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Feel the Bern: What’s with the Lions’ Hockenson trade?

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 30: T.J. Hockenson #88 of the Detroit Lions runs for a first down during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Ford Field on October 30, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) (Leon Halip, 2022 Getty Images)

The Detroit Lions officially said goodbye to the 2022 regular season today.

And they did it on a day the entire team is off. That means no response from the front office as to whether its true! So make your own judgement. The Lions traded tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Vikings for a 2nd and 3rd round raft pick. But along with Hockenson the Lions also sent two 4th round picks to the Vikings.

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Season over! Right!?

Let’s start with trading one of the your only offensive pieces. Of course you can do that, but did the Lions really get that much in return? When you’re sending two 4th round picks along with the player and get two picks back, its a tough argument to make. Not to mention, you traded him to a team within the division?! Yes you did.

The one rule that most teams live by in any sport is -- do not trade a player to a team within your division. He’ll be back many times to see you in the future. Maybe the Lions hadn’t heard that.

Now as for trading a 25 year old tight end who was a number one pick in the 2019 draft. If you are trying to secure pieces to build the offense, this is a guy you’ve got to keep. No one can dispute that. But trading him for several picks and who knows how that will turn out, you may have missed that reasoning also.

By now I’m sure you’re getting the sense that this trade is not one we would have made. But we’re not Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes.

Of course Hockenson will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this regular season. So maybe the Lions grand plan to to resign him when he becomes available. Sure that would be a genius move. But we know that genius moves are not the norm when dealing with this franchise. But look at the bright side.

The season is over after just seven games. What are you going to do with all those free Sundays?