5 teams that could trade for Jets running back Le’Veon Bell

3. Detroit Lions

Head coach Matt Patricia (9-22-1 over two seasons) and general manager Bob Quinn are on heated up seats, so the Lions probably have to make the playoffs (or at least get close) this year. There’s a case for them to rise up the NFC North this year, with no dominant team in the division and a healthy Matthew Stafford giving them a chance.

Kerryon Johnson is a promising back. But he has missed chunks of time in both of his seasons (14 missed games), and the Lions took the opportunity to draft De’Andre Swift in the second round of April’s draft. A backfield timeshare is coming, and if Johnson is injured again the rookie out of Georgia would become the unchecked lead guy.

Detroit currently has the third-most cap space in the league ($29.248 million, via Over The Cap). So they are in position to take on money this year if it comes to that, and for the next couple years.

For better or worse, Patricia has preferred to rotate running backs. So if Johnson were sidelined fro a while early in the season, a trade for someone besides Bo Scarbrough to pair with Swift could be on the radar. A lighter workload might even be very good for Bell.