Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek did not mince words at the NFL Combine this week when asked about star edge rusher Maxx Crosby’s future with the team.
“I do, yes,” Spytek said bluntly when asked if he anticipates Crosby to be on the Raiders for the 2026 season.
“Maxx is an elite player and I’m very upfront that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them. It’s hard to build a great team without elite players.”
That might be tough news to hear for some Detroit Lions fans. Crosby has been the subject of rampant trade rumors for the better part of at least two years now, and Detroit has often been tabbed as a top destination.
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The fit seems to make sense on paper. The Lions have been needing a legitimate running mate opposite Aidan Hutchinson off the edge for some time now, and Crosby is a two-time All-Pro who has recorded double-digit sacks in three of the past four seasons, with 69.5 on his career.
Throw in the fact that he was born in Lapeer, Michigan, played his college ball at Eastern Michigan and grew up a self-admitted “diehard Lions fan,” and it’s easy to see why so many Detroit fans have clamored for the team to make a move for the pass rusher.
Hutchinson himself said earlier this week that it would be a “dream scenario” to be playing alongside Crosby, although he admitted to not knowing “how real this actually is” and “it doesn’t sound like it’d be something they pursue.”
That, along with Spytek’s comments, might be the dose of reality Lions fans need.
Of course, from a pure football perspective, Crosby would indeed be a dream fit opposite Hutchinson. He’s the kind of edge rusher the Lions tend to like. Crosby is a big, powerful pocket-crusher who plays with a high motor and a well-documented hyper-competitive drive. He’s one of the best players in the NFL and would fit right in with Detroit’s culture.
But there are more factors at play here when you consider how the Lions would have to go about getting Crosby on their roster in the first place. Las Vegas’ asking price is likely to start at one first-round pick and will probably take significantly more than that.
The Lions aren’t exactly loaded with draft capital, and don’t have a treasure trove of first round picks lying around. General manager Brad Holmes has been aggressive with his draft capital in the past, but a move for Crosby would be mortgaging the future to a level not before seen under his direction.
Plus, Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension last March and is now under contract through the 2029 season. That’s a fair price for a player of his caliber, but the Lions’ ability to stomach that money is questionable when they just gave their own edge rusher (Hutchinson) a four-year, $180 million extension last October.
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Couple in the fact that the Lions are expected to give running back Jahmyr Gibbs a big payday soon, along with impending decisions about 2023 draftees Brian Branch, Sam LaPorta and Jack Campbell, and it’s tough to see where Crosby’s contract fits into all of that.
Not to mention Detroit is paying big money to Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Jameson Williams, Kerby Joseph and Alim McNeill.
Crosby is a phenomenal player at one of the Lions’ biggest positions of need. Detroit absolutely needs to prioritize upgrading the edge position this offseason, but taking on Crosby’s contract and paying Vegas’ asking price might be biting off more than they can chew.
It’s far more likely to see the Lions target this position in the early rounds of the draft or go for a cheaper option in free agency or the trade market. That might be frustrating for some fans to hear after Detroit failed to adequately address edge rusher last offseason, but it’s the reality of the salary cap era.
And who knows? Maybe Crosby still gets traded. We’ve seen crazier and more dumbfounding things happen. But Detroit might not be as likely a destination as some Lions fans might hope.