Last week, I alluded to the idea of Detroit setting up a trade to bring Randy Moss to the Motor City. That idea came from some talk of Detroit needing a standout wide receiver, and Randy Moss not enjoying his stay in Oakland. While some thought that the idea was a little out there, others felt that Detroit could be going after a different Raiders wide receiver. It turns out, that is true.
The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that Matt Millen has talked with Raiders' owner Al Davis about the possibility of trading for Joey Porter, but has not yet made an offer. This is according to a league source, and is beginning to float around the NFL world. Here's the exact quote from the SF Chronicle:
Today, on some of the sports talk shows, many brought up the comical question of whether or not Matt Millen has some kind of fetish for wide receivers. It certainly does seem like it. Three straight first round draft picks were wide receivers, then free agent signing after free agent signing has brought in a few new faces, and finally, the possibility of trading for a wideout is now brought into discussion.
I don't know if Matt Millen does have a thing for pass-catchers, but this is definitely a big thing to consider. As the quote stated, Porter did ask to be traded before the season, and was inactive for last week's game. Take those two things into consideration and I could see Oakland trading him away if the right deal was there. As far as the Lions side of things, I'm not sure whether they would make a trade.
Some say there is a need at the wide receiver position, although I think Detroit has more than enough WRs. But, a trade like this could be a way to jump-start this team. Porter wants to find a new team, and could easily take over as the go-to guy in the Lions' offense.
Those character issues are something that could lead Detroit away from actually making an offer or accepting a deal, but in the mean time, it'll just be speculation to what will happen. I'd like to see this only if the Lions didn't have to give up too much. I said it when talking about a trade for Randy Moss, maybe Mike Williams could be included in this deal. He has been inactive for the first two weeks of the season, and could use a change of scenery.
Time will only tell if an offer is even made by Matt Millen. I don't know if I'd like the deal or not. I guess it'd depend on the situation at hand. But, at this point, I really don't see a reason to go after Porter.