If there’s one team that has become known for making dramatic moves, it’s the Dallas Cowboys.
After trading All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers before the 2025 regular season began, Dallas saw its pass rush (unsurprisingly) decline significantly. The Cowboys currently have 31 sacks heading into Week 18, which is ranked 23rd in the NFL.
With no dominant edge rusher to pair with interior defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, oddsmakers believe Dallas is going to make a big move this coming offseason.
BetOnline has listed the Cowboys as the betting favorite to trade for Raiders star Maxx Crosby, with Dallas listed at +300 odds. The Philadelphia Eagles (+400), New England Patriots (+500), Los Angeles Rams (+600) and Chicago Bears (+700) round out the top five favorites.
There’s Some Serious Tension Happening in Vegas Right Now
GettyThe Dallas Cowboys are the betting favorites to trade for Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.
There’s a ton going on with Crosby and the Raiders right now. Crosby has 73 tackles, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles and his first career interception in 15 games this season, but a lingering knee issue ended his 2025 campaign and landed him on the injured reserve list. His shutdown for the remainder of the year is a big part of the current tension.
According to Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer, Crosby is upset about being ruled out late in the year. FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer confirmed as much. The Raiders DE posted clips of himself playing basketball and jumping on a trampoline after the team placed him on IR, sending trade speculation into overdrive.
“Crosby’s loyalty to the Raiders … has endured a lot since he was drafted in 2019,” Breer wrote on December 29. “He’s played for Jon Gruden, Rich Bisaccia, Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce, and, now, Pete Carroll, with another coaching change potentially coming. The one time he made the postseason was under an interim coach, Bisaccia, following the Gruden scandal. He’s been steadfast in wanting to make it work in the Silver & Black. That said, the five-time Pro Bowler didn’t like the decision to shut him down being taken out of his hands, and didn’t like how it was communicated to him.”
Breer then dropped this nugget:
“My sense is this will likely lead Crosby to consider all of his options. He’ll be 29 by the start of next season and has a lot of mileage on his body after finishing each of the past three seasons hurt. His contract is tradeable, and the Raiders still look like they’re a couple of good offseasons away from contending. Now, he can take his time cooling off. However, I’d imagine as the combine and free agency draw closer, Crosby’s situation will be a point of conversation.”
More on the Dallas Cowboys Being the Favorite to Land Maxx Crosby in a Trade With Raiders
Considering the current issues between Crosby and the Raiders, it would behoove Jones to try to make a move. Dallas needs pass rushers, and Crosby is still in his prime.
Fiscally speaking, adding Crosby wouldn’t be easy for Jones and company, though. Dallas is $48 million over the salary cap next year, so the team is going to have to make some big-time decisions and a few painful cuts. That’s not to say trading for Crosby isn’t possible, because it is — it’ll just take a ton of maneuvering.
Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension in March of 2025, with $91.5 million guaranteed, tying him to the Raiders through 2029. He has cap hits of $35.9 million in 2026 and $30 million in 2027, with a potential out in 2028.
Crosby has 69.5 career sacks and has consistently lived in opposing backfields, and if he’s healthy, he’s worth every penny. With the rival Eagles also among the favorites to trade for him, making a move for Crosby seems like something Dallas should move to the top of its to-do list this offseason.
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