need to strike while the iron is hot.
If they can manage a trade back, they should still be able to land an elite defender, potentially even cornerback Jeffrey Okudah (Ohio State) who has been linked to the Lions in almost every mock draft you could read.
Tagovailoa is talented enough that there should be a bidding war for teams to trade with the Lions. The Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts — and maybe more — should all be in the market for quarterbacks in the draft. Lions fans just need to hope that Quinn is prepared to rake these teams over the coals and make them overpay to land their new franchise quarterback.
The Dolphins have reportedly already had conversations with the Lions about a potential trade, and now, on his Move The Sticks podcast, Daniel Jeremiah said he believes that the Chargers are very much in play for a potential trade with the Lions as well — further cementing my thought process on the Lions trading their pick.
The 2020 season is very much a must-win for Quinn and coach Matt Patricia, and being able to draft multiple players while making a splash in free agency, will help turn things around for the current regime in Detroit.