The Lions trading D’Andre Swift so suddenly is a recipe for disaster.
For a fourth-round pick? In the 2025 draft?
Why the hurry?
Sure, the handwriting was on the wall for Swift the moment Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs was announced as the 12th overall pick.
They have similar styles. Swift is on the last year of his contract.
While Swift has struggled with nagging injuries, which has presented justifiable questions about his durability, he is unquestionably a gifted player. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry last season. He scored eight touchdowns. He accounted for roughly 1,000 yards of offense per season in three years. He is just 24 years old and his best football is likely ahead of him.
We’re not talking about Artose Pinner here.
And the notion the Lions are just doing him a favor by dealing him to his hometown team, the Eagles, is absurd.
If the Lions genuinely fancy themselves contenders, the playoff road may very well go though Philadelphia. The defending NFC champs remain by far the best team in the NFC, and with the best offensive line.
Swift and Gibbs share similar styles. The Lions obviously see Gibbs as an upgrade. Understood.
But Swift’s value couldn’t have been lower than on the weekend the Lions drafted his replacement. If a top back is hurt during training camp, Swift’s trade value increases significantly. Ditto for the regular season, especially at the NFL’s increasingly active trade deadline.
It would not make sense for Swift to hold out or be a sour seed in the locker room. He can’t afford to do that, literally, because he is on the last year of his deal. Remaining with the Lions wasn’t going to change that. He also provided depth for Gibbs in case of injury.
As is, Swift is a highly-motivated player going to his hometown team, while working with a better offensive line, brilliant receivers and a top quarterback.
Of course, the Swift trade might ultimately mean little. But there is plenty of risk that it will backfire on the Lions, while there is virtually no reward.
That’s not a trade, but rather a potential heist by the Eagles.