ClutchPoints
The Detroit Lions will have huge expectations for themselves during the 2025 NFL season. Detroit is a popular regression candidate, largely because they won 15 games last year and lost both coordinators this offseason. But that will not stop Dan Campbell’s grit warriors from giving it everything they have this fall.
Final roster cuts are not too far away, as the regular season is just around the corner. Most NFL teams are thinking about how they’ll get their roster down to their best 53 players. But I think the Lions should still be in attack mode.
The Lions could still use some depth on their defensive line, both at defensive tackle and edge rusher.
Detroit has been connected to Trey Hendrickson all offseason, but that trade is unlikely to happen. The Lions have to conserve their cap space to pay their existing players, including Aidan Hutchinson.
But are there any defensive players that the Lions can afford? And if so, could Detroit acquire them before the regular season?
Below we will explore one last-minute trade the Lions need to make before Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
Before we get into the analysis, here’s the terms of my hypothetical trade.
Lions receive:
Ravens receive:
In this scenario, I have the Lions going out and getting another edge rusher.
Detroit pries Odafe Oweh away from Baltimore in exchange for a draft pick and a pick swap.
And I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Mike Payton of A to Z Sports suggested that the Lions acquire Oweh back in May.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve brought this one up. Oweh was in trade rumors right before the 2025 NFL Draft. The former 31st overall pick has been pretty decent for the Ravens, but maybe not as good as they’d hoped he’d be. He has not been a full-time starter for them since they drafted him in 2021.”
Payton noted that the addition of edge rusher Mike Green in Baltimore makes Oweh expendable. Especially because Oweh is on an expiring contract.
Essentially, Payton argues that the Ravens have a chance to get some future draft capital out of Oweh. That could make a trade possible.
“Here’s the chance for the Ravens to get something for him. In Detroit, Oweh would be a starter for the Lions. If he performs well, Detroit could work out a deal for him. If he doesn’t, they don’t have to.”
I agree that Oweh would immediately become a starter in Detroit, though he would have to earn the job first.
Even if Oweh only played a situational role with the Lions, the extra juice he would add to their pass rush would be incredibly important.
For this trade to become a reality, the Ravens would have to be confident in their depth at edge...
