It’s the offseason, which means it’s time again to debate the Detroit Lions making a big, splashy move at defensive end.
While I think the discussion is generally tired, because general manager Brad Holmes has often said that the team is not necessarily in a position to make a big move considering all of the hefty contracts that will be due for their own players, it is a new offseason, and it’s possible his priorities have changed.
Plus, with the recent comments from NFL insider Jay Glazer speculating that Maxx Crosby has played his final game with the Las Vegas Raiders, it has sparked the discussion again over social media. Now, to be clear, Glazer’s comments are speculative in nature, and neither Crosby nor the Raiders have made any sort of public comments on the defensive end’s future. That said, last year ended with some issues between the two, and it’s certainly possible that Crosby doesn’t want to endure yet another Raiders rebuild, as Glazer suggests.
The Lions have a huge need for a defensive lineman opposite Aidan Hutchinson, and the opportunity to have an All-Pro talent like Crosby doesn’t come along very often. So today’s Question of the Day is:
Should the Lions trade for Maxx Crosby?
My answer: This is going to sound like a cop-out, but they certainly should at least entertain the idea.
For one, Crosby has spoken highly of the Lions’ organization several times. He’s praised Dan Campbell, Penei Sewell, and even expressed some envy that his childhood favorite team is finally getting good when he plays for another team. His admiration for this organization likely means he’d be very agreeable to join Detroit should the right deal come along.
Plus, Crosby just fits everything the Lions are about. He’s relentless, just as good in the run game as he is in the pass game, and he can give opposing offenses fits trying to figure out where to deploy extra help between himself and Hutchinson.
But cost always needs to be discussed when proposing a blockbuster trade like this, and this trade would come at an enormous cost for the Lions. Glazer suggests the trade could net the Raiders more than the Cowboys got in the trade for Micah Parsons. As a reminder, here were the terms of that trade:
Packers get:
- EDGE Micah Parsons
Cowboys get:
- DT Kenny Clark
- 2026 first-round pick
- 2027 first-round pick
I don’t know what the Lions’ equivalent of a Kenny Clark is, but the point is, it would cost the Lions at least two first-round picks, likely more. Given how strong a drafter Holmes is—and Detroit’s need to continually add young, cheap talent to offset their expensive foundation—that’s a pretty big risk.
In terms of his contract, the Lions would assume the remaining four years on Crosby’s deal, which includes salaries between $26.5-30 million for each season. While only his 2026 salary is guaranteed, the structure of that deal is interesting. Detroit could continue to restructure those salaries into signing bonuses to lower its cap hit significantly in the short term, but kick the can down the road into future years.
In short, I think the Lions could actually make it work with those restructures—but given that players like Jared Goff, Penei Sewell, and Amon-Ra St. Brown are also likely headed for contract restructures, we’re talking about a Saints-like cap situation down the road. At some point, that bill is going to be severely limiting, something I’m unsure the Lions will be willing to endure.
While I think the chance that Holmes does something like this is pretty unlikely, I’ll admit I’m a little more open to it than I have been in past years. It’s still pretty irresponsible financially, but it does feel like there’s a little more urgency right now, given what happened last year and given some of the potential losses facing Detroit’s defense this offseason. And it’s not every day a Maxx Crosby-like player can fall into your lap.
What do you think about a Maxx Crosby trade? Should the Lions go all-in? Is it even worth talking about, given Holmes’ propensity to keep most of his big moves internally? Share your thoughts at the bottom of the page.
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