Detroit Lions Trade Deadline LIVE: Cisco Is In, LaPorta Is Staying, and the Clock Is Ticking to 4 PM
It’s here. The trade deadline is today, Tuesday, Nov 10, at 4 p.m. ET. And for the Detroit Lions at 6-2, winners of four straight, this is Brad Holmes’ final chance to tweak a playoff roster.
Here’s where things stand right now.
The Lions made their first move Monday afternoon. Safety Andre Cisco is a Lion. Detroit sent a 2028 sixth-round pick to the New York Jets and waived tight end Jackson Meeks.
Cisco is 26, a six-year pro, originally a third-round pick in 2021 out of Syracuse. He’s played 80 games, started 59, with 8 interceptions. This season he lost his starting job in New York and had fallen to special teams only.
In Detroit, Dan Campbell sees him differently.
“We’ve liked Cisco from afar,” Campbell said Monday. “He’s athletic, he’s versatile. He knows our system. He knows the verbiage.”
That last part is why this move makes sense for a mid-season addition. Cisco played under Lions secondary coach Deshea Townsend in Jacksonville and under former Lions DC Aaron Glenn with the Jets. He can play safety and nickel, which gives Detroit flexibility with Brian Branch back, Kerby Joseph working his way back from a knee injury, and rookie Keith Abney.
But is Holmes done?
Campbell left the door wide open.
“Brad hasn’t stopped,” he said. “Doesn’t mean that we’re not still looking; see if there’s something else that makes sense for us.”
This morning on his weekly radio spot, Campbell was asked if anything else is close, like the Za’Darius Smith deal two years ago that broke during his radio hit.
“No, we’re not going to trade for Za’Darius, and as of right now there’s nothing that I’ve heard in the last 10 minutes,” Campbell said.
So nothing imminent, but hours remain.
The biggest rumor that popped Monday: tight end Sam LaPorta. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported teams have called about LaPorta, who is in the final year of his deal and has been vocal about wanting to get paid. The Lions’ message to teams, per Fowler: they want to keep him and work out a long-term deal. He is not expected to be moved.
What about cornerback and linebacker — the two spots everyone is watching?
Dave Birkett’s list in the Free Press has 10 names, mostly defensive backs, including Philly’s Riq Woolen and Washington’s Mike Sainristil, the former Michigan star who has six interceptions his first two seasons but has played just eight defensive snaps the past three games.
The Lions don’t have a true No. 1 corner right now, and they rotated five corners against Green Bay. They also lost Jack Campbell to a serious neck injury on Nov 1 — he was placed on IR Saturday but has full movement in his lower body and is making progress with his upper body — plus rookie Jimmy Rolder for the season.
League-wide, prices are steep. Jacksonville traded Monday for Jessie Bates III (cost: a 2nd and 5th) and Jordan Davis (1st and 2nd). Detroit isn’t likely to pay that for a luxury.
History says if Holmes moves again, it will be at the last minute. All three of his deadline trades — Hockenson in 2022, Peoples-Jones in 2023, Za’Darius in 2024 — happened on deadline day. Last year he made no move.
The clock is ticking. Cisco is in. LaPorta is staying.
Will Holmes make one more call before 4 p.m.?
Stay locked here. We’ll update this tracker live.
