Brad Holmes was not shopping for trades when he dealt tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings at last year's NFL trade deadline.
"You get the call and sometimes it just lines up and it makes sense for all parties and it just did," Holmes recalled in his annual pre-draft news conference Thursday.
Holmes found himself in a similar situation last week, when the Lions traded cornerback Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth-round pick in a deal that looks like a win-win for everyone involved.
The Lions, who agreed to pay some of Okudah's salary to facilitate the deal, got a fifth-round pick for a player who was buried on their depth chart.