Joey Porter Jr. is apparently available via trade. The Lions have a need for a No. 1 corner. Is there a deal to be made with the Steelers?
"He is a very good player with a contract situation that’s a mess, they’re obviously at an impasse, it’s been in a not great place for a while," NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday. "So does someone step up and say, 'We need a really good corner, he’s a really good one, these guys are hard to find, I’m going to trade for him.' Pittsburgh has been open to trading him. The interest, based on their price, has not been there yet."
Porter Jr. is seeking a new contract as he enters the final year of his rookie deal and missed all of training camp with what the Steelers are calling a back injury. He did not dress for the team's season-opener. The two sides are said to be far apart in negotiations, with Porter Jr. believed to be seeking top-of-the-market money at his position.
Star corners Christian Gonzalez of the Patriots, Devon Witherspoon of the Seahawks, Trent McDuffie of the Rams and Denzel Ward of the Browns all signed new deals this offseason worth more than $30 million per year.
The Steelers are thought to be seeking a first-round pick in return for Porter Jr., at least a second-rounder. Per Rapoport, the Lions and Chiefs are two teams to watch. The Lions just cleared lots of immediate cap space by restructuring the contracts of Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown, but that wouldn't make it any easier to fit Porter Jr. into the budget in the years ahead. He's not going somewhere he's not getting paid.
The Lions have already committed more than $1 billion to 10 core players and are planning extensions for Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch. Unless Brad Holmes decides to let one of those players walk, it's hard to see how the Lions would find the future cap space for Porter Jr.
Asked Tuesday if he anticipates the Lions making a big move this season with their newly created cap room, Dan Campbell said, "Yeah, I don't see that."
"I would say this though, it gives us options. Whether that be our own guys or (imports), it just gives us flexibility here before the season starts because there's a lot that can happen.”
