The NFL trade deadline is set to expire on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET, and while the Detroit Lions finalized a trade to acquire safety Andre Cisco from the New York Jets (and released tight end Jackson Meeks in a corresponding move), coach Dan Campbell said general manager Brad Holmes “hasn’t stopped” exploring options to improve their roster.
As the Lions improve at safety — with the expected return of Kerby Joseph and potentially Thomas Harper — Cisco is a system fit, understands the team’s verbiage from his time with former Lions defensive coordinator turned Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, and helps improve the Lions secondary as a whole.
“We liked Cisco from afar, after playing against him and even in free agency when he was in Jacksonville,” Campbell said. “So, he’s athletic, he’s versatile. He knows our system. He knows the verbiage. So, we think he’s a guy that can help us a little bit here. So yeah, we’re excited.”
Beyond the talent Cisco brings to the field, he also gives the Lions the flexibility to move some of their existing players’ roles around, meaning a player like rookie Keith Abney, who moved to safety midseason, could see his role expand again into working in a more natural role.
“Well, it gives us flexibility,” Campbell continued. “Cisco obviously played safety, played nickel. He can play other things on third down in your package. (Brian) Branch as well. We get Kerby (Joseph) back ultimately here. Kerby gives you flexibility; keep him where you need him or move him back and forth. And then you mentioned Abney. Abney has flexibility now: nickel and safety. So, that’s the case. It gives us flexibility, that’s what that it does, and also gives us depth in some ways wherever it takes place.”
As for any other potential areas the Lions might want to improve, Campbell reiterated that Holmes is exploring options, but it had to be the right solution at the right price:
“It’s about: Is there something that could help us improve? Is there really, and how much is it going to cost you? (…) That doesn’t mean we’re not still looking; see if there’s something else that makes sense for us. But our unit is playing pretty good football right now. (….) And so, it has to make sense to us, and it has to be something that we feel like that can help us, or it gives us significant depth.”
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