During the offseason, I wrote about how T.J. Hockenson would get paid by somebody, but that somebody would not be the Detroit Lions. Since then, some other local writers have jumped on the bandwagon, and we are happy to have them onboard. Back when I originally proposed that Hockenson would demand too much money for Lions GM Brad Holmes to shell out, plenty of people called me an idiot (and other things). Fast forward to the present, and more and more people agree that making him a top-paid tight end may not be the right move.
Could the Detroit Lions get a 1st Round pick (and more) for T.J. Hockenson?
Jeff Howe of The Athletic proposes that the Lions trade TJ Hockenson to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a 2023 1st-round pick and a 2024 4th-round pick in the NFL Draft.
Here is Howe’s rationale for his proposed trade. As you can see, he suggests this trade would make sense for the Buccaneers because Hockenson is under contract through the 2023 season, and landing him may help convince Tom Brady to stick around for another season.
OK, so there’s no reason to believe Hockenson is on the trade block, but this would be a tough offer for the Lions to ignore. They already have the inside track on a top-five pick with their own draft selection, which should be used on a quarterback, and another first-rounder from the Rams. Throw in a third opening-round pick, and the Lions would control the draft board. Maybe they’d even get lucky enough to get a quarterback and — possibly through another trade — Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson to pair up with Aidan Hutchinson. For the Bucs, their offensive issues can’t be traced to a singular spot, but the lack of a star-caliber tight end certainly hasn’t helped. Hockenson is under contract through his fifth-year option in 2023, so that’s important, too. Aside from getting their offense going as soon as possible, the Bucs also have to be thinking about Tom Brady’s future. Brady, an impending free agent who can’t be tagged, could simply choose to retire, or maybe he’ll be concerned that the offense can’t be fixed in its current state and look to play elsewhere. It’s conceivable the addition of Hockenson could play a part in swaying that decision.
Via Jeff Howe – The Athletic
Why this trade won’t happen
First of all, I do think there is a small possibility that the Lions could trade T.J. Hockenson before the trade deadline if they feel the return package is appropriate.
That being said, I would be absolutely SHOCKED if the Lions could get first and fourth-round picks for a tight end who is extremely inconsistent.
In my opinion, the most the Lions would get for Hockenson would be a late second or early third-round pick.
Nation, should the Lions be shopping T.J. Hockenson?
