One Lions trade will take the offense to the next level.
Marquise Brown of the Cardinals might help the Lions’ offense.
Through five weeks, the Detroit Lions offense has been one of the best in the National Football League.
They had the ninth-highest passing yards (1,217) and the seventh-highest running yards (705). They’ve also averaging 29.6 points per game, which ranks fourth in the league.
Needless to say, Ben Johnson’s unit has fared admirably, despite the absence of key offensive weapons (including Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jameson Williams).
Despite the offense’s success, there is always space for growth, particularly at wide receiver.
With Williams’ uneven play to begin his NFL career, I believe the Lions are in need of a No. 2 wideout to complement what St. Brown accomplishes as Detroit’s primary passing option.
Sure, Lions quarterback Jared Goff has made it look easy so far this season, involving a wide range of pass-catchers on a weekly basis. For example, he’s developed a strong rapport with veteran receiver Josh Reynolds. In five games, Reynolds has 16 catches for 291 yards and three touchdowns.
Reynolds, however, isn’t a game-changing danger, and Detroit doesn’t currently have one in its receivers room outside of St. Brown.
Williams could be that type of receiver one day, but he can’t be counted on to be that type of impact player right now due to his inability to consistently catch the ball.
That’s why, if I were Detroit general manager Brad Holmes, I’d be looking for a wide receiver before the NFL trade deadline on October 31. I would concentrate my efforts on acquiring Arizona Cardinals wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
Brown has been one of the few bright lights for the 1-4 Cardinals this season.
In five games, the 26-year-old wideout has 25 catches for 300 yards and three touchdowns. All of this while collecting passes from backup quarterback Josh Dobbs.
Could you image how wonderful the former first-round pick would look receiving passes from Goff in Ben Johnson’s offense?
Brown, who is on pace for his second 1,000-yard receiving season in his career, boasts outstanding speed and the potential to blow the top off any defense. As a result, he’d be an excellent complement to St. Brown, who is practically unstoppable in the middle of the field.
A St. Brown-“Hollywood” Brown one-two punch at receiver would be excellent, and would help elevate Detroit’s offensive.
As good as Brown has been, it is also true that he has been plagued by injuries since joining the Ravens in 2019. He’ll also be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. As a result, the Cardinals are unlikely to get a first-round pick or even a second-round pick in exchange for him.
If I were Holmes, I’d call Arizona general manager Monti Ossenfort today to see if he’d take a 2024 third-round pick in exchange for the dynamic receiver. And even if Ossenfort says he wants a sixth- or seventh-round selection thrown in to sweeten the deal, I’d still be willing to make the deal.
I’m certainly optimistic about Brown’s prospects and feel he’d help the Lions make a long postseason push this year.
