GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 08: A detailed view of a Detroit Lions helmet prior to a game between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field on January 08, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Lions defeated the Packers 20-16. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Detroit Lions substantially outbid them for the 24th overall pick, according to the Cardinals 2024 NFL Draft video.
This is the season when NFL teams begin to release their 2024 NFL Draft behind-the-scenes footage. The most recent team to release war room video is the Arizona Cardinals, and it has a passing reference to the Detroit Lions.
According to the video, the Dallas Cowboys and the Cardinals were discussing a possible trade-up to select number 24. The Cardinals were scheduled to select second overall with the 27th pick, two spots ahead of Detroit’s 29th pick. In actuality, the video claimed that they had already hammered out the terms of the agreement.
In a phone conversation, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort stated, “We’ll give you 27 and 104 and we would take 24 and 174.” OK, give me a call back. Naturally, (it depends on) whether or not our guy’s there.
That would be the last time this trade is referenced, as the Cardinals would end up just staying put and making their selection at Pick 27 (Darius Robinson). It’s not clear from the video why the Cardinals didn’t make the trade up. Was their player taken off the board, or were they simply outbid by the Lions? Dallas got a much more lucrative deal for the 24th pick from Detroit
Here are the parameters of the Lions’ trade:
Lions get:
- Pick 24
- 2025 seventh-rounder
Cowboys get:
- Pick 29
- Pick 73 (third-rounder)
And here is what was at least the first draft of the potential trade between the Cardinals and Cowboys.
Cardinals get:
- Pick 24
- Pick 174 (late fifth)
Cowboys get:
- Pick 27
- Pick 104 (early fourth)
If you’re curious, here’s the net gain/loss for each team by various trade charts.
Lions trade
- Rich Hill model: Lions -29 value (loss of fourth-round pick)
- Fitzgerald-Spielberger model: -508 value (loss of early fifth-round pick)
Cardinals proposed trade
- Rich Hill model: Cardinals -4 value (loss of late sixth-round pick)
- Fitzgerald-Spielberger model: -201 value (loss of late seventh-round pick)
The Lions trade was clearly more valuable for the Cowboys, but before you go screaming “OVERPAY,” remember that this was just a framework deal between the Cardinals and Cowboys. There is no guarantee Dallas would have gone through with it without a counteroffer.
That said, it was undoubtedly a hefty price for the Lions to pay to move up five spots. But if Terrion Arnold is as good as they think he is, no one will be complaining about the price in a few years.
