The idea of the Detroit Lions trading Jameson Williams is one that usually gets shut down immediately by fans. But on Tuesday, that exact scenario was thrown into the spotlight, and it came from 97.1 The Ticket, the Lions’ flagship radio station.
A recent national trade proposal involving the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders lit the fuse. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell suggested a blockbuster that would send DJ Moore and a 2026 first-round pick to the Raiders in exchange for Maxx Crosby and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
That’s when Detroit entered the conversation.
Jameson Williams trade rumors
97.1 Host Floats Williams-for-Crosby Swap
While filling in for Mike Valenti, longtime radio host Michael Stone **(Stoney)**tweaked the proposal, replacing DJ Moore with Jameson Williams, and asked listeners whether the Lions should make the deal.
Stone didn’t hesitate to explain why he would.
“I am sorry Rico. I like Jameson Williams. But, if you already have Amon-Ra St. Brown on your team,” Stone said as quoted by Lions OnSI. **”You have Isaac TeSlaa on your team, who you invested some draft capital in, you take the unbelievable edge rusher anytime to pair up with Aidan Hutchinson, and you figure out the cap stuff later.
“It’s like a no-brainer,”** Stone added. “Because you can draft somebody, who may not be as good as Jamo, because he is getting better and I like JAMO a lot. … I would try and figure it out.”
Stone’s logic was simple: elite edge rushers like Crosby rarely become available, and Detroit’s defense, particularly the defensive line, remains the roster’s biggest question mark.
Rico Beard Pushes Back — Then Comes Around
Co-host Rico Beard initially expressed skepticism, noting the backlash he received earlier in the week after agreeing with a caller who suggested trading Amon-Ra St. Brown in a different scenario.
Still, after hearing Stone’s argument, Beard acknowledged the uncomfortable reality of landing a player of Crosby’s caliber.
“I’m with you,” Beard said. **”They way it is going now, it doesn’t seem like it is going to work. You have very limited picks in this year’s draft. I don’t even know if you are going to spend those picks on defensive players. You’ve got to revamp the offensive line. That is your top priority, because all of your money is invested on the offense.
“You’re quarterback is about to make a ton of money, unless you restructure his deal,”** Beard explained further. “You’re first two picks need to be an offensive tackle and an offensive guard or a center. If you want to fix this thing quickly, you get rid of one of your assets for a player that can come in here and help you out.”
Why This Conversation Won’t Go Away
Jameson Williams is coming off his most complete season yet, and the Lions still believe in his trajectory. But Detroit is also firmly in win-now mode, and Maxx Crosby is the type of defensive player who can tilt the field immediately.
The uncomfortable truth? Acquiring an elite defender usually requires sacrificing something fans don’t want to part with.
Whether or not Brad Holmes would ever entertain such a deal is another question entirely — but the fact that it’s being debated on Detroit’s flagship station shows just how desperate the Lions’ need for defensive dominance has become.