On Tuesday, just hours before the deadline, the Detroit Lions traded T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings, upgrading a Day 3 pick into a Day 2 pick in each of the next two NFL Draft cycles. Jeremy Reisman and I broke down the deal in an impromptu podcast after the deal was announced.
There are several reasons the Lions likely made this deal. Hockenson was set to cost $9.4 million (fully guaranteed) in 2023, a significant amount for a team that has been trying to dig out of the financial burden left by the previous regime.