The Detroit Lions must explore the trade market ahead of next month's deadline in order to try and fill the massive void left by the injury to star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a broken tibia in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys.
It goes without saying how big of a loss Hutchinson is. He is the team's best player on defense and the pass-rush is going to take a serious hit with him out. Making matters worse, the Lions are also without fellow edge rusher Marcus Davenport.
One NFL insider, The Athletic's Mike Sando, suggested three potential trade targets for the Lions in the wake of Hutchinson's injury: the Carolina Panthers' Jadeveon Clowney, the New York Jets' Haason Reddick, and the Cleveland Browns' Za'Darius Smith.
General manager Brad Holmes isn’t going to find another Hutchinson, but there could be opportunities at the trade deadline as teams fall from contention. The Panthers’ Jadeveon Clowney and the Browns’ Za’Darius Smith play for teams that are fading fast. The Jets are waiting out Haason Reddick. What if they lose a few more games?
With the Panthers and Browns going nowhere fast, it's very conceivable that both Smith and Clowney could become available by the Nov. 5 deadline.
MORE: Latest update on Aidan Hutchinson's return timeline
Clowney is coming off a season in which he tallied 9.5 sacks, but he has just one in five games this season and has routinely been disappointing during his career. The former No. 1 overall pick would be a consolation prize, at best, if the Lions can't land a better option.
Smith has tallied three sacks in six games this season and has three campaigns with double-digit sacks during his career. As a result, he's a better option than Clowney.
Reddick is the best bet of the bunch to be the big needle-moving addition the Lions need, although it remains to be seen what kind of condition he's in after sitting out the first six games.
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The 30-year-old has double-digit sacks in each of the last four seasons, including a career-high 16 in 2022. But it isn't clear if the Jets would be willing to trade him barring a major collapse in the weeks ahead.
There is certainly a chance, though, if Reddick's holdout continues.
