The rebuild of the Detroit Lions has gotten off to a fast start with the team acquiring and developing good, young talent, mostly through the draft. It’s no secret that while the offense has been successfully developed, the defense has had its struggles. If the Lions are ready to take that next step, they’ll need to trade for a proven defensive talent once their Super Bowl window opens.
Once the Lions get to a point where they believe the roster is a true superbowl contender, they cannot afford to wait around for a true superstar to fall into their laps, because it probably won’t happen. Two of the biggest examples of this notion are the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Looking first at the Cowboys, who knew that they were one of the most dominant offensive teams in the league a few years ago. Dak was impressive through the air, Ezekiel Elliot was putting up 1400+ rushing yard seasons, and they had 2 great receivers to lean on against good defenses. But the defense was aging and lacking a true playmaker, and they couldn’t make deep playoff pushes because of it. Sure they waited around and eventually got to draft Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs, but the offense has regressed in every aspect. Now they’re in an odd cycle because they waited too long to find the playmaker.
The Philadelphia Eagles are the opposite of Dallas, with them poised to regress along with Carson Wentz. Instead, they instantly put their hands under their Super Bowl window and began to thrust it open. They drafted the successor to Wentz, they bolstered the defense with talented veterans, and, most importantly, they traded for a superstar receiver to help their young QB develop and be a safety blanket for the offense. The result? Super Bowl berth after dominating the NFC thoroughly.
The Eagles made several big trades in order to acquire proven talent because, while more rewarding, building solely through the draft is risky at best. One badly timed missed pick can throw off an entire rebuild, and could string together years of trying to catch back up. The Lions cannot be afraid to use picks to get a superstar when the time is right, and they may be rewarded with years of success
