The Seattle Seahawks may need to make some additions to their edge rushing group this offseason, but a blockbuster trade for Maxx Crosby won’t be in the mix.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Friday that the Las Vegas Raiders shipped Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in a blockbuster deal. While the Seahawks may have missed out on a long-shot bid to add the star edge rusher, they did get a bit of a silver lining.
Seahawks Won’t See Maxx Crosby Head to NFC Rival
Seattle’s edge rush position has a somewhat uncertain outlook, which led some insiders to predict they could inquire with the Raiders about landing Crosby. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times had suggested the Seahawks could look into Crosby, but suggested the price would be too high — an assessment that may have turned out to be true.
“Certainly, the Seahawks will need to do something at the rush end spot this offseason, especially if [free agent Boye] Mafe gets away,” Condotta wrote. “But the price for Crosby — both in draft capital and salary and cap space — might be a bit much, especially when there may be other less costly options.’
While the Seahawks didn’t land Crosby, they did get a bit of good news on his final destination. Schefter reported that the Dallas Cowboys were also a strong contender before getting outbid by the Ravens.
“The Cowboys were willing to offer a first- and second-round pick to the Raiders for Maxx Crosby but, logically and understandably, Las Vegas opted for the two first-round picks from the Ravens,” Schefter posted on X.
Seahawks Have Smaller Free Agency Goals
Fresh off their Super Bowl win, the Seahawks were expected to avoid splashy moves in free agency and the trade block. ESPN’s Brady Henderson noted that the team had a relatively complete roster, so were expected to focus more on keeping as much intact as possible.
“The Seahawks don’t have any glaring needs yet, so their goal will be to keep as many of their free agents as possible. But Super Bowl rosters inevitably lose players,” Henderson wrote. “The Seahawks will need to add a running back if they can’t re-sign Kenneth Walker III, and they might need help at cornerback as well. Riq Woolen is expected to sign elsewhere, and Josh Jobe is also headed toward free agency. The Seahawks haven’t had much success with that position in free agency, so if they re-sign Jobe, they might look to supplement in the draft.”
Henderson noted that the Seahawks already had a “free agent spending spree” last year when they landed Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp, and DeMarcus Lawrence. That made a trade for Crosby unlikely, though the Seahawks were still seen as potential contenders.
“They’re in good shape cap-wise — with roughly $58 million, according to OverTheCap.com — and haven’t had to cut anyone to get there,” Henderson wrote. “But they will have to set a significant amount of cash aside for receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon in the hope they can sign two of their young stars to extensions this offseason.”
Seahawks Get Silver Lining on Blockbuster Maxx Crosby Trade