When you take a look at the Detroit Lions wide receiver room, other than rookie sensation Amon-Ra St. Brown, there really is not much to call home about. In fact, I have mentioned in previous articles that the Lions have one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL over the past decade and probably more.
As the offseason is about to begin, you can bet Lions GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell will seriously consider all of their options to bring in a wide receiver or two to help the cause.
Local blogger Ryan Matthews of Pride of Detroit believes the Lions should consider trading draft assets to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for star wide receiver, Calvin Ridley.
Here is some of Matthews’ rationale:
Detroit has a breakout player in rookie receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, but take a look around the NFL, the haves separate themselves from the have nots at the wide receiver position. St. Brown is absolutely a piece to the winning formula in the NFL, but if Holmes and Campbell jumped at an opportunity to add Ridley, the Lions could instantly turn a position group still very much a work-in-progress into a solidified position of strength and depth if the team returns Josh Reynolds and Quintez Cephus gets healthy.
Matthews goes on to suggest that trade for Ridley would cost the Lions a first-round pick and more and that is where he completely loses me.
Is Ridley ultra-talented? Absolutely. But that is not the point here.
Ridley will be coming off of a season where he had to step away from football to work on his mental health, which, in my opinion, is admirable. I truly hope and pray that he has been able to improve in that area.
That being said, why in the world would the Lions give up valuable NFL Draft capital to trade for a wide receiver that may or may not be available for a full season?
Oh, and there is one more important thing to consider here.
Ridley is heading into the final year of his contract and you can bet he is going to want to break the bank following the 2022 season (or before if he gets an extension). The Lions are not going to truly contend in 2022, even if they had Randy Moss in his prime, so what would be the point of trading for a player like Ridley, who is going into the final year of his deal? Not wise.
If you have ever read my work, you are well aware that I am firmly against overpaying for a wide receiver as it can help to cripple a team financially in the long run and that is exactly what the Lions would be doing if they traded for Ridley with the intentions of trying to sign him to a long-term deal. (Not to mention, there are zero guarantees that he would want to play for the Lions following the 2022 season).
Do the Lions need help at the wide receiver position? Yep. Should they give up valuable draft capital for a player who may only see the field for them for one season and then demand mega money? Nope.
Thankfully, I believe that Brad Holmes views overpaying for wide receivers the same way as I do so I am not too worried about something like this happening.
