From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, the question will be whether any team can put together a package to entice the Las Vegas Raiders to trade pass rusher Maxx Crosby this offseason.
Trade speculation regarding Crosby particularly ran rampant this week, with reports from FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. As a result, there’s talk about what a team would need to offer to land one of the pass rushers in the NFL.
On a Feb. 6 appearance on CBS Sports HQ, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones shared a major update on the Crosby rumors, revealing what a team would need to offer in a trade.
“I think we’re talking about two first-round picks [for Crosby],” Jones said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that that’s what you’re talking about with Maxx Crosby… So, who has two ones to give up? If you’re the Raiders, do you have to have the two ones this year?”
Moreover, Jones notes that if the Raiders do trade Crosby, the team will need to spend money to reach the cap floor, whether through free agency or what they receive in a trade.
“They have a salary cap floor that they have to spend to, if they remove Maxx Crosby from the equation, one of the highest-paid players in the NFL and their highest-paid player, they need to start paying some players too to reach that established floor,“ Jones added.
“It is not as simple as, ‘Oh, send Maxx Crosby away, get a couple of rookie first-rounders, and that’s that.‘ There’s actual, real financial math that has to be taken care of on that. We’ll report more on that as time goes along.”
What NFL Teams Could Be In on Maxx Crosby?
As for what teams could be in the mix for Crosby, it was easier for Jones to rule out two teams that might not want the Raiders star.
“Again, it’d be silly for me to sit here and tell you, like, ‘Here are the top three teams to watch,‘” Jones added. “I’m telling you that 31 teams want Maxx Crosby. Like, the Green Bay Packers aren’t going after him because they have Micah Parsons, and what they just gave up for Parsons.
“But outside of that, outside of the Cleveland Browns, who also have an extra first-round pick. Everyone’s going to want Maxx Crosby.”
Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Sets Record Straight Amid Trade Rumors
Despite all the rumors, Crosby is playing no mind to the noise outside regarding his future. Amid the speculation, Crosby broke his silence on the matter during a Feb. 6 appearance on “The Herd.”
“It’s funny,“ Crosby told host Colin Cowherd. “I’m glad you brought it up, because it’s like, damn if you do, damn if you don’t. For me, in the past, I’ve learned that being too vocal and too involved with trying to make, I want this coach, or I want this. I’ve learned my lessons, and I’ve learned from that. That’s not my job…
“But you can’t control everything. I’ve learned that. Now that I’m quiet, now I’ve got random people making big statements for me. They’re like, ‘Oh, Maxx must have told them this.‘ For me, I just sit back and laugh, because I know my truth. When I go to bed at night, I have a smile on my face because I don’t have to explain nothing to nobody.”
Insider Shares Big Raiders News Amid Maxx Crosby Trade Rumors