Lions Avoid Sunk Cost Fallacy with Trade of Former First Round Pick

The Sunk Cost Fallacy

For NFL teams, one of the worst things a franchise can do is refuse to cut bait when they feel that they are too invested in a struggling player. Sometimes, not just in the NFL, invested parties will hold on to a liability simply because they have invested a large amount of time or resources. A fate that the Detroit Lions decided to avoid this year.

When the Lions drafted former Ohio State standout, Jeff Okudah third overall, the team likely thought they had their long term cornerback locked down for the foreseeable future. Instead, injuries and shaky play doomed the once promising buckeye.

Following a regime change, the Lions made the controversial decision to sell low on Okudah, trading him to the Atlanta Falcons for a measly 5th round pick. While the return isn"t much, the Lions were wise to get some value for a player that they had no interest in keeping on their roster.

If instead of trading him, the Lions kept Okudah hoping for a bounce in his value, the team would be wasting a roster spot on a player that likely wouldn"t have played a meaningful for the team. While the chances of a 5th round pick becoming a star player are slim, at least it gives the team the ability to find a depth piece or perhaps a special teams player.

Now, don"t be surprised if Detroit targets a cornerback with either of their two first round picks.

Atlanta"s Side

For Atlanta, the trade is an easy one to make. It wasn"t that long ago that Okudah was a consensus top-10 draft pick and getting that potential for only a 5th round pick is an easy call to make. While the odds seem increasingly low for Okudah to become a star, Atlanta can try him out in a new city with a different scheme.

Meanwhile, most 5th round picks don"t make meaningful impacts in their rookie seasons. If the Falcons can get even just average play from Okudah, it could be just enough to tip a relatively weak NFC South in Atlanta"s favor.

For Okudah

It"s hard not to feel bad for the once talented cornerback prospect. He awkwardly hit his head at the NFL combine before missing part of training camp and the beginning of his rookie year for a hamstring injury. Eventually he missed the end of the year needing core muscle surgery.

His follow up season was over in a blink of an eye when he suffered a torn achilles tendon in the season opener. While he was able to play this past season, his play was spotty at best.

Now, he will get a second chance to jump-start his NFL career in Atlanta.

Main image credit Embed from Getty Images