He's back! Maxx Crosby merged superthread

[Corleone]

Tank is full speed ahead!

[626Raiderfan]

nothing wrong with listening to offers. Raiders still need a ton of holes to fill. part ways with a grumpy 30 year old, expensive injury prone pass rusher is the right thing to do. Raiders will not get the same value back, but they should not wait on it, just look for the next best deal and be done with it. the longer this thing drags out the lower Max's value going to be because other teams know Raiders will becoming more desperate as time goes on.

[Jeevo]

I think a positive is that Mark Davis & Crosby had a conversation and it was mutually agreed to make a move. It doesn't sound like there were any demands or either side were overly pissed. Also, when did their conversation take place? Was it before Kubiak became head coach? Before Rob Leonard was named DC? It's possible there really isn't any animosity that needs to be repaired.

I’d be really surprised if Davis did or said anything that was disrespectful to, or disqualifying for, Crosby.

[Raider_Dave]

"plan for now is for Crosby to get healthy and play in Las Vegas"
That's just talk to keep the price high. Just like we were saying for months before the Ravens deal.

[raidersince63]

If a suitable alternative deal cannot be made for Maxx, perhaps we can recoup some cap money by trading / releasing 1 or 2 of what is now a surplus of DEs / LBers.

[WNYRAIDER]

The Las Vegas Raiders might not have much trouble moving on from Maxx Crosby after the Baltimore Ravens pulled out of last week's trade agreement.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, "several" teams have already reached out to the Raiders about Crosby's availability. According to Schefter, the plan for now is for Crosby to get healthy and play in Las Vegas, but the team is listening to offers.

...this would sound like the smart move, and one you would hope would be the one we would take at this time.

[Sold My Soul]

“One GM (general manager) summarized the feelings around the league: ‘This is very much b******* on Baltimore’s part,'” NFL Network's Tom Pelissero wrote on X.


The NFL owners' meeting is expected to be at the end of the month, where owners, general managers, and coaches will be present. Many are already interested to see how things will turn out at that meeting, but hopefully, the Ravens explain themselves before they have to look the entire league in their face at the end of the month.

[chucker]

I never thought we could get two firsts and the Ravens were possibly the only team willing to do that. Is a 1st and a 2nd considered lowering the price?

I guess my attitude for months has been that nobody would give two firsts this early in Maxx' recovery, but I also had the attitude that you should hold out for two firsts. So I would consider it lowering the price. Now if both picks are this year, then it's potentially more comparable to two firsts. And of course it depends on what "first" you're talking about. The #14 was very different than a pick in the high 20s.

I think you hold firm on a comparable price and let Maxx get healthy. If he just plays for the Raiders instead of getting traded, that's not a "loss" for the team. If he gets traded after getting healthy, that's fine too.

[tatalalicious]

Of course, the larger question still revolves around Crosby’s future. The Raiders now face two possible paths. They could keep Crosby for another season and build around him while the rest of the roster develops. This doesn't make much sense from a cap perspective — Crosby’s deal occupies $30 million in space. That kind of money requires audibles to be called on contracts elsewhere to make this feasible.

Alternatively, Las Vegas could continue exploring the trade market for another contender willing to meet its asking price without the same medical concerns. Such a move would return the Raiders to the rebuilding blueprint they initially appeared committed to.

Moving Crosby for draft capital would allow the Raiders to accelerate their long-term overhaul. Using the resulting flexibility to acquire a veteran replacement via trade would largely defeat the purpose of starting fresh in the first place.

Instead, Las Vegas’ best long-term path to replacing Crosby’s impact would likely come through the draft.

The top end of the 2026 draft class is relatively strong at the edge defender position. None of Arvell Reese, David Bailey or Rueben Bain Jr. has fully cemented themselves as true can’t-miss prospects, but the Raiders could still hope one of the trio slides far enough down the board to bring them within range for a trade up.

Las Vegas cannot afford to sell the farm to re-enter the top five — the roster has too many other holes. However, if Crosby is eventually dealt to another suitor, the return could move the Raiders within striking distance of the top 10 and give them a chance at a high-upside edge rusher.

They could also remain patient and target someone like Akheem Mesidor later in the first round. However, his older age profile may not align perfectly with the long-term timeline that general manager John Spytek appears to be constructing.

Raiders fans will be quick to note that the team unearthed Crosby with the 106th overall pick in 2019. Could lightning strike twice? Probably not to that extent. It’s difficult to overstate just how rare a find Crosby was.

Among players selected outside the first three rounds of the NFL draft, Crosby ranks fifth in sacks in the PFF era (68.5) and should climb even higher before his career ends. He needs just 27 more sacks to pass Cameron Wake for the most on that list.

Out of almost 400 edge rushers drafted on day three in the PFF era, only four players have registered an overall PFF grade above 90.0. Crosby is one of them. Your chances of finding a talent like Maxx Crosby at the same draft position are literally 1 in 100.

This is why edge rushers are selected at such a PREMIUM in the first round. It’s difficult even to find an athlete as complete as Crosby outside the top 100. His short shuttle and three-cone times were both in the 98th percentile for edge prospects, and that remarkable agility has been one of the main reasons for his success despite weighing just 255 pounds.

While his superb pass-rushing repertoire is one thing, perhaps Crosby’s greatest ability has been his availability. Since 2021, he has played 400 more snaps than the next closest edge defender, Brian Burns, and logged 85% of all Raiders defensive snaps — a remarkable rate for a defensive lineman.

Despite his persistent presence on the Raiders defense, the team simply couldn’t figure out a way to win consistently during Crosby’s tenure. It raises an interesting question: what direction would this franchise have taken had they selected someone else with the 106th overall pick seven years ago?

Even the most elite edge rushers in football rarely dictate team-wide success in the way quarterbacks can. Beyond Crosby, Myles Garrett may remain the most prominent example — capable of producing historic pass-rushing seasons while his team struggles to reach .500.

Perhaps watching Garrett dominate on a five-win Browns team was enough to convince Crosby that he needed a new situation. It would be difficult to argue with his logic. The Raiders face a daunting task in turning last year’s disaster into a playoff-caliber team in the short term.

The organization now finds itself with a drastically different outlook than it did just a few days ago. Crosby remains on the roster. Koonce is back for another year. Wilson continues to develop. Dean and Walker have joined the linebacking corps.

Las Vegas must now prepare for both possibilities — building a defense that can function with Crosby while also planning for a future that may not include him.

-PFF

This is such nonsense, this is no where near a "drastic"situation. It's safe to say that it was Crosby who wanted the trade not the Raiders, so they currently are where they wanted to be before being forced into trading their most valuable asset no matter what anyone else things of the player. There is no cap crisis that would dictate them moving Crosby unless they get their price, and I suspect Crosby/his agent will now back off and focus on preparing for the season.

[RickRyb]

nothing wrong with listening to offers. Raiders still need a ton of holes to fill. part ways with a grumpy 30 year old, expensive injury prone pass rusher is the right thing to do. Raiders will not get the same value back, but they should not wait on it, just look for the next best deal and be done with it. the longer this thing drags out the lower Max's value going to be because other teams know Raiders will becoming more desperate as time goes on.

LOL!

[NoThanksSir]

I never thought we could get two firsts and the Ravens were possibly the only team willing to do that. Is a 1st and a 2nd considered lowering the price?

There were reports Chicago had two firsts on the table, but we went with the Ravens because theirs was higher. Doubt that offer is still on the table, but we certainly had options before the Ravens screwed us.

[raidersince63]

nothing wrong with listening to offers. Raiders still need a ton of holes to fill. part ways with a grumpy 30 year old, expensive injury prone pass rusher is the right thing to do. Raiders will not get the same value back, but they should not wait on it, just look for the next best deal and be done with it. the longer this thing drags out the lower Max's value going to be because other teams know Raiders will becoming more desperate as time goes on.

I disagree...whether Maxx stays or goes, we win either way...so no reason the Raiders would be "desperate".

[Attyla]

“One GM (general manager) summarized the feelings around the league: ‘This is very much b******* on Baltimore’s part,'” NFL Network's Tom Pelissero wrote on X.


The NFL owners' meeting is expected to be at the end of the month, where owners, general managers, and coaches will be present. Many are already interested to see how things will turn out at that meeting, but hopefully, the Ravens explain themselves before they have to look the entire league in their face at the end of the month.

It is bullshit, but there is not a damn thing we can do about it. By failing his physical, Baltimore is scott free on this. League cannot step in and it would be a waste of time for the team to try and file a grievance. But Baltimore does get a blackeye from this. Teams are going to want to be careful dealing with the Ravens going forward for a while.

[NewEraX25]

"plan for now is for Crosby to get healthy and play in Las Vegas"
That's just talk to keep the price high. Just like we were saying for months before the Ravens deal.

What is the alternative? Cutting him? Everyone knows he isn't going to get cut, and that he isn't going to sit out, so his value should be still high for someone.

[chucker]

[/i][/b]

I disagree...whether Maxx stays or goes, we win either way...so no reason the Raiders would be "nervous".

Exactly. The team doesn't have to be nervous or desperate. He's a great player who will give 100% and help the defense a ton. If nobody makes a comparable offer again, keeping him is still a great option.

[Sold My Soul]

This is such nonsense, this is no where near a "drastic"situation. It's safe to say that it was Crosby who wanted the trade not the Raiders, so they currently are where they wanted to be before being forced into trading their most valuable asset no matter what anyone else things of the player. There is no cap crisis that would dictate them moving Crosby unless they get their price, and I suspect Crosby/his agent will now back off and focus on preparing for the season.

It was mutually agreed upon that it was in the best interest of both parties to facilitate a trade. MC didn't want another rebuild and the Raiders were looking to move payroll and continue a rebuild.