The Detroit Lions didn't swing a trade for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. this week, but it wasn't for a lack of trying.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said Friday, Oct. 2, the Lions "were very much in on" trade talks for Porter, who was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dallas Cowboys late Wednesday night for a second-round pick in 2028 and a sixth-round pick next spring.
"Brad was − he’s been on it for a while," Campbell said of general manager Brad Holmes. "And it was – that’s been ongoing ,and everything's got to align right and the Cowboys did what they wanted to do. But we were very much in on it."
The Lions are 2-1 entering this week's game against the Carolina Panthers but rank last in the NFL in passing and scoring defense and 31st in yards
allowed.
They've allowed the most 20-plus-yard pass plays (16) in the league, and three games into the season they already have shuffled starters in their thin secondary.
Last week, the Lions moved Roger McCreary to the No. 2 cornerback spot in place of Rock Ya-Sin and played Ennis Rakestraw off the bench in the No. 3 cornerback role. McCreary played inside in the slot when Rakestraw came on the field.
This offseason, the Lions cut 2024 first-round pick Terrion Arnold, their most talented cornerback and a starter when healthy the past two seasons, after he was arrested on eight felony counts of assault and kidnapping in Florida.
They also have not had starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch on the field this season because of injuries, though Branch is close to returning to practice from a torn Achilles tendon. And despite prominent question marks about their secondary, they failed to address it in any significant way this offseason.
Porter, 26, is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, though a tier below the game's elite cover men.
He is in the last year of his contract and sat out the Steelers' first three games while awaiting a new deal.
The Cowboys agreed to acquire Porter, who can be a free agent in March, without signing him to an extension. Porter is reportedly seeking about $30 million a season on his next contract.
Campbell indicated the Lions still are in the market for help for their secondary.
"Just like any area, man, it’s non-stop," he said. "Brad’s constantly looking to upgrade this roster at every position. If we can find somebody that we feel like fits us, that can help us and the value’s right, we will."
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions 'were very much in on' Joey Porter Jr. trade
