10 trade targets not named Maxx Crosby worth Detroit Lions checking in on ahead of free agency
With new coaching staffs and front offices largely in place around the NFL, we’re barreling into the roster-shaping portion of the offseason.
On Monday, the Miami Dolphins began the annual, league-wide process of clearing cap space, waiving four veterans. Dozens more players will meet the same fate in the coming weeks, leading into the start of the new league year in mid-March, where pending free agents will be able to sign with new clubs. From there, it’s on to the draft, where franchises get a fresh injection of talent to round out their 90-man offseason rosters.
Those are the two most common ways to build a roster, but another acquisition avenue is the trade market. There are three times where activity picks up on this front: At the trade deadline in early November, when 53-man rosters are finalized ahead of the regular season, and between now and the draft.
Why now?
First and foremost, there are players who might not be seen as schematic fits for incoming coaching staffs. Remember, nearly a third of the league made coaching changes this offseason.
Secondly, there are times when a potential cap casualty carries value, if only bringing back a Day 3 pick.
Also, it’s the best time of year to meet trade requests, like the Lions did with quarterback Matthew Stafford five years ago. Plus, it’s easier for clubs to take on talent this time of year, when they know the player can have a full offseason to acclimate to their new surroundings and schemes.
Among the notable players traded this time last year were wide receiver DK Metcalf, offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, quarterback Geno Smith and offensive linemen Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney, with the latter two kickstarting roster changes that fueled Chicago’s rise from worst to first in the NFC North.
Under general manager Brad Holmes, the Lions have executed a few trades in this stretch of the offseason. As noted, the team shipped Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, returning quarterback Jared Goff and a trio of draft picks. Holmes also acquired veteran defensive tackle Michael Brockers for a late-round draft pick that offseason.
More recently, Holmes addressed a major roster need, sending a third-round pick to Tampa Bay for cornerback Carlton Davis III. That moved turned out to be a one-year rental, but opened a window into the general manager’s thinking when looking to strike a deal that can provide immediate help.
Obviously, there’s a lot of outside chatter about Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby after it’s been widely reported he wants out of Las Vegas. Bringing the former Eastern Michigan standout to Detroit to pair with Aidan Hutchinson has been a pipe dream for Lions fans the past two years, but it remains as unrealistic.
The Lions are presently several million over the projected cap, and while the team has the ability to manage that challenge, adding Crosby’s $30 million salary while simultaneously trying to extend four players from the teams’ talented 2023 draft class, is almost certainly a bridge too far if sustainable contention remains the goal.
Additionally, the Lions would have to give up at least one, probably two first-round draft picks in a hypothetical exchange, and more if Green Bay’s trade for Micah Parsons is the blueprint. Crosby is a few years older than Parsons, but that’s offset by Crosby’s manageable contract.
Look, we’re not in the business of denying you from dreaming, but here are 10 more realistic trade targets for the Lions this offseason.