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Detroit Lions NFL Draft: Sam LaPorta & Edge Rusher Trade Analysis
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Apr 10, 2025
Mike Payton talks about the possibility of the Detroit Lions trading up into the top 5 of the NFL Draft, and what it would cost them. *The Lions Could Be Faced With A BRUTAL Decision During The NFL Draft...* For more LIONS coverage: Facebook: Instagram: Twitter/X: TikTok: #detroitlions #lionsnation #lionsfootball #detroitlionsnews
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0:00
There is always a nuclear option
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And if the Lions were to go with that nuclear option to get up to the top five in the NFL draft
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they're going to have to get rid of somebody. And here's who we think it could be
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I'm Mike Payne with A to Z Sports to Trade. Today we're going to talk about why there is a nuclear option for the Lions to try to trade up to the top five
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to get one of the best edge rushers in the class, and why they would have to trade a player away to get that
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And that player would probably be Sam Laporta. Now, look, calm down
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I know you might be freaking out just by the very thought of this being a possibility, but it could be
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And you really have to look at it in a few different ways. The first one is this gives you the chance to get that edge rusher, that premier guy
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that elite guy across the way from Aiden Hutchinson, and just really stabilize that defensive line
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and just be one of the best defenses in the league. Imagine if you could have Abdul Carter on the opposite side of Aiden Hutchinson
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That's a possibility. It's a real-life thing that could happen, but you're going to have to give somebody up to get that
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And Laporta would be really the only guy that makes sense Any team that going to make this type of trade with the Lions they going to want a good player They not going to want you know the third linebacker the third cornerback
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As good as you think Hendon Hooker is, no team's going to trade you a top five pick for him
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because he's just not that. He's just not that guy. The Lions are going to have to trade somebody good
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And it's just like, you know, when the Titans traded up with the Eagles, they sent A.J. Brown over there
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Tyreek Hill recently got traded for a first-round pick. Aaron Rodgers got traded for a first round pick
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These are some of the guys that are getting traded for these very high picks
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So that's why you look at Sam Laporta. The reason I bring him in is because when you look at some of the guys like Aiden Hutchinson
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Kirby Joseph, Jamison Williams, Brian Branch, Jack Campbell, Jameer Gibbs, some of these
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guys that have to get extensions soon, you are going to have to make Aiden Hutchinson
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the highest paid edge rusher. You're going to have to make Kirby Joseph the highest paid safety
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you're going to have to make Jameer Gibbs probably the highest paid running back
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You're going to have to make Jameson Williams, not the highest paid receiver
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but a pretty well-paid receiver. You're going to have to make Brian branch, one of the highest paid safeties
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If you know, he's probably number two, right after Kirby Joseph, you have to make all these guys not just well not high paid guys but like the highest paid guys These are some of the best players at their market and when it comes time for them to get contracts they going to get paid
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And Sam Laporta is not going to be any different. He's going to wind up being the highest paid tight end in the game
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Now, when you think about all the things that you can sacrifice to try to make all those other guys get paid
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to have that strong defense, to have all these great things that you want
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you start really thinking about you know do what we really need to have the highest paid tight end
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in the league you look at Trey McBride's contract it was it was gigantic it's it's big Laporte is
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going to get more than that what is the one player that you would be willing to sacrifice and now I
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look I don't want Sam Laporte to go I'm right there with you I would love if Alliance were able
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to pay all these guys and keep everyone and everybody's happy and we all you know just
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sleep well at night and don't even think about it. But one of these guys is going to have to go
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And you find yourself between Jack Campbell and Sam Laporta. Every time I get to this conversation in my head
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it's Sam Laporta or Jack Campbell. And I look at Campbell and I think, how good can he get
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And can he be the green dot of this defense Can he be a very important linebacker a very important part of this defense versus can the Lions probably find another tight end And I feel like it the latter and maybe I crazy for that
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But again, we thought it was crazy when they traded TJ Hawkinson, but it was a similar situation
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They didn't want to have to pay him what he actually wound up getting paid
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which was a lot. You have to make the decision at some point. Do you want to be a good team that pays everybody that everybody loves
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or do you want to be a great team that goes out and gets the players that they need
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at the sacrifice that you lose somebody that you love? And that's kind of the sucky part of this whole business
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And again, I don't want Laporta to go anywhere, but this is something that makes sense
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If the Lions could trade up to the top five pick and it costs them Sam Laporta
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but they get Abdul Carter and they have two unbelievable edge rushers
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It's hard not to pay that price. It really isn't. Let me know what you guys think in the comments
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I'd love to hear it. Maybe I'm crazy. But this is the nuclear option, the last thing you want to do
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But it is there. It's break glass in case of Sam Laporta, I guess you could call it
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Let me know what you guys think. We'll see you next time
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