mark davis
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Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis.
This offseason wasn’t the first time star defensive end Maxx Crosby was mentioned in trade rumors. However, in the past, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis was quick to shut down those rumors.
This time around, he stayed suspiciously quiet. Turns out, the Raiders were ready to trade Crosby, as he was sent to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks.
It was becoming increasingly obvious that the Raiders’ and Crosby’s timelines weren’t matching. The Raiders are rebuilding, and Crosby is getting closer to 30 and wants to win games. He may have been willing to stick around for another coaching change, but the team’s decision to sit him out for the final two games of the season fractured the relationship beyond repair.
According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, Davis did previously meet with Crosby during the season, and the two mutually agreed that it was time for a fresh start.
“Mark Davis knew it was over; it was really just a matter of giving his blessing,” Tafur wrote.
“So the Raiders’ owner went to Maxx Crosby’s house two months ago, and the two talked for hours about the pass rusher’s issues with the present state of affairs in Las Vegas. They shared some laughs about the past and then agreed that maybe it was time to have different futures.”
Davis & Crosby Had Falling out Over Antonio Pierce
Davis and Crosby had about as close a player-owner relationship as there was in the NFL. The Raiders let Crosby excercise a lot of influence.
However, that also led to some behind-the-scenes drama. Crosby was previously very vocal about wanting Antonio Pierce to be the head coach after he impressed in the interim role in 2023. He went so far as to suggest that he’d want a trade if they went in a different direction.
That really irked Davis, per Tafur.
“Davis didn’t speak to Crosby for months after that. Worse, Pierce was ill-prepared for the permanent job of managing a team and had a falling-out with star receiver Davante Adams as the Raiders lost 12 of their first 14 games,” Tafur wrote. “It was another lesson for Crosby, who had tackled sobriety after a rowdy rookie year with the Raiders. He went back to just focusing on playing football and pushing teammates to follow his maniacal training and practice habits.”
Will Raiders Regret Letting Go of Crosby?
This is the second time in less than a decade that the Raiders have traded a superstar pass rusher for two first-round picks. If they could go back, they probably wouldn’t do the Khalil Mack trade. The two players they selected with those first-round picks were Johnathan Abram and Josh Jacobs. Abram wasn’t on an NFL team last season, and Jacobs now plays for the Green Bay Packers.
Meanwhile, Mack continues to play at a high level despite being in his 30s. It’s possible that the Raiders will also regret the Crosby deal. They need to nail the draft picks that they got because Crosby is likely going to have a ton of success in Baltimore. Nobody faults the Raiders for trading Crosby, but they can’t afford to squander those first-round picks.