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Brad Holmes owes it to the Super Bowl-bound Lions to add more power to DE

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Brad Holmes owes it to the Super Bowl-bound Lions to add more power to DE

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ARLINGTON, Texas – Replacing one of the best defensive players in football is truly an impossible task. And Alex Anzalone has no idea how they're going to do it.

But as one of the leaders of a Detroit Lions team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, Anzalone is hoping for a big step to fill the big void the Lions suffered on Sunday when they lost Aidan Hutchinson to a possible injury at the end of the season lost the season.

“I go on Twitter and look at all the rumors and stuff,” Anzalone told the Free Press in the locker room at AT&T Stadium after the Lions' 47-9 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. “You really don't know what it is. Whether it's true or not, but from a player perspective, you would probably expect it given where our team is and what we could potentially do.”

What the Lions could potentially accomplish this year would be win a Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.

Last season they were just one win short of reaching the game and they now have a better, more talented squad.

But they also have a new glaring hole on defense that could make this a what-if season without immediate attention.

Hutchinson, who leads the NFL with 7½ sacks, broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg on Sunday and underwent surgery after the game in Texas. The Lions haven't ruled him out for this season yet, but it feels like his return is still a long way off.

At 4-1, the Lions are well-positioned to reach the postseason even if Hutchinson doesn't play down again. They have one of the most impressive offenses in the NFL and a young defensive core that stops the run.

What they lacked before Hutchinson's injury was a second edge rusher who could be relied on to make game-changing plays, and with Hutchinson sidelined, their need on defense ahead of this week's NFC North showdown with the undefeated Minnesota Vikings only got bigger.

Marcus Davenport suffered a season-ending triceps tear in Week 3. Derrick Barnes injured his knee in the same game and could be out for the year. And inside, the Lions' depth was tested by injuries to John Cominsky and Kyle Peko.

“I feel like we have guys that are able to step in and hustle and do what they need to do out there, but (whether we trade for someone or not is a question) for sure lie to me,” defensive tackle Alim McNeill said. “That’s not my job, but I think we have guys that can come in and definitely have an impact on the game.”

Josh Paschal, who replaced Davenport in the starting lineup, Isaac Ukwu and Trevor Nowaske played most of the snaps at defensive end Sunday after Hutchinson's injury, and the Lions have other potential backup options on their roster. Levi Onwuzurike is best suited at defensive tackle, but can also play the big end spot in a pinch. James Houston had eight sacks in seven games as a rookie but has fallen off the radar the last two years. Like Ukwu, Mitchell Agude spent the season on the practice squad.

However, the Lions need more than just rotation bodies, they need a difference maker on the edge, and general manager Brad Holmes owes it to his team to find one.

Maxx Crosby is the pipe dream and a player that no one in the NFL believes is available right now. Crosby, 27, was second-team All-Pro last season and has a Hutchinson-like motor. The Eastern Michigan product has 5½ sacks in five games this season, and if he ever hits the trade market he would be at the top of almost everyone's wish list.

Trey Hendrickson had 17½ sacks last season and requested a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason due to a contract dispute. He previously played for the New Orleans Saints, which included Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn. If the Bengals (2-4) fall out of the playoff race after Week 9 before the Nov. 5 trade deadline, they could acquire their soon-to-be 30-year-old defensive end.

TRENDING: There are 7 players the Detroit Lions could target to replace Aidan Hutchinson at the time of the trade

30-year-old Haason Reddick hasn't had a bad performance this season due to a contract dispute with the New York Jets. I wouldn't trade for him considering he's out of the game, but he's posted double-digit sack seasons four straight and is a proven pass rusher.

The Lions have the cap space, if they wish, to give each of these players the new contract they would likely need to make a deal possible. If money is an issue after the big-spending offseason (and more big contracts are on the horizon for Hutchinson, McNeill, Barnes and perhaps cornerback Carlton Davis), are there other, more budget-friendly options – Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney? Cleveland's Za'Darius Smith? – who might be available.

Holmes won't do anything to destroy the core he built, nor should he. But he may need to channel some of his old boss Les Snead to make the move the Lions need to overcome Hutchinson's loss.

Of course, Snead maneuvered the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl title three years ago by saying, “Damn the picks.” He traded for Brandin Cooks, Jalen Ramsey and eventually Von Miller and Matthew Stafford to the Rams surpass.

The Rams didn't have a first-round pick in seven years and are now still paying the price for their 1-4 roster's lack of depth, but they won a Super Bowl the organization will never forget. No one is suggesting Holmes go all-in and mortgage the future for a rent-a-starter or a mediocre defensive end, but the Lions have a good enough team that acquiring a game-winning pass rusher will make all the difference could make the difference between a trip to New Orleans in 2016 and a trip to February and a third place finish in the pending NFC North.

It's much easier to negotiate deals on paper than to implement them in real life. The Lions are already missing a third-round pick in 2025, and Holmes is a masterful drafter who has every right to be stingy with the remaining picks.

But the greatest shame in life is living with regret, and the Lions are so close to glory that if they don't add to their roster for endurance and reach the Super Bowl, they're bound to have some.

Required reading: Experts agree Aidan Hutchinson will make a full recovery. When he comes back is the question

Hutchinson's injury made the Lions' biggest win of the season feel like a big loss on Sunday. The trade deadline is three weeks away from Tuesday, and as confident as the players are in each other, Anzalone can't be the only one in the locker room wondering what's next.

“It’s hard to replace a player like Hutch,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll do their best to try and get that performance somewhere.”

Dave Birkett will be signing copies of his new book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline,” at 24 Seconds Bar & Grill in Berkley on October 21 at 7 p.m. and at Stadium Cards on October 22 from 5:30 to 7 p.m & Comics in Ypsilanti. Order your copy here.

Contact Dave Birkett at [email protected]. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

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