Maxx Crosby
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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler provided an update on the Las Vegas Raiders potentially trading edge rusher Maxx Crosby this offseason.
There could be new hope for teams hoping to land star edge rusher Maxx Crosby, but the Buffalo Bills are facing a warning to stay away from the trade.
Crosby returned to the Las Vegas Raiders after his trade to the Baltimore Ravens fell apart. Though Crosby publicly committed to the Raiders and returned to the team’s facility to continue rehab for a knee injury, an NFL insider shared that the team could try again to trade him.
Though the Bills were close in the running for Crosby the first time around, one analyst warns not to chase him again.
New Maxx Crosby Trade Rumors Give Opening for Bills
In an appearance on ESPN on Sunday, insider Jeremy Fowler reported that the Raiders could have a second chance to trade Crosby as the NFL draft nears.
“Everybody seems like they’re in a good spot, but since they’ve already looked at trading, they’re open to that possibility, potentially, if the right offer would come,” Fowler said, via Bleacher Report. “We’re looking at timelines here; now is gonna be a little slow, but you get closer to the draft, perhaps trade offers will heat up, or even maybe closer to the season. But right now, he’s a Raider, and that’s expected for at least a little while.”
The Bills had been in the running for Crosby when he initially went on the trade block, but lost out when the Ravens were able to offer a higher first-round draft pick. The Bills moved on, taking veteran edge rusher Bradley Chubb in free agency.
Matt Byham of SB Nation suggested that the Bills could have a difficult time finding a fit for Crosby now that they have committed to Chubb.
“To say that the Bills have solved their need at edge rusher at this point in time is unwise, and any team could use a player of Maxx Crosby’s ability regardless of their current roster,” Byham wrote. “But there might just be enough hurdles and speed bumps to give One Bills Drive a second pause on renewed conversations. For now, it appears as though Crosby is back in the saddle with the Raiders. Perhaps it’s true that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”
Bills Running Out of Cap Space
The Bills had already been tight against the salary cap before making a splash with the Chubb signing, and could find it even more difficult to find space for Crosby if they did aim to pursue him a second time.
As reporter Owen Klein of SI.com reported, the Bills will need to free up more space before they can look into making more roster additions.
“Currently, the Bills have $100,391 in cap space, dead last in the NFL, according to OverTheCap,” Klein wrote. “This means they likely won’t be able to sign anyone else at the moment without making a move from within (i.e., releasing or trading a player or restructuring to free up cap space). Why is that? The minimum NFL salary is $885,000, which even applies to rookies.”