The Detroit Lions have a pivotal offseason on the horizon, as general manager Brad Holmes will look to bolster a roster that is one of the deepest in football but fell flat in the divisional round versus the Washington Commanders.
Though the Lions’ season ended in disappointment and head coach Dan Campbell has to replace both coordinators, as Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn landed head coaching jobs this week, Detroit still has an incredibly bright future.
Holmes has done a terrific job building the team through the draft and patching up other holes in free agency, and one of his best draft choices as Lions general manager came in 2022 when he selected edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson with the No.2 overall pick.
Though Hutchinson played just five games in 2024 after fracturing his tibia and fibula during the team’s Week 6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, the former Michigan standout has established himself as one of the most dominant pass rushers in football and is a franchise cornerstone for the Lions.
When healthy, Hutchinson is a game wrecker with Hall-of-Fame potential, but Detroit could use another formidable defensive lineman opposite the 24-year-old. Though the Lions have much bigger needs and should try to save some draft capital, The Wright Way Network’s Daniel Alameda predicts Holmes will pull off a blockbuster trade for Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
The Detroit Lions are in the process of transforming their team from a “Playoff Contender” to a Super Bowl contender. Outside of Aidan Hutchinson who got hurt this season, they need pass rush badly, hence their move to go and trade for Zadarius Smith. Smith has one more season with Detroit, which shows a long-term issue at the EDGE outside of Aidan.
He brings a gritty mentality that would fit in perfectly with Detroit’s culture, which has always prided itself on toughness and resilience.
The question is if the Lions would be willing to give up major assets for Crosby, and there is a world where they just trust Brad Holmes to keep drafting elite talent. On the flip side, the Lions organization is losing their two coordinators in Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn to head coaching gigs, so they know the urgency that must be attacked when it comes to their Super Bowl window. Pairing Crosby with Hutchinson immediately gives Detroit the best pass rushing duo in the NFL, and would help their Super Bowl Push immediately.
This trade has a slim chance of happening for multiple reasons. Crosby still has multiple years left on a massive $94 million contract, and though the Lions have enough cap space to endure his deal, the team still needs to get an extension done with Hutchinson. It’s unlikely Detroit will be able to pay two pass rushers top-of-the-market money.
Additionally, the Lions just traded for Za’Darius Smith at the 2024 trade deadline, and the veteran is under contract for another year. It wouldn’t be smart for Holmes to invest more resources into the pass rush.
Though trading for Crosby will be challenging and likely wouldn’t work financially, there’s no denying that the Raiders superstar would take Detroit’s pass rush to the next level. Crosby has been selected to four consecutive Pro Bowls and has totaled three double-digit sack seasons since entering the league in 2019.
The former Eastern Michigan standout’s future in Las Vegas is uncertain, as he left the door to playing elsewhere open during an episode of his podcast on Jan.8.
“Obviously, there are a lot of decisions to be made,” Crosby said on his podcast recently. “On a personal level, I gotta make the decision that’s best for me. I’m gonna see. We don’t know what the coach or front office is going to look like. There’s gonna be a lot of changes.”
If Crosby lands on the trade market, it will be tough for Detroit to pull off the blockbuster deal, but there’s always a chance.
