Lions could ease Maxx Crosby pain with veteran edge-rusher addition

For years, the Detroit Lions fan base has been salivating over the idea of getting Michigan native Maxx Crosby back to his home state, but it hasn't happened, and it likely won't ever happen.

Crosby is back in Las Vegas after a botched trade with the Baltimore Ravens, and Lions general manager Brad Holmes seems to have zero interest in bringing on a high-cost veteran edge-rusher such as Crosby. Plus, the Lions really don't need to spend as much as Crosby would cost on an edge rusher, because their 2026 NFL draft class includes Michigan Wolverines edge Derrick Moore, and they made a free-agent signing in D.J. Wonnum.

But, even with Moore and Wonnum in the fold, the Lions could use veteran depth in the edge position, and they don't need to pay a high price for it. There's still an available edge-rusher on the free-agent market who could make for a solid fit.

Dan Campbell and the Lions should consider this still-available edge-rusher

In a piece out on Monday, ESPN's Matt Bowen pairs the Lions with Jadeveon Clowney, who has seemingly dated every team in the NFL, but he's currently available. Well, not every team, but Clowney has been with seven NFL teams, the most recent being the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.

"Detroit drafted edge rusher Derrick Moore in the second round to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson on pass-rushing downs, but Clowney would provide more depth up front," Bowen notes in the piece. "He had 8.5 sacks and 32 pressures last season in 13 games for the Cowboys, winning late in the down to get to the quarterback. Clowney would provide rotational value for coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's unit."

Brad Berreman of SideLion Report adds: "The percentage chance the Lions sign Clowney is a whole lot lower than whatever it might've been in March. But as long as he's available, the former No. 1 overall pick should be somewhere on the radar as a top free-agent fit."

While it's certainly the case that the Lions don't seem poised to add to their edge-rusher room before September, if they were to make that move, Clowney would make sense. He brings a tough, veteran presence to the field at an ideal rate, and that's something the Lions could rely on when players start to get injured.