As expected, this week’s mailbox was packed with inquiries about Aidan Hutchinson and how the Detroit Lions defense will cope with his likely season-ending injury. In this week’s Midweek Mailbag podcast, we aimed to address all these questions in one segment so we could focus on other topics afterward.
The first question is straightforward: Who should the Lions pursue? Our discussion revolves around two viable candidates: veteran Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith and Titans defender Harold Landry. Both align with the type of edge players the Lions prefer, are on teams looking to offload talent, and could be acquired at relatively affordable prices.
Then th Haason Reddick. The Lions have at least inquired with the v about the unhappy defensive end, who is clearly available for trade. But is theere’s Lions’ interest genuine, or merely due diligence?
Both Erik Schlitt and I believe the Lions are mostly exploring their options. Considering Reddick’s lengthy contract holdout, acquiring him would likely require not only draft picks but also a significant amount of cap space. Moreover, the Jets have little motivation to trade him to an NFC team.
“There are a lot of hurdles to overcome to get a player who doesn’t quite match your needs,” Schlitt noted.
Our conversation then shifts to potential internal solutions. We explore which players might fill Hutchinson’s role, who could be promoted from the practice squad, and what schematic adjustments the Lions might consider after losing three key edge defenders in recent weeks. Will they adopt more nickel packages? Will they shuffle Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal? And how might the eventual return of Ifeatu Melifonwu impact their plans?
All of this is covered in this week’s podcast, along with much more about the upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings.
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