Is it just a matter of time before the Detroit Lions trade for Pittsburgh Steelers QB, Mason Rudolph?
When it comes to the Lions’ backup QB situation, there is certainly room for improvement as neither David Blough nor Tim Boyle is worthy of being a No. 2 quarterback in the NFL.
As it stands, Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell has said that Blough and Boyle are “neck and neck” in their battle and it is a bit concerning that neither one has stepped up and taken the job.
Former NFL GM believes Detroit Lions could soon trade for QB Mason Rudolph
According to a rumor from Pittsburgh Steelers insideer Andrew Fillippooni, a former NFL GM told him on Aug. 15 that he thinks Mason Rudolph could be traded to the Detroit Lions by the “end of the week.”
A former NFL GM told me he thinks Mason Rudolph could be traded to the Lions by the end of the week.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) August 15, 2022
Now, it is important to note that a week has passed and a trade has yet to be made but considering the Lions’ situation, the speculation that the Lions should trade for Rudolph is still very much alive.
One person who believes this trade could (and should still happen) is Alex Kay of Bleacher Report.
Here is some of what Kay has to say about why the trade would benefit the Lions.
From Bleacher Report:
Rudolph already admitted he was frustrated by the lack of first-team reps he was getting. With his chances of winning the QB1 job rapidly diminishing, the 27-year-old could end up getting shipped off before the regular season kicks off.
The Detroit Lions are generating buzz as a potential landing destination for Rudolph.
Steelers insider Andrew Fillipponi revealed that a former NFL GM predicted the Oklahoma State product will soon end up in the Motor City, a rather logical fit given Detroit’s quarterback situation.
Jared Goff didn’t show anything during his first season with the Lions to give the team a reason to believe he could be the long-term solution under center.
Backups Tim Boyle and David Blough aren’t cut out for much more than holding clipboards, making Rudolph a nice fit as a high-end backup who has the potential to take Goff’s role if the starter struggles again this year.
Pittsburgh won’t be able to get much for Rudolph, but simply getting him off the roster in exchange for a late-Day 3 pick within the next week would be a big win. That would allow the Steelers to pare down their QB competition to just Pickett and Trubisky and free up a roster spot before final cuts are due.
Personally, I believe that the only way the Lions would make this trade is if they still planned to keep David Blough around as the No. 3 quarterback because of his knowledge of the system. It would take Rudolph time to learn the playbook and to head into the regular season with only him and Jared Goff would be a problem if Goff were to get injured early on.
That being said, Rudolph has more upside than either Blough or Boyle and he would certainly be an upgrade when looking at the long-term picture.
