After missing out on Joey Porter Jr., the Detroit Lions secondary is still atrocious and now they have been linked to another Pittsburgh Steelers corner.
This seems like Deja Vu. Writing about the Lions secondary needing cornerback help while they wait for Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph to return. Then they become linked to a Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback, Asante Samuel Jr., due to the depth they have at the position. Then it becomes Joey Porter Jr. due to his inability to reach a contract extension with the Steelers. Well, they missed out on Porter as he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for two draft picks, a 2027 6th rounder and a 2028 second rounder. Swing and a miss from the Lions who were linked to Porter Jr. Now it is unlikely that Samuel gets traded due to the Porter move. However, another Steelers cornerback has been linked to the Detroit Lions to try and save that group from being the worst of the worst.
Earlier Wednesday morning, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that it was a possibility that Jalen Ramsey could be a potential trade candidate for the Detroit Lions as they look to salvage the season. Fowler did not report that Ramsey was being made available, but the potential of any corner trade intrigues Lions fans as something the team should look to get done. It quite possibly cannot get any worse. Ramsey so far through this season with Pittsburgh has 18 tackles, one forced fumble and one pass defended. The thing with Ramsey is he has barely played outside cornerback any more with the depth Pittsburgh has at the position. He has found himself starting at safety for the Steelers where he has graded 68.6 from PFF which is 28th out of 93 total safeties in the league. A pretty solid ranking for the 31-year old Ramsey.
Anything would be better for this Lions defense then what they are trotting out week-after-week right now. D.J. Reed has been bad, Ennis Rakestraw looks fine but he can barely stay on the field, they are down not only two safeties, but four safeties, there are a lot of holes in the secondary. Jalen Ramsey would not be able to magically fix all of it since he is long past his prime but he is still a good option that could act as a tiny band-aid on a massive scar. That band-aid would at least be able to cover up some of the damage and potentially improve others around them.
Even if he is not available, it is worthwhile for Brad Holmes to call Pittsburgh back and inquire about Ramsey. At this point Holmes and Campbell have to consider every option available to them. Make the call and see what they can do to salvage this defense because the offense can put up points. If the defense continues to be awful and they waste the best pass rush they have had in years, then the season is a waste.
