The Detroit Lions are in the kind of training camp stretch where the work should be the story. Instead, ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum decided to drag them into one of the stranger trade ideas imaginable: a push for Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
Tannenbaum framed it as a “no brainer,” arguing the Lions should send two second-round picks to Las Vegas and add Crosby to a defense already featuring Aidan Hutchinson. He tied the idea to Detroit’s quarterback situation, the health of Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, and the release of Terrion Arnold, saying, “You have a quarterback who's a lot closer to the end than the beginning.
And, earlier in the show, Dan Graziano reported from Vegas, and Maxx Crosby's practicing. To me, this is a no brainer.
You're in a win-now mode with pressure, go give up two 2nd round picks if you're the Detroit Lions, and go get Maxx Crosby. Kerby Joseph isn't healthy, Brian Branch isn't healthy, understandably they cut Terrion Arnold.
You wanna cover up some questions in the secondary? Put Aidan Hutchinson in one side, and Maxx Crosby in the other.”
The problem is that the idea falls apart fast.
Crosby’s cap hit is more than $35 million this year, and it sits in the $27-29 million range for the rest of his deal. That would land alongside cap hits for Hutchinson, Jack Campbell, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff, and other key pieces of the roster. For a team that has clearly built through the draft and paid its own core, taking on that kind of contract would squeeze flexibility everywhere else.
Detroit also does not appear to be shopping for a headline-grabbing edge-rush answer. The team used Derrick Moore as its draft investment at the position this year, and training camp has also included DJ Wonnum, Payton Turner, Alim McNeill, Tyler Lacy, Ahmed Hassanein, and Tyleik Williams as pass-rush options.
That part matters because this is not a front office that tends to chase the splashiest route. The Lions have made a habit of finding help on the margins and building around their young core, for better or worse, and the early camp signs suggest they’ve found useful depth without having to make a Crosby-style swing.
That’s why the proposal feels so out of step with how this team operates. It asks Detroit to take on a massive contract, sacrifice draft capital, and reshape its roster plan for a move that does not line up with the way the Lions have been putting this thing together.
And yes, it’s easy to see why a show like “Get Up!” would float a bold idea like this. But being bold is not the same thing as being sensible.
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As of Saturday morning, none of the three had signed, leaving the situation unsettled for now. The timing is worth watching because the possible opening could be connected to Aidan Keanaainas absence, though his status still isnt clear, and Detroit may need to sort out how urgent the need really is before making any move. [Read more 🡒]