Cade Mays Could Be the Lions' Most Movable Piece Before the Deadline

Cade Mays was supposed to be the answer at center. Now he's the player Detroit might be wise to move. With Juice Scruggs playing well in his absence, the Lions have a real decision to make before the November 10 trade deadline, and my read is they should at least listen to what the market offers.

Why Mays was the plan

The Lions wanted Mays to replace Frank Ragnow after the veteran center retired, and they backed that goal with a three-year, $25 million contract to pull him away from the Carolina Panthers. On paper, it made sense. Centers are the quarterback of the offensive line, responsible for identifying fronts and making protection calls, and finding one who can step into a established role is never simple.

The plan hit a snag late in training camp. A wrist injury forced Mays to miss most of the early part of the season, and the team had to reshuffle its interior without the player it had invested in. That's the kind of setback that tends to reshape a depth chart quickly, and it did here.

Scruggs changed the math

Then came an ankle injury in Week 8 that cost Mays more time, and Scruggs stepped into the spot and kept the line working. Here's the thing: this wasn't the blueprint Detroit drew up, but it's the best type of problem to have. Teams rarely get a clean read on a young center until he's forced into a starting role, and Scruggs has given the coaching staff a lot to like.

He also fits what Drew Petzing wants to do. Scruggs has looked like a natural piece of the offense, and that matters for a unit that needs its center to communicate quickly and stay in sync with the quarterback and guards. Keeping a player who's producing in a system he's clearly comfortable in carries real value, especially when continuity along the interior has been a question mark.

Benching Scruggs or trading him away would be hard to justify given how he's played for most of the season. That's why the more interesting question is Mays, not Scruggs.

Where the trade market could go

Several teams could use a center, and the list runs beyond Detroit's own conference. The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears are obvious candidates on paper, though sending Mays to an NFC North rival wouldn't make much sense competitively. If either club wanted him badly enough, it might take an overpay to get a deal done, and that's a conversation Holmes would have to weigh carefully.

The more natural fits look like the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots. Carolina, his former team, could also be a factor if the Lions made him available at the deadline. Those are the types of trades that tend to get done when a team wants an immediate contributor and is willing to meet a reasonable asking price.

Still, I wouldn't expect a huge return. A young center on a three-year deal with recent injury history doesn't typically bring back a premium package, and buyers will weigh the injury questions heavily. That's the reality any club in Detroit's position has to accept.

What the Lions could actually get

This isn't about moving Mays at any cost. If the price makes sense, though, it's hard to argue against it. Holmes should be focused on turning depth at center into help where the roster needs it most. Cornerback is the clearest priority, and defensive end could be another area to address. Even a modest return can be useful if it helps shore up a defense that needs more players who can affect games.

There's also a roster-management angle. The interior offensive line already has several options, including Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahoganey, and the team isn't going to bench either of them just to make room for a trade chip. That means the Lions don't need Mays on the field to keep the line functional, which gives them flexibility they didn't have at the start of the year.

My takeaway: the Lions are in a rare spot where their most expensive offseason addition has become their least essential one. That doesn't mean the door is closed on Mays, but it does mean Detroit can afford to be patient and let the market speak. If the phones start ringing with real offers before November 10, the Lions should be ready to listen and to pull the trigger on a deal that helps the defense.