Information Sourced From: Pro Football Reference
The Lions made one singular move at the trade deadline, acquiring safety Andre Cisco from the New York Jets. As expected, and as with most years, social media buzzed with both defense and criticism of Brad Holmes’ choice to not acquire a cornerback or linebacker, and his decision to add only a safety. Let’s dig in on what Andre Cisco brings to the table, and what things may look like moving forward.
Andre Cisco - Safety
Compensation Update: Cisco was obtained for the low price of a 2029 sixth round pick. That’s not a typo, a 2029 pick.
Andre Cisco joins the Lions with plenty of experience to bring to a now crowded Lions safety room. He was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 3rd round of the 2021 NFL Draft with the 65th overall pick. He spent four years with the Jaguars, and two years with the Jets. Over that time he racked up an impressive 80 games, with 59 starts varying between strong and free safety. He notched 8 interceptions with 158 yards of production, 25 passes deflected, 4 forced fumbles, and 2.5 sacks, the latest coming on Lions QB Jared Goff.
Cisco brings something the Lions can use, an experienced defender that can fill in multiple positions (SS, FS, NB). The question is will he return to his form from his days in Jacksonville, or will he continue to play as he has done in the Jets. I love Aaron Glenn, but enough players have been sent away and been functional under his tenure with the Jets that you have to start wondering if the problem is the team, not the players.
I expect that Cisco will begin as a simple rotational piece, but do think he has the upside to usurp the likes of Chuck Clark and Christian Izien if he is able to return to form. His athleticism sets him firmly above an aging Clark. Remember that Thomas Harper is also coming back soon, so the Lions may find themselves with an embarrassment of riches at safety. This likely allows for the ascending Keith Abney to fill in more at cornerback. Cisco also provides a nice addition if Kerby Joseph returns simply in the fact that he can do similar things (not at the same level of course) and could allow Kerby to play on a snap count to keep his knee in good order, while limiting the drop off in doing so.
Honestly, there is essentially zero risk here. The Lions give up a far away day three pick for a player with starting experience coming off of a couple down years. He is on an expiring contract with only 775k in cap space being consumed this season (unless he reaches certain milestones in his contract). So, he has the opportunity to earn a new contract with the Lions, who likely will be looking to upgrade this room in the future as well. All in all, low risk, high reward, I see zero downside to the move logically.
What the Lions Didn’t Do
The Lions didn’t make any moves at the positions they were rumored to be looking at: Linebacker and Cornerback. Let’s talk about both of those positions.
At Linebacker, I think the incoming return of Devin White likely stopped the Lions from doing anything crazy. The Lions linebackers also showed they were up to the task in Miami. I get it, it’s Miami, but they played well. Derrick Barnes seemed to take the responsibility of wearing the “green dot” (quarterbacking the defense) very well. Malcolm Rodriguez looked solid, and played better in coverage than most Lions linebackers. Trevor Nowaske looked good for a third linebacker. I can see why they may have not been more motivated to make a move here.
At Cornerback, I was left wanting a bit more. I would have liked to see even a lower end acquisition like the Mike Sainristils of the world. I chatted with Silver and Blues contributor MCBC to see what his thoughts were. I would describe his response as underwhelmed by the lack of move at cornerback. “I think not getting a cornerback was a mistake. I go back to when they cut Terrion Arnold and did nothing. They downgraded at talent and didn’t really move the roster.” I have a hard time not agreeing with him. The question will be can the Lions get by with the likes of DJ Reed, Ennis Rakestraw, Keith Abney, Rock Ya-Sin, Khalil Dorsey, and Nick Whiteside. If they keep playing how they have been against better competition, they likely can. Otherwise, the Lions may end up in more shootouts than they would like.
At the end of the day, the Lions are on the upswing, and we have seen four good weeks of solid football out of them, even if a unit hasn’t shown up now and then. They are currently undefeated in the division. While I am underwhelmed by not adding at least one more piece, I’ll take what we got and wait and see what happens. This team has surprised me before, perhaps they will do it again.