The Detroit Lions have given cornerback Dre' Bly permission to seek a trade, according to the Detroit Free Press.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Matt and Rod allowing me the opportunity to find a home for Dre' Bly that is more conducive to his Pro Bowl skill set,” said Kennard McGuire, who represents Bly.
Bly has made it to the Pro Bowl twice, in 2003 and 2004.
The problem is that Bly is a cover corner, but the Lions have installed the Tampa 2 defense, which requires corners to play a lot of shallow zone defense and provide solid support against the run.
Bly signed with the Lions in 2003 after spending the early years of his career with the Rams. In 2007, Bly is scheduled to earn a salary of $4.2 million.
Because 2007 is the last year of his contract, the Lions will take no cap acceleration by trading or releasing Bly.
The one thing that isn't clear is whether this was Bly's idea, or whether the Lions have decided to get rid of him, but are first hoping to get something for him in lieu of cutting him loose.
The Lions went through that same exercise a year ago with quarterback Joey Harrington. He was going to be released absent a trade, but the Lions were able to send him to Miami for a second-day pick.
It's fitting, then, that Bly could be suffering the same ultimate outcome in Detroit as Harrington, given that Bly publicly blamed Harrington for the termination of former coach Steve Mariucci.
"We're all at fault, but I just feel like Joey's been here four years, and being the No. 3 pick in the draft, he hasn't given us anything," Bly told the Free Press at the time. "He hasn't given us what the third pick in the draft should give us."
