The Detroit Lions are expected to be buyers, not sellers, ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
At 3-2, the Lions are bracing for a massive showdown with the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, followed by a battle against the Minnesota Vikings. Those two games ahead of the deadline should offer a great glimpse into the ceiling of this team and whether or not they should make a splash at the deadline.
If that stretch doesn't go as planned, the Lions could pivot and look to sell. While the roster is built to contend, there are some veteran options that could be available in the event the Lions struggle.
Here is a ranking of five of the most likely players to be traded on the Lions roster in the event that they look to become sellers at the trade deadline.
A starter at the beginning of the year, Ya-Sin has seen his role diminish in recent weeks due to a combination of poor performance and the emergence of Ennis Rakestraw. The Lions are expected to target the secondary before the deadline, and as a result Ya-Sin could be expendable.
While he may not have the most robust market, Ya-Sin could fetch a late-round pick from a team looking for more cornerback depth. The veteran does have special teams experience and would help a team in some capacity.
The Lions elected to retain Onwuzurike after he missed all of last season, but the play of Tyleik Williams and Skyler Gill-Howard has lessened the need for more production on the interior defensive line.
While Onwuzurike has struggled with injuries throughout his career, when healthy he's shown that he can have a legitimate impact. He's down the depth chart for the Lions, but another team could see him as an ideal option due to his versatility along the defensive line.
Scruggs has been a great addition to the Lions, and the only reason he's on this list is because there is a change coming with the return of Cade Mays. The Lions could get Mays back as soon as this upcoming week against Green Bay, which could push Scruggs out from the center position.
Before the season, Scruggs was expected to compete for the left guard spot with Christian Mahogany. However, while Scruggs has played center Mahogany has played exceptionally well as the team's left guard.
As a result, assuming Mays reclaims the center spot and plays well and Mahogany keeps up his solid production, Scruggs could be without a starting spot. Though he'd be great depth, there could be a team that
The Lions' linebacker room took a big hit with the injury to Devin White, which likely moves Rodriguez up to the third option behind starters Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes. However, Rodriguez is on a one-year contract and could have some suitors around the league.
Detroit is very deep at the linebacker position, with Trevor Nowaske and Jimmy Rolder also in the mix. If the Lions decide to commit more snaps to Nowaske and Rolder, perhaps Rodriguez would be deemed expendable.
While the Lions view LaPorta as a cornerstone player and want to get a deal done with him, reports indicate that the two sides are currently not close on an extension. There are avenues the Lions could take to keep him, such as the franchise tag, but if they aren't close the team could entertain a trade.
LaPorta would be the biggest realistic trade piece the Lions have on their roster given the current contract situation. If things go south out of the bye, the Lions may be more inclined to listen to calls based on what they could get in return as well as how tough it may be to climb back into the playoff race in a loaded NFC.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as Ranking Detroit Lions Players Most Likely To Be Traded Before the Deadline .
