The Detroit Lions traded the former overall champion for the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday. Was it the right move?
The Detroit Lions traded their former third overall pick on Tuesday, sending cornerback Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a fifth-round pick. The move came as a bit of a surprise, but not entirely from left field. Okudah was selected under the previous regime and the Lions gave free rein to several defenders such as Cameron Sutton, CJ Gardner-Johnson and Emmanuel Moseley. He had hardly been able to develop further due to several shortened off-seasons due to injuries, after all it was time for a fresh start.
Question of the Day: Do you agree with the Jeff Okudah trade?
My answer: There are two components to this. On the one hand there is the principle of trading with Okudah. I don’t think I would have pulled the plug if I had been in the Lions front office, but I understand the decision to do so. After so much turmoil Okudah has faced, a fresh start might be just what he needs. I was fine with that decision.
The other part is compensation. I don’t think you could realistically have asked for more than one choice for day three, all things considered. Since being drafted third overall, Okudah has struggled mightily and suffered a torn Achilles tendon, which can ruin careers, let alone diminish commercial value. Okudah’s stocks are low after ending the season with a bench bench. If you sell low, you won’t get a great return.
I personally don’t like the pay. I don’t think the Lions could have gotten much more than they did, but for a fifth-round pick, I’d rather have kicked the hoops if I’d seen Okudah a full offseason and see if another year works for him . Finally, I understand the downside of this. A fifth-round pick can easily be a solid rotation or special team contribution. For me, however, kicking the hoops on Okudah one last time is probably better than most of your long-term prospects defensively in the fifth lap.
But I’m not mad about it. In the end it was a fair trade and probably more than most teams could have achieved given where Okudah is at the moment.
What do you think? Would you have done things differently? Vote in our poll below and let us know what you think in the comments by scrolling down.
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