Potential landing spots for Lions RB D’Andre Swift

Only 24, Swift has scored five or more touchdowns in each of his three seasons, and he’s averaging nearly five yards per carry for his career. If the Lions are serious about shipping him elsewhere, here are five potential trade destinations that make sense:

Buffalo Bills

The Bills had been linked to other running backs via trade over the last calendar year (Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey), and now may be the time they finally pull the trigger. Hoping Bijan Robinson would fall to them at No. 27 was wishful thinking, but Buffalo now has a chance to add a bell-cow back without having to spend a first-round pick to get him.

Cincinnati Bengals

Following Joe Mixon’s offseason legal troubles, the Bengals are likely ready to move on, but they just need to find an adequate replacement. Swift’s $2.71 million cap hit is drastically more appealing than Mixon’s $12.79 million number, and he’s younger with less miles on his tires. Swift can do everything Mixon does, but he doesn’t come with the off-the-field headaches.

Dallas Cowboys

With Tony Pollard still on the mend, the Cowboys will likely need a contingency plan if he’s not ready for the start of the regular season. Even if he is, throwing another capable running back into the mix eases the pressure on Pollard to carry the load right away. Many reports leading up to the draft indicated that Jerry Jones was eyeing Robinson and was even willing to move up to get him. Acquiring Swift gives Dallas a perfect 1-2 punch with Pollard similar to what it had before cutting Ezekiel Elliott.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos may just have the worst collection of running backs in the NFL. While Javonte Williams did rush for more than 900 yards as a rookie, he was limited to just four games in 2022 after tearing his ACL and Denver desperately needs to add another back in case there’s any kind of setback with Williams’ recovery. The Broncos have only five picks in the 2023 draft, but they do have two third-rounders. Perhaps one of those picks could be enough to land Swift.

Philadelphia Eagles

Once Robinson came off the board to the Falcons at No. 8, Philly aggressively pursued Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. But there’s no question the team had its fingers crossed Robinson would fall into its lap. The Eagles and Broncos have perhaps the two worst running back rooms in the NFL, and Philly needs to add a playmaker at the position. Perhaps the team offers the third-round pick it got from Arizona or a Day 2 selection in 2024 for Swift’s services.