Indianapolis — On the one hand, it’s too early for smokescreens. On the other, it might be too late.
But as Lions general manager Bob Quinn and his staff began the two-month juggling act that runs from now until the NFL draft — through the start of the new league year in March and all the nonsense that’ll follow — they sound a bit reluctant to get in the game.
And maybe it’s as simple as the way head coach Matt Patricia explained it Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine, moments after he and Quinn tried to snuff out the last embers of any trade speculation involving Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.