The Detroit Lions were so good at their jobs during the 2023 NFL draft that the spectacular class they fielded has now come back to haunt them three offseasons later.
Detroit’s problem is that all the top talent it accumulated during that April three years ago is now extension-eligible, and the Lions either have to pay them all and figure out less expensive measures to address their other roster deficiencies, or they have to let at least one player go.
The most likely name is tight end Sam LaPorta for a couple of reasons, which Dan Graziano and Ben Solak of ESPN laid out on Wednesday, February 25 when they listed him as a potential trade candidate as the new league year approaches on March 11.
“The Lions have four 2023 draft picks they want to extend — LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell and Brian Branch — and there are people around the league who wonder whether they’ll be able to get all of those deals done or if they’d have to trade someone,” Graziano wrote.
But even despite the circumstances, the ESPN duo clocked the chances of Detroit actually parting ways with LaPorta at just 10 percent.
“Even if the Lions can’t extend LaPorta, I think the odds of them trading him are extremely thin, as Detroit still sees itself in a win-now window,” Graziano continued.
Sam LaPorta’s Production Has Dipped Since Rookie Year, as Injuries Have Become Factor
GettyDetroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta.
Solak noted that the two main reasons LaPorta is a trade candidate, even if an unlikely one, is because of his recent injury history, which is tied to a decrease in production from his rookie year.
LaPorta entered the league with a splash, tallying 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 TDs . He earned a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro honors while finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting.
The tight end’s stats dipped in Year 2 to 60 catches, 726 yards and seven scores. He also missed the first game of his career, logging 16 starts in 2024. LaPorta sat out nearly half of last season (eight games) and finished the campaign with 40 grabs for 489 yards and three touchdowns.
Despite those concerns, and a recent back surgery, Solak suggested the 25-year-old still has significant trade value because of his potential upside.
“LaPorta … remains one of the most exciting young receivers at the position,” Solak wrote. “Teams looking for a high-volume receiving tight end might be willing to spend a draft pick now on LaPorta, instead of risking a bidding war in free agency in 2027 should he come back to form.”
Lions Run Risk of Losing Sam LaPorta Next Offseason Without Extension
GettyDetroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta.
LaPorta has one year remaining on his $9.5 million rookie contract. Spotrac projects his market value at approximately $51 million over a new three-year contract ($17 million annually).
As a former second-round pick (No. 34 out of Iowa), the Lions don’t hold a fifth-year option on LaPorta’s contract that could lock him in through 2027 like they do with Gibbs and Campbell. Thus, if Detroit doesn’t extend him within the next year, LaPorta will hit unrestricted free agency next March and could become exceedingly more expensive.
Graziano and Solak named the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans as the three best potential team fits for LaPorta if he does hit the trade block in the coming days.
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