The trade rumors surrounding Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby continue to fly, and ESPN recently conducted an interesting exercise on the topic.
With Raiders beat writer Ryan McFadden playing the role of general manager John Spytek, four other ESPN writers submitted trade offers for Crosby, using the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers as potential partners. Let’s take a look at each proposed deal.
Bears (via Jeremy Fowler)
- CHI gets: Crosby
- LV gets: WR DJ Moore, 2026 first-round pick (No. 25 overall), 2027 third-round pick
Cowboys (via Dan Graziano)
- DAL gets: Crosby, 2026 second-round pick (No. 36 overall)
- LV gets: WR George Pickens, 2026 first-round pick (No. 20 overall)
Buccaneers (via Ben Solak)
- TB gets: Crosby, 2027 fifth-round pick
- LV gets: WR Chris Godwin Jr., 2026 first-round pick (No. 15 overall), 2027 second-round pick
Chargers (via Seth Walder)
- LAC gets: Crosby
- LV gets: 2026 second-round pick (No. 55 overall), 2026 sixth-round pick, 2027 fifth-round pick
McFadden ended up taking the Cowboys’ offer. Personally, having to give up a second-round pick and then pay Pickens, who is getting franchised tagged in this scenario since he’s about to hit free agency, is too steep a price for Las Vegas to move on from its best player. In my opinion, the offer from the Buccaneers is the best option for the Raiders.
Godwin would immediately become the offense’s top wideout, giving expected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza an immediate threat out wide to pair with tight end Brock Bowers. Meanwhile, the organization would also pick up a top 15 pick (the highest selection of the ones offered here) and a second-rounder next year to help with the rebuild, while only sacrificing a 2027 fifth in addition to Crosby. That’d be hard for Spytek to turn down if he is looking to move on from the five-time Pro Bowler.
In Other Raiders’ Links:
- Crosby becomes an owner: Speaking of the defensive end, he announced on Instagram that he’s become a minority owner of the soccer team Leeds United of the Premier League.
- What to expect from Chiefs’ offseason: “If either David Bailey or Rueben Bain Jr. is available, I think one of them would be a strong target — though there’s also a real chance both are off the board by then,” Arrowhead Pride’s Maurice Elston told S&BP. “A lot of mock drafts from professional analysts have the Chiefs taking Jeremiyah Love at this pick.”
- Travis Smith’s biggest challenge: “As with every coach that Kubiak brings in (himself, too), there’s a distinct challenge that awaits. And for Smith, the item that looms largest is defensive end Maxx Crosby, specifically, the if he stays or if he goes conundrum,” S&BP’s Ray Aspuria wrote.
- Kubiak overlooking Raiders’ past: “There have been plenty of other coaches, but why not us? Why not this staff? Why not this group of players?” Kubiak said, via ESPN’s Ryan McFadden. “You look at it [through] the lens of there’s a history of some guys that are in and out of here pretty quickly, I look at it as a great challenge. That’s what the NFL is all about.”