Pros and Cons of Lions Trading for QB Taylor Heinicke

Read more on the pros and cons of the Detroit Lions trading for Washington Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke.

Detroit general manager Brad Holmes has done his best this offseason to maintain team continuity while adding talent to the roster.

However, Holmes has ignored the most important position on the team. He has ignored the quarterback position. 

But, maybe, he has not been ignoring it. 

Maybe, he has been waiting all along to make a trade for Washington Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke. 

One thing is for certain: There is no way Holmes can afford to leave Detroit as vulnerable as it is right now under center. 

Lions starting signal-caller Jared Goff is up and down, and his backups -- Tim Boyle and David Blough -- would probably not even be backups anywhere else in this league. 

The way things stand, if Goff falters or gets hurt, everything Holmes and Detroit head coach Dan Campbell have done to turn this proverbial ship around would sink like a rock next season. 

Having Heinicke would be the insurance policy Detroit desperately needs. 

For fans not familiar with Heinicke, he has lived a movie-script life. He has literally gone from crashing on his sister’s couch to giving Tom Brady’s Buccaneers everything they could handle in the playoffs, as Washington’s QB a couple seasons ago. 

Heinicke is an unorthodox, fiery competitor, who has a personality much like his childhood idol growing up, QB Brett Favre. 

Heinicke has that same gunslinger mentality, as well - - to a fault. 

In 16 games for Washington last season, Heinicke went 321-of-494 (65 percent passing) for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. 

Timm Hamm of FanNation writes, “It grants Heinicke an opportunity to go to a team that could value him more. And it gives Washington the best opportunity to invest in their recent acquisitions a little more.” 

The recent addition of Alabama star wide receiver Jameson Williams by Detroit would be alluring for Heinicke, too.

Vincent Carchietta, USA TODAY Sports

On game film, I went back and looked at Heinicke in the following three games last season: 9/16 against NYG, 10/10 against NO and 11/29 against SEA. 

I picked up on three things: Heinicke looked efficient working the short passing game, he was best outside the hashes, at the intermediate route level, and his deep game left something to be desired. 

He showed a lot of poise and good mechanics in the pocket. He was as tough as nails, both as a passer and with mobility as a runner. 

The big thing Heinicke brings to the table is heart. He has a level of compete that is higher than most players in the game today. There is no quit or give-up in this guy at any time. 

On the downside, Heinicke’s passes over the middle, at the intermediate route level, tended to sail high on him, which led to some incompletions and trouble. 

Heinicke held the ball too long at times in the pocket, as well. 

Like with his childhood idol in Favre, this led to him making some ill-advised and dangerous, “what were you thinking-type" passes that stemmed from him trying to do too much.

As for the financial cost, it would be a move that would be salary-cap friendly for Detroit, and the move would not cost much in draft capital, either. Washington has not hidden its disrespect for Heinicke or its intentions. 

Heinicke is scheduled to make $1.5 million in the last year of his contract in 2022. 

All things considered, it would be a trade that would make sense for everyone involved.