Lions trade CB Jeff Okudah to Falcons for 5th Round Pick-'23

[D6]

Lions trade Jeff Okudah to Falcons for a fifth-round draft pick

The Lions are trading CB Jeff Okudah to the Falcons

..........

This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:

Jeff Okudah quotes/ info: 2023 season

detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1662/jeff-okudah-quotes-info-season

This new thread relates to the following threads:

Lions agree to 3 year deal with CB Cam Sutton (UFA-Steelers)

detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1706/lions-agree-year-sutton-steelers

Lions & CB Emmanuel Moseley (UFA-49ers) agree to 1 yr deal

detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1711/lions-emmanuel-moseley-49ers-agree

While I was hoping the Lions could get a 3rd Round Pick for Jeff Okudah, I'm not surprised that the Lions didn't get an offer that high for Okudah. A 5th Round Pick (Pick # 159) in the 2023 Draft that's the 24th pick in the Round (originally the Jacksonville pick in Round 5) is less than I thought the Lions would get for Okudah. The Falcons already traded their own 5th Round pick to Las Vegas (# 144). Having said all of this, I'm comfortable with the trade. The following are some of the reasons why:

1. The Lions weren't going to use the 5th Year option on Jeff Okudah. Hence, the 2023 season probably would have been the final season for Okudah with the Lions.
2. Okudah probably would have been a backup CB this season, barring the injury factor. As a backup CB, the Lions probably felt Okudah wouldn't provide as much on Special Teams as other options.
3. The Lions saved around $ 5.18 million on the 2023 Salary Cap.

www.spotrac.com/nfl/detroit-lions/jeff-okudah-47596/

4. If Okudah signed elsewhere in 2024 and the Lions ended up with a 2025 Compensatory Draft Pick for him, it would have likely been less value than a 5th Round Pick in 2023.

I wish Jeff Okudah well. Unfortunately, injuries were a huge factor in Okudah not coming even remotely close to living up to his Draft Billing as Pick # 3 in 2020.

[D6]

Lions agree to pay a portion of Jeff Okudah's 2023 salary

............

It's evident that the Lions brass wanted to move on from Jeff Okudah and that his market value was relatively low.

I'm still comfortable with the trade but obviously not to the extent of when anticipating that the Falcons would be paying Odukah his entire 2023 Base Salary.

[D6]

Instant reaction to the Lions trading Jeff Okudah to the Falcons

..................

This article was written before it was publicly known that the Lions agreed to pay $1.5 million of Jeff Okudah's 2023 base salary.

Even before the Okudah trade to the Falcons, I thought it was likely the Lions would draft a CB in the top 2 Rounds of the 2023 Draft. That much more likely following the trade of Okudah.

[D6]

Dan Campbell: Trade was best thing for us and for Jeff Okudah

Lions coach Dan Campbell explains why Detroit traded Jeff Okudah

..........

With the Lions likely going to draft a CB somewhere in the first 2 Rounds of the 2023 Draft, the trade makes sense for the Lions. For the Falcons, they have one season to determine how to proceed with Okudah. I would be very surprised if the Falcons use the 5th Year Option on Okudah.

[D6]

Report: Jeff Okudah ineligible for fifth-year option after trade to Falcons

...........

It's hard to envision any of the 32 teams in the NFL using the Franchise Tag on Jeff Okudah this year, if they had the opportunity to do so. Okudah needs to have a breakout season before any team would consider making a sizable financial investment in him, moving forward.

[D6]

Ex-Lions CB Jeff Okudah carted off from Falcons practice with a leg injury

Jeff Okudah suffered an ankle injury, Falcons awaiting MRI results

...........

Hopefully, the injury news on Jeff Okudah is the best case scenario, or close to that.

[D6]

.........

Very good news under the circumstance of the injury.

[D6]

Jeff Okudah 'can't wait' to play against the Lions for Atlanta

............

Even if Jeff Okudah is on the Falcons Game Day Roster in Detroit two days from today, it remains to be seen how many snaps Okudah will have on Defense? Based on Okudah's history with the Lions, I don't anticipate he will be on the field much on Special Teams in this game.

[D6]

Jeff Okudah might not play in revenge game, but Lions believe he could still dominate

...........

With it being near certain that the Lions weren't going to pick up the 5th year option on Jeff Okudah, the flexibility the 5th Round Pick could provide the Lions in the draft (ultimately, using the pick to trade up for Brian Branch), and the salary cap savings (even factoring in the Lions are still paying $ 1.5 million of Okudah's 2022 salary), it's understandable the Lions moved on from Okudah. With Okudah having a fresh start, instead of the expectations of a former Pick # 3 of an entire draft, hanging over him.