Trader Martin: Mayhew makes another deal
Trades are a rarity in the NFL, but Martin Mayhew has made five since taking the reins as Lions general manager. He dealt Roy Williams to Dallas at the trade deadline last October, then traded away veterans Jon Kitna and Cory Redding at the start of free agency, before making the Gerald Alexander-for-Dennis Northcutt swap a month ago.
That last deal paved the way for Thursday's trade that'll send WR Ronald Curry -- the odd man out for the slot receiver job behind Northcutt and rookie Derrick Williams -- to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for defensive tackle Orien Harris.
Of course, Harris himself has been traded twice in the last three months, going from Cincinnati -- where he played in 14 games, starting one in 2008 -- to St. Louis in exchange for backup RB Brian Leonard in May. Originally a fourth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006, he's joining his seventh NFL team. But the 6-foot-3, 300-pound Harris adds to the competition at DT, where the Lions still have lots of questions marks heading into training camp next weekend.
