The Las Vegas Raiders thought the direction of the offseason was going to be quite different. Defensive end Maxx Crosby has been the face of the franchise and the locker room’s biggest leader.
He decided that it’d be in his best interest to play elsewhere this season, and he got his wish when the team agreed to a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. In a stunning turn of events, the Ravens backed out at the last minute, and the Raiders have to figure things out.
The dust has started to settle, and Crosby has suggested that he’s fine just staying in Las Vegas right now. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, there’s a strong chance that Crosby ends up staying put.
“I’d believe Maxx Crosby and the Raiders when they tell you they’re moving forward together,” Breer wrote. “Here’s why: Las Vegas was never going to give Crosby away. And when teams tried to look for such a deal in calling the Raiders after last Tuesday’s physical fiasco, they heard as much.
“Could someone come along and offer the ransom number for Crosby? Sure, but I don’t see that being likely.”
NFL Execs Weigh In
The Raiders have a difficult situation to balance. Fortunately, both Crosby and the Raiders handled the trade respectfully, so it shouldn’t be a problem trying to mend fences.
That said, Las Vegas is a rebuilding team. Two first-round picks for an aging defensive end was a really appealing transaction for a team that’s trying to go young. The Ravens have created a whole mess for the Raiders, and executives around the league don’t know what they’ll do.
“They were still trying to get their head around what happened,” a general manager told SportBoom’s Jason La Canfora.
“And then Crosby comes out (on social media) and says he’s a Raider again. They’re in a weird spot.”
It sounds like the dream of getting two first-round picks is dead, but people expect Crosby to put up huge numbers.
“We didn’t think at this age he was worth two ones (first-round picks),” the general manager told La Canfora.
“But he’s going to kick ass for you. This guy never wants to come off the field and he’s more motivated now than ever.”
Crosby Trade Market Could Heat Back Up Later
The Raiders trading Crosby right now is likely off the table. Teams are going to come in and try to get a discount, which Las Vegas doesn’t want to accept.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano pointed out that a Crosby trade could come down the road.
“As the draft gets closer, teams start to get more serious about trades, because waiting until after the draft means waiting a year to use the picks you get in return for players,” Graziano wrote. “If not before the draft, talks for these players could heat back up after June 1, when it would make more sense from a cap standpoint for the Eagles to trade Brown anyway. Then there’s August, when training camp injuries create new needs and teams decide their Plan A’s might not work.
“Brown and Crosby might very well be on their current teams when Week 1 rolls around. But we shouldn’t assume they will just because they didn’t get traded last week.”
What’s the Latest on Maxx Crosby’s Status With Raiders?