Brad Holmes Calls D’Andre Swift Trade A ‘Win-Win’
I’m not sure any team had a worse performance during the 2023 NFL Draft than the Detroit Lions. With the 12th pick in the draft, Detroit took the second best running back in the draft that would have went in the 4th round if the transfer portal didn’t exist. In a flurry of terrible moves later, Lions general manager Brad Holmes then gave away his best running back D’Andre Swift away for pennies on the dollar. When asked about the trade, Holmes called it a win-win for all parties involved.
“I always say, and I think I told you guys around the [T.J.] Hocknsen trade, is it’s my job to keep laser focus on the present but probably, more importantly, keep laser focus on the future,” Holmes said in his press conference. “And that’s what went into a lot of the decision with having to make the trade with D’Andre Swift to Philly. He was [going into the] last year of his contract and if I go back to last year, I felt really good about us being able to bring back Jamaal Williams. I felt confident as the season ended. I felt good about our conversations with his camp. And it didn’t happen. so, you have to just be prepared for all those things.
“We don’t draft scared. We don’t play scared. The thing with Jahmyr Gibbs is, that’s the guy that we loved. But, again, having to keep that laser focus for the future, all these things become a part of it. But also, we want to do the right thing for the player. So, that’s kind of how we do it.
“I think at the end of the day, him being able to go back to his hometown on a really, really good team that was just in the Super Bowl, I think it was a win-win for all parties involved.”
K. Whatever you say Brad. You did a whole lot of talking in circles to get nowhere. Something dumb people do. I very much disagree with the premise that this trade is a win-win so I’ll do my own trade grades.
Eagles: A+
Philadelphia just got their hands on D’Andre Swift who averaged 5.5 yards per carry for the Lions last year. He also caught 48 balls on top of that. Swift is also in the final year of his rookie contract and will cost next to nothing this year. Philadelphia gave up a 2025 fourth-round pick and they swapped 7th rounder. Guess what? If Swift walks next year, Philadelphia will get a comp pick for his services that will likely fall right in line with the value of that pick. There is no risk and they got the best player in the trade.
Lions: F
You took a running back in the first round that was on the verge of losing his job to Jase McClellan. A running back that two years ago was splitting carries with Jordan Mason at Georgia Tech. I like Jahmyr Gibbs but the idea that he’s worth the 12th pick in the draft while playing at a position that’s been completely devalued is brain dead. I don’t even need to mention the part where you dumped Jamal Williams for a worse player in David Montgomery. I don’t even need to mention the part where you would have gotten a comp pick for losing Swift the following year. This is what bad organizations do and it’s classic Lions. A team that has sucked for my entire lifetime.
How’s that for an explanation? I didn’t talk in circles. I just gave you the truth. Why should we believe in what the Lions are doing again?
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