The San Francisco 49ers appear to be rolling with what they have at the edge position. Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams will look to bolster the team’s 20-sack total from last season.
Despite Bosa and Williams returning to aid the Niners’ pass rush, there’s speculation that the 49ers could look to the veteran free-agent market, with Joey Bosa and Jadeveon Clowney floated as potential options.
Still, could the team look at the trade market? One name that’s also in speculation regarding the Niners and a potential trade is the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Maxx Crosby.
Crosby would be a name to watch later in the year at the trade deadline if the Raiders struggle. Moreover, 49ers on SI’s Grant Cohn believes the Niners are keen on the player and noted that Crosby would be an ideal fit in the team’s locker room.
“With Maxx Crosby, I firmly believe they’re interested,” Cohn said in a June 23 video on his YouTube channel. “He would fit their locker room. He would fit their culture. I think he would go to UFC fights with Nick Bosa; I think he would hang out with George Kittle.
“I don’t know if he’d laugh at his jokes, but he would fit the culture, and he would fill a huge need, and I think the Niners want him. The question is, would the Raiders trade him to the Niners? I don’t think they care anymore. I don’t think there’s this rivalry between the teams. They’re in Vegas now.”
When Could the 49ers Potentially Pursue Maxx Crosby?
Moreover, Cohn believes that the Raiders don’t want to deal Crosby between now and the start of the regular season. If the veteran pass rusher shows that he’s healthy and that the meniscus tear in his left knee is behind him, then teams like the 49ers will be lining up for the player.
“It’s like the timeline. I think the Raiders want to get Crosby back on the field a couple of times to show that he’s healthy, which means that this is probably not going to happen in July or August; I’m thinking September,” Cohn added.
Last season with the Raiders, Crosby played 935 total snaps on defense, leading to a 79.7 overall PFF defensive grade. The veteran pass rusher generated 53 total pressures, 10 sacks, 31 hurries, 12 QB hits, and a forced fumble. Meanwhile, against the run, he recorded 46 solo tackles.
Could the 49ers Use Young Talent in a Potential Trade?
Cohn also stated that a trade closer to the deadline would allow young 49ers players to raise their trade value, potentially allowing a deal for Crosby involving one or two players.
“From the 49ers’ perspective, I think they might want to wait a little bit, too, because maybe that allows Mykel Williams to come back and be a trade chip, or it allows Renardo Green or Ricky Pearsall to become a trade chip,” Cohn said. “If Pearsall could play well for three weeks before getting injured, they could trade him. They could do something like that.
“I think late August at the earliest, but early on in the season, if the 49ers aren’t playing well, but they have an issue with their pass rush and the Raiders are tanking, it would make sense for both sides.”
Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Lands Strong Message From 49ers Insider