With the trade deadline two weeks from Tuesday, Brad Holmes and the Lions are hard at work looking for a defensive end to help offset the loss of Aidan Hutchinson. Holmes has even brought a couple candidates to Dan Campbell for review.
"Look, Brad’s been grinding on this," Campbell said Tuesday on 97.1 The Ticket. "Ever since last week, he’s been going and looking at really everything that could potentially be available. And so much of it is, making the calls. First of all, who do you like on tape, who’s worth something? It’s not just because somebody says they’re a good player. You gotta put your own eyes on it and do the homework."
After that, said Campbell, it's a matter of, "Where are they at, how much football do they have left, what salary are we taking on, how does that affect us next year signing our own guys, how much value are you going to have to give up?"
"All of that stuff plays into it," said Campbell. "But believe us, we’re looking and Brad’s on it and we’ll find somebody that fits us and brings something. Like I said (last week), a complementary piece that helps that D-line."
Campbell said he knows trade talks are "serious" when Holmes comes to him for feedback on a player that the GM likes: "Because he wants to know that I agree with it." Asked if Holmes his solicited his opinion on anyone, Campbell said, "Yeah, he’s asked me to check something out, a couple things."
"And, man, if I like it, we’re all good. If it’s something I don’t like, he’s not going to force it on me. That’s not how we work. We’ve been good now going on four years. But I also know, if it’s something like that, I don’t know that he’s ever been wrong," Campbell said. "He and I see pretty much eye to eye, we have for a long time here now. I trust the hell out of him, so we’ll find the right guy that fits, whenever that time is right."
The Lions have several in-house players who are candidates for new deals in the next year, even after spending about $620 million on extensions for Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Alim McNeill, Taylor Decker and David Montgomery.
Kerby Joseph, Levi Onwuzurike, Derrick Barnes and Carlton Davis III could all be next, with the latter three set to be free agents after this season. Joseph is under contract through 2025, but is trending toward top-of-the-market money at safety. Hutchinson also has a potentially market-setting deal on the horizon, though his fifth-year option keeps his cost controlled through 2026.
On Monday, Campbell acknowledged the Lions need more of a pass rush off the edge after reviewing their 31-29 win over the Vikings. While they mustered four sacks, three of them came from linebackers. The duo of Josh Paschal and undrafted rookie Isaac Ukwu got most of the work at defensive end and combined for just two quarterback pressures on 59 pass-rush snaps.
Asked about potential trade targets last week, Campbell said the Lions are "looking for really a role player, somebody that can set an edge, that can transition into rush." The trade deadline is Nov. 5.
"Elite rushers and edge setters don’t just fall off trees — or if they do, you’re going to have to sell the farm to get 'em," he said. "But I do think there could be some guys out there, man, that will fit into what we’re doing defensively. ... I think more than anything, you’re looking for at least a complementary piece."