Andrew Parsaud- 10 hours ago•7:46 pm EDT
With one week to go until the NFL trade deadline, there’s a few key positions that contenders are looking for ahead of their playoff pushes. The Detroit Lions, who sit atop the NFC North with a 6-1 record, have one major concern as the season stretches to its midway point.
Their star pass rusher in Aidan Hutchinson fractured his tibia and fibula in the team’s 47-9 beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6. The loss of Hutchinson was huge, as he was in the league-lead for sacks at the time with seven and has been a constant headache for opposing tackles every week.
The hit to their pass rush has created speculation that the Lions will look to trade for an edge rusher ahead of the trade deadline. Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports predicts that the Lions will trade for New Orleans Saints edge rusher Chase Young.
“Let’s not entertain fantasies of Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett getting moved,” said Schwab. “The Raiders and Browns might not be any good, but they’re not trading those franchise players unless someone makes a ridiculous offer. That doesn’t mean the Lions can’t do a lesser deal to help replace Aidan Hutchinson. There are a few options, but Young provides some upside. He’s far from perfect but if he’s healthy and motivated he can be an effective pass rusher for a Super Bowl-contending team, like he was for the 49ers last season.”
This would be an almost-perfect fit for the Lions, who are going to need a fill-in pass rusher before the playoffs. As Schwab mentioned, Young filled the same role for the San Francisco 49ers last season, being dealt to them before the deadline from the Washington Commanders. He was able to collect two sacks for the 49ers in nine games last season, along with adding one more in the postseason.
The Saints, sitting at 2-6 and third place in the NFC South, aren’t going anywhere this season. After signing Chase to a one year, $13 million deal in the offseason, it’s wise for them to unload the contract and get some sort of return rather than letting him walk for nothing in March. The Saints need all of the picks they can get and recouping a day three selection in next year’s draft would be the ideal scenario here.
Young won’t replicate the high-pressure numbers that Hutchinson produced every game, but this is a more viable option for the Lions. An option that likely won’t cost them significant compensation.