The Las Vegas Raiders‘ failed Maxx Crosby trade with the Baltimore Ravens feels like a distant memory. He’s been back with the team, and the fences appear to be mended.
The Raiders aren’t going to be eager to trade him for less than the two first-round picks the Ravens were offering. That means that he’ll almost certainly be in Las Vegas at the start of the season.
The major thing that could put him back on the trade block is if the Raiders get off to a bad start to the season. If they’ve only won two or three games before the trade deadline, it could be time to think about a trade.
The Ravens won’t be in the mix, but there’d be plenty of teams interested again if Crosby looks healthy and dominant to start the season. The Los Angeles Rams are known to love swinging blockbuster deals. The Athletic’s Nate Atkins suggested that they could be in the mix for Crosby during the season.
“I’d also keep an eye on Maxx Crosby,” Atkins wrote. “He seems to have mended things with the Las Vegas Raiders after the trade to the Baltimore Ravens was reversed, but the organization’s approach could change if the Raiders hit another tough start to a season.”
Could Raiders Still Get 2 First-Round Picks for Crosby?
The Raiders weren’t super eager to trade Crosby away this offseason. If he hadn’t requested to be moved, the team likely wouldn’t have shopped him.
It’s hard to see a scenario where they’d really consider trading him unless they get offered two first-round picks. That offer isn’t coming until he can get back on the field and prove that he’s still the dominant pass rusher he has been. Perhaps during a rocky start to the season, the Raiders could be willing to take a first and second-round pick, but it’s not likely they’d take anything less.
Latest on Crosby’s Status With Raiders
Crosby isn’t pushing for a trade anymore, so there’s no pressure to move him. That doesn’t mean he’s still going to be with the Raiders long term, but his chances of being on the roster in Week 1 are very strong.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer thinks a trade isn’t likely to happen before the season, but he could see the talks picking back up if the Raiders struggle at the beginning of the year.
“But I don’t think anyone can say where things will go next, and it’s not hard to imagine a shift,” Breer wrote. “Let’s say, through eight games, the Raiders are struggling, at 2–6 or 1–7, and Crosby has nine sacks. At that point, GM John Spytek and Kubiak won’t have to do anything. Calls will come. Will they be receptive? It’s hard to project that far out. I don’t think it’d be smart to close the door on anything down the line, though.
“Crosby is too good a player not to have a shot at reestablishing the value he had in March, and the Raiders are still very much in a rebuilding phase. So stay tuned.”
New Team Emerges as Possible Trade Suitor for Maxx Crosby