After a successful run to the NFC Championship in 2023 and a 15-2 record in 2024, the Detroit Lions are just one major trade away from reaching the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n
Although the offseason hasn’t officially started, there are already several trade candidates that could significantly improve the Lions’ roster. Detroit is loaded heading into next season, but adding a star edge rusher could be the key to their success.<\/p>\n
While Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns has been the most discussed, more players are hitting the trade market regularly, and one particular player could be a gift from the football gods.<\/p>\n
The Lions’ newest trade target came to light on Sunday morning when NFL Network\u2019s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that the Dallas Cowboys had internal discussions about trading Micah Parsons.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough no formal trade talks have occurred, sources say the Cowboys have at least considered whether to pay Parsons or trade him for a king\u2019s ransom,\u201d the report states. \u201cIf the Cowboys are open to listening, they could get a hefty return.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Lions may be well-positioned to make such an offer. Detroit earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC last season, but injuries, including a broken leg for Aidan Hutchinson and a torn ACL for Alim McNeil, made their journey difficult. Although the Za\u2019Darius Smith trade helped, he is likely to be released due to his contract, leaving the Lions searching for depth this offseason.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s expected that the Lions will target a defensive lineman in free agency or the NFL Draft. Hutchinson even suggested the Lions might not need to go all-in since they had \u201ctoo many dudes\u201d on their defensive line when healthy.<\/p>\n
However, after falling short the past two years, now is the time to go all-in by acquiring Parsons. Figuring out the compensation and future contract would take time, but adding a prime star edge rusher could be a game-changer in a wide-open NFC next season.<\/p>\n
Parsons is entering the final year of his rookie contract with a $24 million cap hit for the upcoming season. However, the 25-year-old would quickly become one of the most sought-after players on the trade market, and the Lions would be wise to act if he becomes available.<\/p>\n
The climax of the NFL season is this Sunday, as the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59. While the Detroit Lions didn\u2019t reach their Super Bowl goal, a former Lion still has a chance to win a ring on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Former Lions cornerback Darius Slay, now with the Eagles, is back in the Super Bowl. Slay and the Eagles were in the same position two seasons ago but lost to Kansas City 36-33. On Monday, during Super Bowl opening night, Slay spoke with several media outlets, including the Detroit Free Press.<\/p>\n
In his conversation with Dave Birkett, Slay shared his fondness for Detroit, saying, “I got nothing but love for Detroit. The Lions, man, for sure. That\u2019s the team that took a chance on me, a kid from Brunswick, Ga. So it\u2019s always nothing but love.”<\/p>\n
He continued, “I root for them every time. I want them to win every game besides the one I\u2019m playing against them in. But yeah man, that\u2019s home. That\u2019s my second home for sure.”<\/p>\n
Slay was drafted by Detroit in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he appeared in 13 games but wasn\u2019t a starter. However, he became a full-time starter after his rookie year.<\/p>\n
Over the next six years in Detroit, Slay earned the nickname “Big Play Slay” for his key pass breakups and interceptions. By the time he left the Lions, Slay had accumulated 262 tackles, 155 pass deflections, 19 interceptions, five tackles for loss, and one sack.<\/p>\n
Slay also earned three consecutive Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro honor with Detroit. Unfortunately, his time with the Lions ended after the 2019 season. He has continued to perform at a high level with the Eagles.<\/p>\n
In three of his five seasons with the Eagles, Slay has been selected to the Pro Bowl. Nevertheless, the now 32-year-old cornerback hasn\u2019t forgotten where his career began.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s disappointing that Detroit didn\u2019t make it to the Super Bowl, Lions fans can at least cheer for a former player who still has a chance to win a championship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After a successful run to the NFC Championship in 2023 and a 15-2 record in 2024, the Detroit Lions are just one major trade away from reaching the Super Bowl. Although the offseason hasn’t officially started, there are already several trade candidates that could significantly improve the Lions’ roster. Detroit is loaded heading into next […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25120,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[378],"tags":[1853,2620,1851],"class_list":["post-25116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-detroit-lions","tag-aidan-hutchinson","tag-myles-garrett","tag-zadarius-smith"],"yoast_head":"\n