Lions could sign $21M former second-round pick released by Bears over Jaelan Phillips trade
The Detroit Lions are neck and neck with the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North right now. Coming into the season, their biggest priority was finding a consistent pass rusher to play alongside Aidan Hutchinson. Al-Quadin Muhammad has now emerged as that player, stepping up in Detroit to fill the role opposite Hutchinson.
“I think we all know that we have a guy opposite of Hutch now. I think we’re pretty safe to say that Muhammad is a guy opposite Hutch, not just another guy we’re throwing out there," Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard said. "But he’s been tremendous. I mean, you’ve literally seen Muhammad line up at the nose, the three-technique, the edge, and hasn’t batted an eye.”
The Lions have also been linked to several other pass rushers, including Trey Hendrickson and Jaelan Phillips. However, Phillips carries some injury concerns that may be difficult to overlook.
“Injuries have reduced Phillips' explosiveness and range. But he has the physical tools that teams look for on the edge. With his long 6-5 frame, Phillips can play as both an edge setter and a pocket disrupter. He has 25 sacks and 117 pressures over his five-year career,” ESPN’s Matt Bowen wrote.
The Lions could also decide to go in a different direction than pursuing a trade. In fact, they might look to sign a veteran who was recently released by their NFC North rival, the Chicago Bears.
“Walker is not going to play as large a role as he played for the Bears last season. However, he will not cost any draft capital to acquire, and the Lions could sign a short-term, team-friendly deal with him,” Detroit Jock City’s Cem Yolbulan wrote. “For a player who will be the fourth or fifth pass rusher in the rotation, the Lions could do much worse, making it easy to see why GM Holmes should prefer signing someone like Walker over a Phillips trade.”
The smartest move for Detroit may be to go after the cheaper option. Walker is hungry for another opportunity and could provide valuable depth and production.
Detroit’s defensive depth would skyrocket with his addition — and securing Walker on a team-friendly deal would be far more valuable than giving up assets in a trade.
With Dallas reportedly eyeing Maxx Crosby, analysts say the Patriots should strike fast. Armed with top cap space and a hungry defense, New England could use the Raiders’ All-Pro pass rusher to reignite their playoff hopes.
There has been plenty of speculation over the last few weeks about the Patriots' potential activity ahead of the NFL's trade deadline on November 4, both in terms of trading for and trading away players to improve their roster this season. Not much has been said about their plans directly from Mike Vrabel and Co., but more intriguing names continue to pop up that would be excellent additions to inquire about.
Most conversation has surrounded wide receivers and running backs, and while either position makes sense for the Patriots right now, adding a legitimate threat in the pass rush could be considered the best use of their league-high remaining cap space this year.
They now have a new potential trade target to call about, as NFL analyst and insider Trey Wingo revealed that the Raiders are receiving calls about the availability of EDGE Maxx Crosby. Although he only mentioned that the Cowboys have called so far, it implies there might be a chance that offers for the veteran could be considered.
Breaking: according to sources the @dallascowboys have made inquiries with the @Raiders about a potential trade for Maxx Crosby
— trey wingo (@wingoz) October 21, 2025
That leaves the Patriots with no choice other than calling Las Vegas about Crosby, no matter what the cost might be.
The Cowboys certainly make the most sense, since they traded away Micah Parsons last month and now have an extra first-round pick that the Raiders would likely want in return. However, that doesn't mean the Patriots shouldn't seriously consider a trade for many reasons, especially since their defense could use him and his contract is pretty friendly, too.
If Maxx Crosby becomes available for trade, there's no reason for the Patriots not to make an offer
Among the more vulnerable groups on the current roster, the Patriots' pass rush could easily use the most upgrading. While Harold Landry III and K'Lavon Chaisson have been solid additions and have had some standout moments, their performance is not consistent enough to feel comfortable relying solely on them for the foreseeable future.
That's where a guy like Crosby makes sense. At just 28 years old, he is still in his prime and expected to play at a high level for years to come. This season alone, he has already recorded 28 combined tackles, 10 for a loss, nine quarterback hits, four sacks, an interception returned for 19 yards, five passes defended, and a forced fumble.
That kind of production is not something that can be replicated, and the Patriots could further boost their chances of a playoff run by adding him to their defense. It won't be cheap to accomplish, but they (at least) know they can take on his contract no problem.
Trading ED Maxx Crosby
New Team Acquires
2025: $20.3M (gtd)
2026: $30M (gtd)
2027: $29M
2028: $27M
2029: $28M#Raiders Dead Cap
2025: $18M
2026: $5.1M
Crosby's $29M 2027 salary fully guarantees next March, making this a 2.5 year, $80M contract for practical purposes. pic.twitter.com/UhT4ibebfR
— Spotrac (@spotrac) October 21, 2025
What the Raiders will want in return is expected to be steep, and considering how good Crosby is, he's certainly a player worth investing in.
It's a position the Patriots were likely to address next offseason, but there aren't many options that could surpass what Crosby would bring to their team. So if this is their chance to add him to the team, they need to take advantage of it.
Updated reporters suggest the Raiders are not actively shopping Crosby, meaning the chances of him being shipped off are not in the Patriots favor. But it doesn't hurt to inquire, especially since Micah Parsons was traded and he was deemed off the table by the Cowboys.
