The Detroit Lions didn’t go out and make the superstar deal that Lions fans may have wanted them to make, but they did make a solid deal on deadline day. They went out and traded a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for former Michigan standout Donovan Peoples-Jones.
You might not think of it if you look at Peoples-Jones’ stats this season, but the Lions just went out there and got themselves a definitive wide receiver two with this move. They now have their outside guy that can take some of the stress off St. Brown and even free up Josh Reynolds on the other side.
Like I said, you look at the stats this year and it doesn’t look good. He has eight catches for 97 yards. This is a Browns team that has been rolling with P. J. Walker pretty much all season long and they have been one of the worst passing offenses in the league. Even when Watson is healthy, he’s been pretty bad too. Here’s my friend Steveo to show you how bad it really is.
Peoples-Jones now comes to an offense where he has a much more stable quarterback in Jared Goff and a team that’s able to run the ball. Don’t forget that he also has one of the best receivers in the league along with him in Amon-Ra St. Brown. That’s only going to offer up more opportunity for Peoples-Jones.
Peoples-Jones is also super young. At just 24-years-old, this isn’t an aging veteran coming to town. This is a guy that can be here for the long term. The Lions will have to work out a deal for him, but it’s not going to be nowhere near the price as what some of the big edge rushers that the Lions wanted are going to command this offseason.
People-Jones has the speed and the agility to go up and get the ball on the outside at 6-foot-2. He can make contested catches. The Lions just don’t have a guy like that right now and if you read our work here, you know I’ve been saying for a while now that they need a guy like that.
Not only can he play as an outside receiver, he can play in the slot as well. That’s what attracted Lions GM Brad Holmes to him.
“Yeah, well, he brings versatility. He’s a big guy. He’s got good contested catch skills, he can play outside and he can play inside.” Holmes said. “He’s a very smart player. He’s been very, very durable. He fits everything that we’re about. So I think he’ll fit in just fine. He just he’s he’s another flavor that we’re adding to our mix. And so it’s a lot of things that he can do for us.”
The great thing here is that Peoples-Jones will have two weeks to get into the building and get acclimated before he makes his Lions debut against the Chargers in Week 10.
Again, it’s not the superstar you may have wanted, but this is a good addition that can make the Lions offense more dangerous right away.