Chances of a Maxx Crosby trade to the Dallas Cowboys have dropped but, they're 'not over' yet.
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Chances of a Maxx Crosby trade to the Dallas Cowboys have dropped but, they're 'not over' yet.
The Detroit Lions lost out on their chance to land Maxx Crosby the first time the star edge rusher went up on the trade block, and a new prediction could bring an even worse scenario for Detroit.
Crosby returned to the Las Vegas Raiders after his trade to the Baltimore Ravens fell apart, leaving an uncertain future for the star edge rusher. Though insiders report the Raiders have no immediate plans to trade him, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes that might change at the upcoming NFL draft — with Crosby heading to one of Detroit’s NFC rivals.
Eagles Predicted to Land Maxx Crosby, Thwarting Lions
In an “all-trade” NFL draft prediction, Barnwell suggested the Raiders could ship Crosby to the Eagles in exchange for their first-round pick, a third-round pick next year, and edge rusher Nolan Smith Jr.
While Barnwell suggested that the Eagles could consider sending wide receiver A.J. Brown, it would make more sense for the Raiders to build up on young talent.
“The Raiders wouldn’t land two first-round picks or get as high a first-rounder as the one they were set to receive from Baltimore, but this would be a reasonable return,” Barnwell wrote. “Las Vegas could use the 23rd pick on a wide receiver who fits Mendoza’s timeline better, such as Omar Cooper Jr., who was the quarterback’s teammate at Indiana. The Raiders would land a third-round pick in next year’s draft, although the Eagles probably wouldn’t be sending a pick in the upper half of the third round to Vegas here.”
That would be a rough development for the Lions, who were pegged as top contenders to land Crosby as a pairing to Aidan Hutchinson. Seeing him head to an NFC rival would be especially difficult, making the path back to the playoffs even more difficult for the Lions.
Lions Could Make Low-Cost Pass Rush Upgrade
The Lions have been searching for a competent counterpart to Hutchinson, finding some moderate successes but no long-term solution to their pass-rushing depth. ESPN’s Matt Miller believes the Lions could try again later this month, using a Day 2 pick on another edge rusher.
Miller predicted the Lions would use their second-round pick on UFC edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, who could immediately move into a starting spot.
“We’ve been begging for the Lions to pick an edge rusher to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson,” Miller wrote. “Lawrence is a speedy, upside rusher with 4.52 speed and a 253-pound frame. He can easily slot in for departed free agent Al-Quadin Muhammad and be a Week 1 starter.”
NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein suggested that Lawrence could blossom into an NFL star, noting that he has all the physical tools necessary to snag a starting job and succeed in the league.
“An NFL-caliber edge rusher with prototypical size and length, Lawrence moves with the suddenness of a smaller player,” Zierlein wrote. “Explosive get-off and a deep bag of moves/counters fuel his pocket disruption. He can win inside or outside but his speed-to-power conversion is average. His hands are subtle but skilled to quickly unlock openings and his secondary rush. He closes with burst and has the motor to hound scrambling quarterbacks.”