Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders continues to be linked to a Dallas Cowboys trade.
Getty
Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders continues to be linked to a Dallas Cowboys trade.
The Las Vegas Raiders insist that star edge rusher Maxx Crosby won’t be headed back to the trade block after the team’s failed trade with the Baltimore Ravens, but there could still be an opening for a second chance to send him to an NFC contender.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport broke down eight star NFL players who could be traded before the start of the season, suggesting the Raiders might give another shot at dealing Crosby to fuel their rebuild. He picked the Dallas Cowboys as a likely landing spot.
Dallas Cowboys Named Landing Spot for Maxx Crosby
Davenport noted that both Raiders general manager John Spytek and Crosby have insisted that he plans to remain in Las Vegas, but predicted that could change. The Bleacher Report writer downplayed worries about Crosby’s knee injury, which was the reported cause of Baltimore’s decision to back out of their deal with the Raiders.
The Ravens may have had a different motivation, Davenport suggested.
“The status of Crosby’s surgically repaired knee clouds things here, although this analyst contends that Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta simply got cold feet when he realized the Ravens could get Trey Hendrickson for over $10 million less a season and keep their picks,” Davenport wrote.
While the Raiders might not be able to replicate the haul of draft picks they would have received from the Ravens, Davenport suggested the Cowboys would still be interested in a deal.
“Given those clouds, the Raiders might not be able to get those multiple first-rounders from another team,” Davenport wrote. “But even a lesser offer (say a Round 1 pick and Round 2 pick) could be worth considering for a Raiders team in the opening stages of a full-on rebuild—especially if that first-rounder comes relatively early.”
The Cowboys are in need of a star edge rusher after shipping Micah Parsons away to the Green Bay Packers last year, and Crosby could help the team jump back into Super Bowl contention after a disappointing season in 2025.
Maxx Crosby Not Leaving Las Vegas
Others take both the Raiders and Crosby at their words, predicting that he will stay in Las Vegas as a centerpiece of the team’s rebuilding effort. The Raiders are expected to take top quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick, leaving Crosby as their top defensive player.
Former Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said in an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show” that he believes Crosby is bearing down for the team’s rebuilding effort.
“My best guess is that Maxx [Crosby] is sticking around,” Mayock said. “One of the things I mentioned to him afterward was just… work your [expletive] off like you always have. Be who you are. Be all in on the Raiders, but be prepared for anything because you can’t control it, and you’ve got to be ready to move no matter what.”
Crosby has given more than lip service, saying he believes his strongest fit is in Las Vegas and expressing a desire to be with the Raiders for life.