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As the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline approaches, CBS Sports weighed in on whether the Detroit Lions (3-2) should be buyers or sellers.
According to CBS Sports' Carter Bahns, the Lions are expected to be buyers. Detroit's biggest need is in its secondary. The Lions' defense is surrendering the most passing yards (297.4) and total yards per game (404.4) in the NFL.
Detroit has been searching for answers in the secondary following the offseason release of cornerback Terrion Arnold and as the Lions continue to navigate minus safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.
Bahns listed Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum, Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Donte Jackson, New York Giants cornerback Greg Newsome II, and Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Kristian Fulton as potential fits for Detroit in the trade market.
The Lions will go as far as the offense carries them. That is, unless they address one of the NFL's most glaring needs: help in the Detroit secondary. While Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown will keep them in essentially every game they play, they cannot keep surrendering at least 21 points in each outing as they did in Weeks 1-5 if they are to make the playoffs. Losing Terrion Arnold in the offseason continues to prove mighty costly, especially given that both starting safeties from a year ago, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, are on the shelf with injuries.
Detroit would stand to benefit from a potential fire sale in Tampa Bay, because that would probably make McCollum available for the right price. There are several directions the Lions could go at cornerback, and they can afford to be aggressive. They own the second-most cap space of any team with $33.9 million available, and as a team that has to strike now to maximize its contention window, any and all draft picks should be on the table. - Carter Bahns, CBS Sports
Although Branch is expected to make his season debut on Sunday, Oct. 25 against the Green Bay Packers, the Lions still need to bolster their defense if they hope to make a serious Super Bowl run.
With just under a month until the trade deadline, general manager Brad Holmes will be busy as he continues to build the Lions' roster in hopes of recapturing the NFC North division and sparking a deep NFL playoff run.