The Detroit Lions fell well short of their Super Bowl aspirations in 2024 and now must look to reload the roster in order to make another run in 2025.
If the Lions want to take that next step forward, they’ve got to improve the pass-rush after the unit finished with just 37 sacks, which was tied for 23rd in the NFL. Injuries most definitely played a part in that, but that doesn’t change the fact that Detroit needs to add more depth and a long-term running mate for Aidan Hutchinson.
With that in mind, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport listed the Lions acquiring Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby as a “dream offseason trade scenario” for Detroit.
“Crosby would be costly, both in terms of the draft capital needed to acquire him and the new deal he would almost certainly want,” Davenport wrote. “However, there isn’t a team in the NFL more in ‘win-now’ mode than Detroit. And it’s no secret the Lions need a batterymate for Aidan Hutchinson on the edge.”
To be clear, the Raiders don’t intend on trading Crosby, and he has not requested to be traded, either. But he has expressed frustration with the state of the franchise in the past due to losing and a lot of turnover. The four-time Pro Bowler has left the door open for himself to be playing elsewhere at some point as a result.
“I’ve had doubts in the past,” he said. “I feel like this past year was the hardest part of my career. Battling through injury the whole year, struggling, losing 10 games in a row. Up here, it makes you start questioning a lot of things.”
But recently, Crosby revealed that he’s “the most optimistic I’ve been” in recent years after the hires of Pete Carroll as head coach and John Spytek as general manager, which likely means he’s going to stick it out in Las Vegas for now.
However, if the Raiders have another dreadful season like the one they just had in 2024, it’s not crazy to think Crosby could demand a trade at the deadline, or next offseason.
Of course, if Crosby does become available at any point this year, the Lions should be all over it, assuming they don’t make another dream trade for Cleveland Browns superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett.
Crosby would take Detroit’s defense to another level by forming the most formidable pass-rush duo in the NFL with Hutchinson, and that tandem would undoubtedly increase the Lions’ chances of winning a Super Bowl.
And, Crosby would definitely have interest in going to the Lions, seeing as how he grew up a Lions fan and Detroit would give him a great chance to compete for a Super Bowl.
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