The San Francisco 49ers find themselves in a division in which the Los Angeles Rams have improved their defense with players like Myles Garret and Trent McDuffie, along with the return of Aaron Donald.
Moreover, there are the Seattle Seahawks, who are the reigning Super Bowl champions, and while they don’t have big names on their defense, they can make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
As a result, it will be interesting to see if the 49ers do anything midseason to keep themselves in the race alongside the Rams and Niners. NFL analyst Brian Baldinger would support an aggressive move by pursuing Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.
“You’re in an arms race with the Rams right now,” Baldinger said in a Sept. 1 appearance on 95.7 The Game. “This is a military arms race trying to keep up. I don’t know that Maxx Crosby is available or could be had. I have no idea.
“All I know is I was at the Sack Summit out in Las Vegas a month ago, and nobody could beat him off the line of scrimmage. Everybody challenged him. Jared Verse, pick a guy that was out there. Nobody could beat him off the ball. Nobody. He won it.”
Maxx Crosby Looks to Be Back to His Normal Self
Moreover, Baldinger notes that any team, like the 49ers or whoever, that decides to make a serious push for him shouldn’t worry about his failed physical that led to the trade to the Baltimore Ravens falling through this past offseason.
“I know Baltimore basically said that this knee is shot,” Baldinger added. “I don’t see it now; I failed a physical coming in after my sixth year, failed a physical and played six more years. They said my knee was shot. Everybody evaluates these things differently. But I feel like if you had a chance to get Maxx Crosby, he becomes your best defensive player immediately.
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.
49ers Could Use Maxx Crosby’s Leadership
Crosby would also bring a different type of leadership to a Niners team looking to win now, given that most of their top-end players are in their 30s.
“He’s just that type of, and it’s infectious, the way that he plays the game, the way that he practices,” Baldinger said. “Shanahan’s not going to beat him in the building. On any given day, he’ll beat everybody in the building. I know Max a long time, but honestly, he’s got the Michael Jordan mentality. He wants to be the best that’s ever done it. That’s how he wants to leave this game whenever he leaves this game.”
It will be interesting to see if the Raiders get off to a challenging start, but Crosby shows he’s his normal self, whether teams like the 49ers start making calls to Las Vegas about a potential trade for the veteran pass rusher.
49ers Handed Strong Trade Message on Raiders’ Maxx Crosby