Maxx Crosby was already traded once this offseason — who’s to say it can’t happen again? Obviously, things are different since the Las Vegas Raiders‘ deal with the Baltimore Ravens was reneged upon earlier in the spring. At the same time, ESPN insider Dan Graziano said that the trade rumors around Crosby, one of the NFL’s best edge rushers, could heat up again in training camp when he returns to the field from his knee injury. And he also mentioned the Dallas Cowboys as one of the teams that could come calling.
Of course, the Cowboys are no strangers to blockbuster trades involving an edge rusher — they were just on the opposite end last offseason when they traded Micah Parsons away. Dallas’ defense suffered mightily as a result, and they’ve spent free agency and the draft trying to repair the damage that deal did to that side of the ball. But an aggressive trade for Maxx Crosby in addition to the other moves this offseason could put the Cowboys in a better position than they would’ve been with Parsons.
What a Cowboys-Raiders trade for Maxx Crosby would look like
The Ravens backing out of the trade with the Raiders earlier this offseason ultimately does depress the value that Vegas is going to be able to get in return. Getting two first-round picks feels entirely out of the question. At the same time, that doesn’t mean that they still can’t get haul. Namely, they should be able to still get at least a highly valued 2027 first-rounder and a Top 100 pick in the 2028 draft, with maybe a sweetener going with Crosby to Dallas in this deal to make it a second-rounder.
All told, that’s probably more than the Raiders would’ve been able to get from any team immediately after Baltimore squirmed its way out of the initial trade. The value is going to move up, which could also be the case if they held onto him at the trade deadline. Even still, this feels like about as good of a trade as the Silver and Black will be able to make given everything that’s transpired with Crosby. this offseason.
Why the Cowboys would make this trade
Especially with new defensive coordinator Christian Parker entering the fray, the Cowboys haven’t been shy about making almost wholesale defensive changes. That specifically applies to the edge rusher group, where Dallas used a first-round pick to select Malachi Lawrence after already adding Rashan Gary via trade earlier in the offseason. And that’s before even considering third-round rookie Jaishawn Barham, who has the versatility to play inside-out at linebacker.
Yet, there is still a distinct lack of a game-changer on the edge. Make no mistake, the Cowboys defense is going to be better than it was in the immediate wake of the Micah Parsons trade, but they’ve not done anything to replace the impact of one of the league’s best pass rushers. The only way to rectify that is to add a player of that caliber, which Crosby most certainly is.
While Dallas might’ve missed out on the playoffs a season ago, they weren’t as far away from contention as the naysayers would have you believe. This was legitimately one of the best offenses in the NFL after adding George Pickens and Javonte Williams, both of whom are back, to the mix. Their defense just consistently operated like a sieve and made winning games an uphill climb week in and week out.
The defense is better, but is it good enough? That’s the question that Jerry and Stephen Jones have to look themselves in the mirror and consider for a franchise that has been allergic to the highest level of success over the past three decades. As currently constructed, the answer may still be that the roster isn’t good enough. But if you add Maxx Crosby to the mix, then it becomes a real conversation — and it’s hard to put too high of a price on a trade with that type of impact.
Why the Raiders should make this trade
Maxx Crosby can try to put a hush on the trade talk, the Raiders can try to convince everyone that they’re happy to hold onto him, but the reality of the organization’s situation is that they might simply be better off trading him.
Outside of Crosby, the messaging for the Raiders has been quite clear from the front office, most plainly seen when it comes to the No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza. As things stand currently (and obviously, we’re in June, so that makes it heavily subject to change), Vegas seems fully content to let Kirk Cousins be their starting quarterback this year.
If that’s the case, that tells me (and should tell anyone) that the Raiders don’t believe that this roster is complete enough just yet to meaningfully compete. We know what Cousins is at this point in his career, and while that may be steadier than a rookie Mendoza, the ceiling is higher for the first-year quarterback. Subsequently, they’re banking on the floor for development to hopefully pay dividends in the future.
Crosby doesn’t necessarily fit that timeline. He’s undeniably one of the best edge rushers in the NFL and will be just 29 years old. Yet, there are viable injury concerns, regardless of how the Ravens-Raiders trade narrative was shaped, as he nears 30 years old. How many years can Vegas meaningfully count on him to be a top-five (or better) player at the position?
Though further along in a rebuild, it’s not unlike the Browns trading Myles Garrett. If there is a trade package like this one on the table for the Raiders, it may better serve the long-term outlook of the franchise. That doesn’t make it any less difficult to let a player of Crosby’s caliber out the door, but it is a reasonable consideration for John Spytek and Co. to make.
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