Bob Quinn and the Detroit Lions wound up not making any moves one way or the other at Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. But that doesn’t mean Quinn wasn’t trying to bring in talent to upgrade the Lions.
According to a report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Quinn and the Atlanta Falcons were engaged in serious talks over Falcons RB Devonta Freeman. Detroit’s GM and his Atlanta counterpart, Thomas Dimitroff, ultimately could not reach a deal for the 27-year-old two-time Pro Bowl running back.
This is the second notable player the Lions attempted to trade for but ultimately did not. The other is Broncos Pro Bowl CB Chris Harris, who would have been a 9-game rental for the rest of 2019.
Freeman missed almost all of 2018 and is running for just 3.4 yards per carry in 2019, a number weighted down by the Falcons’ dismal 1-7 record. From 2015-2017 he was one of the NFC’s most consistent rushers, running for exactly 3,000 yards and 29 TDs.
There is no indication of what Dimitroff, himself a former Patriots descendant, wanted for Freeman, or what Quinn was willing to offer.
