The Detroit Lions may be 5-3 through eight weeks, but that’s only good enough for third place in the NFC North, and a couple of their division rivals are only getting better. The Chicago Bears traded for one of the best defensive tackles in football in Jeffery Simmons. Micah Parsons will return to the Green Bay Packers soon enough, and well, the Lions are still chasing the first-place Minnesota Vikings.

While it’s clear that the Lions’ third-ranked scoring offense is good enough to win with, the 23rd-ranked scoring defense has room for improvement. One area that’s been particularly weak is Detroit’s secondary, and now they’ve been connected to a potential upgrade.

Detroit Lions Advised To Reunite With Mike Hughes Via Trade

While the Lions will eventually get safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph back from injury, their impending return still won’t upgrade the cornerback group. Remember, this is a unit that’s allowed more passing yards and touchdowns than every other team in the NFL. In other words, they’re in dire need of an upgrade, especially if the Lions hope to advance in the playoffs, but first, they have to reach the postseason, something they couldn’t accomplish a year ago.

Yet, in Thursday’s column for ESPN, analyst Bill Barnwell urged the Lions to consider pursuing a reunion with former Detroit cornerback Mike Hughes, who now plays for the Atlanta Falcons, but has fallen out of favor as of late.

“Veteran cornerback Mike Hughes was with a very different version of this Lions team in 2022 before leaving for the Falcons in free agency. He has started most of his time there, but after A.J. Terrell Jr. returned from injured reserve, Hughes has been in a reserve role, including a season-low eight defensive snaps during last week’s loss to the Buccaneers. He wouldn’t be an obvious upgrade on any of the options in Detroit, but the 29-year-old has been a reliable low-end starter at corner for most of his time in Atlanta.”

Bill Barnwell on Detroit Lions Trade for Mike Hughes

Trading for Hughes certainly wouldn’t immediately solve all of the Lions’ problems in the secondary. However, for a team that’s in third place of the division, the former first-round pick could potentially be a low-cost upgrade that still helps the defense improve.

In an uncertain time where a playoff spot is not guaranteed, this may not be the year for the Lions to swing for the fences by parting with precious draft capital, which is why a smaller, more inexpensive upgrade like Hughes could appeal more to Detroit’s front office.