The Detroit Lions are coming off one of their best seasons in franchise history. Detroit won 15 games in 2024, claimed their second consecutive NFC North title, and secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. All of those are firsts for the Lions as a franchise.
Unfortunately, the Lions also had one of their more disappointing finishes in recent memory. Detroit lost in the Divisional Round against Washington, ending their postseason run just as it was getting started. That was exactly what Lions fans did not want to see after getting their Super Bowl hopes crushed during last year’s NFC Championship.
Now the Lions must transition into offseason mode and figure out how to improve the team.
Detroit has plenty of resources to work with to make that happen. They currently have $51 million in cap space to use in free agency and seven picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including the 28th overall pick.
The Lions need to add talent on the defensive side of the ball. Edge rusher is the most obvious position of need, but the Lions could also add pieces in the secondary and at defensive tackle.
Detroit would be wise to pursue every avenue available to them to upgrade the roster. That includes making trades with other teams.
If the Lions were to pull off a big trade this offseason, who might they go after?
Below we will outline one perfect trade the Detroit Lions must complete during the 2025 NFL offseason.
Lions acquire CB Greg Newsome II from the Browns
Before we dive into the analysis, here are the trade terms.
Lions receive:
- CB Greg Newsome II
Browns receive:
- 2026 third-round pick (compensatory)
Everyone around the NFL wants the Lions to trade for Myles Garrett. While I would personally love to see that happen, it simply isn’t realistic for either team.
One thing that is often neglected in articles like this one is that a trade must make sense for both sides. The Browns have made it very clear that they don’t want to trade Myles Garrett, despite his recent trade request.
That said, the Browns are in cap hell. Cleveland is presently $24 million over the salary cap and does not have a clear path to getting rid of Deshaun Watson’s fully-guaranteed contract. The Browns also have over $50 million in dead cap this season from previous contracts for Amari Cooper, Za’Darius Smith, and Jedrick Wills.
This is important because it confirms the Browns need to shed cap space this offseason. It is also the main reason why the Browns could be willing to trade Greg Newsome II.
The Browns picked up the fifth-year option on Newsome II’s rookie contract, giving him a cap hit of $13.38 million in 2025. If the Browns trade him this offseason, they’ll get the full amount in immediate cap relief. This move alone gets them more than halfway towards being salary cap compliant.
Enough about the Browns. Why is this trade perfect for the Lions?
Newsome II is a talented young cornerback. He has four years of NFL experience under his belt after being selected with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Newsome II had a down year in 2024, but played much better during his first three seasons in the league.
He is also a scheme fit for how the Lions like to play defense. Under former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, the Lions played a ton of press man coverage in a cover 1 shell. There is no guarantee that new DC Kelvin Sheppard continues that approach. Since he was part of Glenn’s defensive staff for the past three seasons, it is safe to assume it stays the same.
Newsome II excels in press man coverage. In fact, PFF called him one of the best cornerbacks in press coverage during the 2023 season.
Adding Newsome II could help fill out Detroit’s cornerback room. Especially if they lose veteran Carlton Davis III to free agency.
The Lions currently have Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., and Amik Robertson as their starting cornerbacks. Newsome II would instantly become a starter alongside Arnold and allow Robertson and Rakestraw Jr. to play in the slot and serve as backups.
Detroit would still have $39 million in cap space after acquiring Newsome II. Both sides would almost certainly agree to a long-term contract extension shortly after the trade, which may change that number a small amount.
If the Lions are confident that Greg Newsome II is the right fit for the team, they should seriously consider trading for him this offseason.
The post Perfect trade Lions must complete in 2025 NFL offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.
