NFL Trade Rumors: Detroit Lions aren't looking to trade WR Marvin Jones
The Detroit Lions (3-3) are still giving themselves a chance to compete for a playoff spot in the NFC North, as evidenced by Tuesday's acquisition of four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Everson Griffen from the Dallas Cowboys.
The veteran Griffen is expected to help Detroit's defense, which has struggled to establish a pass rush and ranks near the bottom of the NFL with only eight total sacks.
Detroit's offense is a middle-of-the-pack to bottom-half unit that can use all the playmakers it can get. That's why the rumors of the Lions shopping wide receiver Marvin Jones around for a trade are likely untrue, according to MLive's Kyle Meinke.
NFL Trade Rumors: Detroit Lions want to keep Marvin Jones
Jones, 30 years old, is in his ninth NFL season and his fifth with the Lions. He cracked the 1,000-yard barrier in 2017 for the only time so far in his career. Last season, Jones caught 62 passes for 779 yards and nine touchdowns. He was a valuable contributor as the Lions' No. 2 receiver behind Kenny Golladay.
This season, Golladay has missed time with injuries and Jones hasn't been as productive when thrust into a No. 1 receiver role.
Jones has 19 catches this season for 226 yards with one touchdown. Last week's win over the Atlanta Falcons was Jones' best performance so far this season, as he gained 80 yards and five receptions.
When Golladay returned to the lineup, Jones went back to his comfort zone as Detroit's second receiver. The talk of trading Jones before the Nov. 3 picked up steam, but Meinke wrote that he didn't know where it came from.
It’s true, Jones hasn’t been very good this year. But that means he would fetch even less in a trade anyway. If the Lions got a third-round pick for Golden Tate, who was still their best receiver and on track for his best season in 2018, what are they going to get for Marvin Jones in decline? A fifth-rounder maybe? And what good is that going to do Detroit in a win-now kind of season?
In two weeks, the Lions face the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings. In a game against the Vikings last season, Jones had four touchdowns to go with 10 catches for 93 yards.
That could be the game that gets Jones back on track this season and reminds Lions fans why the team would want to keep him for a run at the playoffs.