Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders remains a trade target for the Dallas Cowboys.
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Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders remains a trade target for the Dallas Cowboys.
Until it happens, the rumor mill will continue churning and the Dallas Cowboys will continue to be the first team to get spit out. The Raiders brought back Maxx Crosby after the Ravens agreed to trade two first-round picks for him, then backed out and rescinded the deal, a little more than two weeks ago. Now, Las Vegas is saying they’ll welcome Crosby back and move forward in 2026.
Few are buying that, though, and the more Crosby’s name gets brought up, especially before the upcoming NFL draft, the more the Cowboys continue to be linked to him. Dallas vowed to spend big to improve the defense this offseason, and while there have been good addition in the secondary, and the team brought in Rashan Gary, the Cowboys did not acquire a true star.
Getting Crosby would, of course, rectify that for the Cowboys. He’s one of the top pass-rushers of the past half-decade, with 69.5 sacks in his career, five straight Pro Bowl selections and two seasons (2022 and 2023) leading the league in tackles for losses. Crosby had meniscus surgery after the season, which factored in the Ravens rescinding their trade.
Cowboys Made 3 Reported Offers for Maxx Crosby
Veteran Cowboys beat writer Jon Machota of The Athletic is of the belief that the team is still interested in acquiring Crosby, and that the Raiders would still likely move off of him.
Speaking on the wonderfully named, “One-Star Podcast,” Machota said the Cowboys could even get a deal done before the draft, with a “reduced” package that includes the No. 20 overall pick and one (or more) later picks going to Las Vegas.
ESPN reported packages for Crosby from the Cowboys that included the No. 20 overall pick and the since-traded Osa Odighizuwa, the No. 12 pick and a third-round pick and the No. 12 pick and a future-second-round pick. The Cowboys would not trade both No. 12 and No. 20, and that has not changed.
Can’t ‘Rule Out’ Maxx Crosby Trade
In fact, the Cowboys could pluck Crosby at a bargain, Machota said: “Them trading for Maxx Crosby, I would not completely rule that out at all. It all comes down to what they think of him, medically, but I would not—especially now that the price has to have come down. And it makes no sense for the Raiders to publicly say everything that they have said, that they’re fine and everything’s great and they’re going to keep Maxx. I just don’t see a world where Maxx Crosby is on the Las Vegas Raiders in 2026.
“Because of that, the only other team that’s come out with an actual offer that has been reported is the Dallas Cowboys. If now all the sudden they can get him at a reduced price for 20, pick 20 overall? I don’t think you can completely rule that out, with another late-round pick thrown in there.”
Cowboys Want to Push Out Negative Stories
Rather than No. 12 and a third-round pick, maybe the best the Cowboys would offer is No. 20 and a third-round pick–or even something like No. 20 and two fifth-round picks (the Cowboys have three).
Machota mentioned that adding Crosby would also push to the back one of the bigger simmering stories for the Cowboys this offseason–the notion that George Pickens will hold out in training camp as he seeks a new long-term contract rather than simply accepting Dallas’ franchise-tag deal of one year and $27 million.
Jerry Jones would rather see headlines about the Cowboys welcoming Crosby than Pickens’ absence this summer.
“That’s exactly the kind of thing that Jerry would like to do and sell that as fixing the defense. And hey, it could blow up in their face, but that seems like such a Jerry Jones move,” Machota said. “Until Maxx Crosby is on another team, I will never close the door on the Cowboys possibly getting that done.”