Detroit Lions Mailbag: The Lions player the Raiders would probably want for Maxx Crosby

The Lions are probably not going to want to do this

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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That first Sunday without football really hit in a bad way, didn’t it? Let’s do a Detroit Lions mailbag to get a fix.

Would the Lions trade Alim McNeill for Maxx Crosby? Who would be the player the Raiders would want?

I’m going to guess that McNeill would be part of a packaged deal in this scenario. I don’t think the Raiders would go for it after McNeil’s struggles in 2025. Ideally, the Lions hold onto him, and he shows that after a year of being healthy, he’s ready to get back to the guy he was.

As for a guy the Raiders would probably want, look no further than Jameson Williams. This is a team that has no real WR1 at this time, and bringing in Williams would solve that problem really fast. The thing is that the Lions are not going to trade him. Not even for Crosby. It significantly changes their offense in a way they don’t want to experience right now. Isaac TeSlaa can be a good receiver for them, but make no mistake, he is not a Jameson Williams replacement.

So you have to ask yourself, would you give up one of the Lions’ biggest weapons and two high draft picks for a 29-year old edge rusher to join a defense that really wasn’t that bad in 2025? I know I wouldn’t if I were the one making the call. I’d probably just draft a good player in the first round.

What could the Lions’ cap space realistically be ahead of free agency?

I think the most realistic route the Lions go is a restructuring of Jared Goff’s contract, and then Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow retire. That’ll put Detroit at somewhere around $50 million. More than enough to operate. They could do a bunch of Restructures with Amon-Ra St. Brown, McNeill, and Penei Sewell, but they don’t really have to jump on those just yet.

So while they could wind up with the second most cap space in the league, I don’t think they actually go that route. A potential St. Brown restructure is really the only other move that makes sense this offseason. That would clear an extra $21.5 million.

What to do at center? Trade or draft?

Brad Holmes did list trading as a possible way the Lions could find their next center, but it’s hard to see teams giving up on good ones if they have them in the building. There are some good centers in the draft, but nobody who could start day one.

The best way to go is free agency and hope that someone like Connor McGovern or Cade Mays winds up being available when the market opens.

Cheap edge options who could outplay their contract?

Epenesa is an option, but he’s also a guy who hasn’t really outplayed his contract before. He makes sense from a depth point of view, but not from a starter point of view. Here are some guys I like for this criteria:

  • Joseph Ossai: He’s capable of getting pressure as part of a rotation. I’m curious to see what he can do with an expanded role. He had 43 pressures and 5 sacks for the Bengals last year.
  • Boye Mafe: Similar to Ossai, Mafe was mostly part of the rotation with the Seahawks, but he could bring the pressure when he got on the field, and he’s good at stopping the run.
  • Malcolm Koonce: I know Lions fans love players with injury histories. Koonce was really good in 2023. I’m curious what he looks like with more rehab time under his belt. He had a decent 2025.

What to do at tight end?

If I were Holmes, I’d sign David Njoku up first, and then I would draft Utah’s Dallen Bentley in the draft. The Lions would have three tight ends who could block well, be pass catchers, and wouldn’t come anywhere close to breaking the bank. Except Sam LaPorta. He’ll probably break the bank soon.

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