NFL trade deadline: Lions coach Dan Campbell continues to tease a possible move

The NFL trade deadline is just over a week away: Tuesday, November 5th at 4:00 p.m. ET. The Detroit Lions are running out of time to sign a much-needed pass rusher, but coach Dan Campbell is keeping the team's intentions private.

During his press conference Monday afternoon, Campbell played both sides of the coin, emphasizing that the team is not in a desperate situation while also playfully teasing that a move could be looming.

“We’re still talking about it and still working on it,” Campbell said of the team’s trade options. “I'm not worried. There are other ways to create pressure. Would you like something more? Yes, you would like a little more (…), but we know. We’re still looking into it, but no, I wouldn’t say we’re in a panic.”

A few questions later, Campbell was asked directly if there was any work on the job that could be completed in the next 24 hours. That's when Campbell got a little playful.

Most agree that the Lions pass rush needs reinforcements. Not only did the Lions lose their premier passer Aidan Hutchinson to an injury that will keep him out until at least the Super Bowl, but Marcus Davenport, John Cominsky and Derrick Barnes are all on injured reserve. In the last game against the Tennessee Titans – in which Josh Paschal was also temporarily sidelined – the Lions had to play two practice players on the edge in Al-Quadin Muhammad and Isaiah Thomas while they moved Levi Onwuzurike from the inside to the outside.

In the two games since Hutchinson's injury, the Lions' defensive line has been responsible for just one sack. Although Muhammad and Onwuzurike generated six and five pressures respectively last Sunday. against the Titans.

Campbell also pointed out that Detroit has ways to solve its problems if necessary. As he puts it, “Every team has its weaknesses,” and it’s up to the coaches to do their best to compensate for that with other units. That's something Detroit may need to do by increasing its reliance on the secondary a bit.

“How can you best cover up some of your shortcomings? That’s the name of the game,” Campbell said. “We're talking about Hutch – we won't be able to replace Hutch, but there are other things we can do, and you know what? They put more strain on your backend, that's what you have to do. And we did that and they rose to the challenge. Was it perfect? No, but we get takeout, which is huge.”

So far, the Lions are second in the NFL with a +10 turnover margin through seven games. This includes the second-most takeaways on defense (15) and the second-most interceptions (10).

But it's fair to wonder if the Lions' secondary can continue this rapid pace of takeaways. Both Sam Darnold and Mason Rudolph had issues with the Lions defense doing what they wanted in the passing game. If that interception well dries up, Detroit would need help in pass rushing, and it doesn't look like that piece is currently on the roster.