We’ve seen some wild trade proposals from NFL analysts ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline, but this proposal for the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns takes the cake.
During the Friday episode of ESPN’s Get Up, former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannebaum proposed a blockbuster trade that sends Browns superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett to Detroit in exchange for three first-round picks, a second-round pick, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
The first problem with this trade scenario is that the Browns reportedly aren’t willing to trade Garrett, so that immediately squashes this idea before it gets off the ground. But, even if Cleveland was willing to move Garrett at the deadline, there’s no way general manager Brad Holmes would pull the trigger on this deal.
Granted, Garrett is one of the few people on this planet who could match the kind of production the Lions lost when Aidan Hutcinson went down with a season-ending injury.
But, as much as the Lions would probably love to add Garrett, sending all those picks plus Gibbs just isn’t something the Lions would do. That is beyond a Godfather-type offer.
This trade proposal is insane pic.twitter.com/93ZIzeVOtQ
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) November 1, 2024
The three first-round picks and one second-rounder are enough, but Gibbs just makes this proposal outlandish. He is simply too important to Detroit’s elite offense to make him a throw-in on an already expensive deal.
In the interest of not sacrificing team morale and their future, the Lions would be better served aiming lower, with guys like the New York Giants’ Azeez Ojulari and the Browns’ Za’Darius Smith in that next tier.
Ojulari is in the midst of a breakout season with six sacks, which is just two shy of his career-high, and Smith is having a bounce-back campaign, with his five sacks being just 0.5 shy of what he totaled in 2023.
Both would be more than enough to upgrade the Lions’ pass-rush, and neither will cost more than a fourth-rounder, which the Lions have in 2025.
We’ve covered a ton of suggested trades for the Lions, but this one is by far the most wild. And, it’s trade proposals like these that remind us we’re in peak speculation season and the Nov. 5 deadline can’t come fast enough.