The Detroit Lions face a massive risk to their trade plans due to circumstances with Terrion Arnold. While Arnold hasn't been charged with a crime, he's been implicated in one.

And if the allegation proves to be true, it throws a massive wrench in the Lions' plans because of the potential consequences Arnold might face in the NFL, such as suspensions and more. This would force the Lions to change their plans.

They were looking to sign star edge rusher Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders. Crosby had signed a $106 million, three-year contract with the Raiders, but may look to leave after having troubles with the Raiders’ management last season.

A potential trade for Crosby with two first-round draft picks given to the Raiders was a very real possibility, something that General Manager Brad Holmes does not typically do, preferring to draft rookies and develop them into stars.  

After the Arnold situation, the talks between the Raiders and Lions have been put on hold despite getting backing from the front office for a Crosby trade.

With the cornerback position now potentially open, the Lions have to look for a long-term replacement, as legal troubles may take time and involve multiple suspensions from the NFL.

This would mean that the Lions should now look to utilize the first-round draft picks to get a cornerback instead of an edge rusher like Crosby.

Potential options that Detroit Lions could look for in place of Crosby

If the Maxx Crosby deal does not materialize for the Lions, they could look at alternate options. One of them would be Trey Hendrickson from the Cincinnati Bengals.

Christian Booher of Sports Illustrated has identified Hendrickson as a good fit for the Lions.

“There are several high-end defensive free agents in this year’s crop, and the Lions may be inclined to find their complementary piece to Aidan Hutchinson in free agency instead of the draft. Trey Hendrickson is the top free agent available, though his value may have dipped after an up-and-down 2025 season hampered by injury,” he said.

Another option that the Lions could consider is veteran Joey Bosa of the Buffalo Bills. ESPN’s Matt Bowen has said that Bosa’s playstyle would complement Aidan Hutchinson well.  

What do you think the Lions should do if they were to lose out on Crosby? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Shyam Hari

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar