The writing has been on the wall for weeks on Maxx Crosby’s future and on Friday it was announced that the Raiders are sending Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick.
Over the last few weeks, some tried to explain away Crosby’s failure to address trade rumors, but according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Crosby was never going to return to Las Vegas in 2026.
“While the Raiders insisted publicly Maxx Crosby would be on the team in 2026, the reality is it was never going to happen,” Pelissero tweeted on Friday evening. “A trade made sense for both sides, as Las Vegas gets ammo for their rebuild and Crosby gets a fresh start at age 28.”
Whatever happened between Crosby and the decision makers in Vegas was apparently too much to move past, and this week was another reminder that GMs and coaches don’t always mean what they say in front of cameras.
There will be plenty of time to sort out what actually happened between Crosby and the Raiders, but for now, what we know is the Raiders are entering an all-out rebuild.
By trading Crosby, the Raiders are acknowledging that they aren’t expecting to be a playoff contender in 2026 and the reality is they probably weren’t going to be even with Crosby on the roster.
If the decision to trade Crosby works out in the long term, Tom Brady will deserve credit. But if the Crosby trade ends up anything like the Khalil Mack trade, the ultimate responsibility rests on Brady.
Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter talked about the divide between Crosby and the organization this week and he left little room for interpretation on who Crosby had his biggest beef with in Las Vegas.
“Of course, the Raiders are going to say [they] expect him back… he’s a great player. I expect John Spytek to say [he’ll be back]. I think John Spytek does want him back. I expect Klint Kubiak to say that. I don’t think the issues are with Klint. I don’t even really think they are with [Spytek] if you want me to be blunt with you, [but] I’m not going to get into any more details,” the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast on Wednesday.
“If I am the Raiders, I am doing everything possible to fix this. This is Hondo Carpenter’s opinion. There’s only two people who can fix this. Maxx Crosby and Tom Brady. I don’t think an agent can fix it. I don’t think Mark Davis can. Mark and Maxx are great. That’s what I think.”
There was a report this week that Crosby had issues with Alex Guerrero, who apparently serves as Brady’s eyes and ears in the building, but as details emerge in the weeks ahead, it’s going to become increasingly clearer that Crosby’s biggest frustration came from the top of the organization… and it wasn’t Mark Davis.
Rather than debate about who was right and who wasn’t, the better question going forward will be about the next set of coaches and leaders in the locker room… Will they work better with the one everyone knows is calling the shots in the Raiders’ building?
x: @raidersbeat
Like it or not, what’s done is done. Only time will tell if this decision helped the Raiders return to prominence. One thing is for certain though, the ball (rebuilding) is literally in Tom Brady’s hands. We Raiders fans can ONLY HOPE that his decisions ultimately help the Raiders and not hurt the Raiders. To be continued…
How ALL you so called writers judge a trades success shows how dim witted you are.
If a guy doesn’t want to be there you get less than 100% on the field, and a distraction everywhere else. (Jacob’s) is a perfect example. Mack wanted out too. And I’d Gruden would’ve let Mayock do his job, the trade likely would’ve paid dividends.
Mayock wanted Arnette.
Spytek has to nail the picks, no excuses, I get the reasoning to trade Maxx but Brady & his snitch are major problems here
And Mayock owned that choice. You can’t bat 1000. And who would know that once money was in the kids pocket that he would go over the wall? Like JaMarcus Russell. Guy had all the skills and all the tools to be one of the league’s best to ever go under center. Money ruins a lot of kids. Especially when they don’t have structure. And being in Vegas? Probably the worst place in the country for a young kid that just got paid big time.
One knock on Maxx is, I don’t think he’s ever been a leader. He never really celebrated big plays this last season with his teammates, and they seemed to not celebrate with him. And if you watch the Kansas City game and even the game before that the last two games, the line was far more cohesive. The entire defense played better in those last two games. It’s not a coincidence. You could say that that was based on contract years, but I believe Maxx is a Lonewolf. But I do think Baltimore‘s defense is established enough to where he’ll fit in and succeed as long as he stays healthy.
Here’s my thoughts, since it’s (likely) a done deal. This was an outstanding deal for the Raiders given the circumstances that Maxx and Brady’s boy *itch put the organization in. As Greg said, once a player crosses the threshold to “I want out” he is done and you can’t have him in the locker room, especially someone as respected as Maxx. Agents talk to one another and to GMs, it was widely known that Maxx was for the taking. Maxx probably cannot pass a physical at this point, thus he was putting out a lot of social media of his activity & recovery. That’s when I knew he was ghosting the Raider Nation, and I don’t blame him, it’s exactly what he should have done. Spytek and the Raiders played their hand exactly right, too! The Ravens are considered one of the premiere organizations and have never traded a no. 1 pick for a player. They traded two #1’s for Maxx, who will be 29 and just had his second knee procedure. We don’t know where the 2027 pick will be, but That #1 this year is in the top half of the round at 14. A deal with the Eagles or Patriots, it’s practically a second round pick. Overall, I don’t like losing Maxx, but I didn’t want to keep this BS going. I think, for once, we did alright. Yes, getting the picks is only half of the transaction. I think Spytek likes to have more picks, so I think he will trade back from 14. It will be a good spot to pick a WR, so teams will be ready to swap.
Totally agree! 14th overall picked this year and another first round pick next year is a great deal.
I don’t even know why the words Tom Brady and the raiders are even in the same sentence unless we’re talking about the fumble that gave him his career. I mean wtf I said if they traded maxx I was done and I am. 40+ years of being a fan I’m out. Al was a great owner overall and a pioneer of the game Mark is useless.
Too funny. Forty plus years. So blind loyalty or reading about Al?
Because he burned down and poured sewer water over the greatness he built after he gained majority ownership and failed to evolve.
I agree Mark got dropped into this blind. But that was Al’s fault too.
But Brady and his wellness Remora and Jum Gray should be 86d. Spytek answers to Brady. So this franchise will fight to tread water until the stars align.
The odd thing with the old man was how he never liked his successful teams. He didn’t like Stabler’s game, which was very close to what this “trending offense” of today is, short of all the pre-snap motion. Run based, quick hits to TE and Biletnikoff, get Branch in space so he can run. Stabler was the image “what being a Raider is all about” Won SB XI. a few years later Al traded him for the big arm of Dan Pastorini. Pastorini sucks, gets hurt, Plunkett takes over, Flores as head coach runs offense that was working with before. Won SB XV. Then Al wanted Plunkett out, Marc Wilson to be QB, kept forcing Flores into playing Wilson. Davis finally relented that Plunkett was better, Won SB XVIII. He never like Marcus Allen after he won MVP. Always looking for big arms, Jeff George, Kerry Collins, but Jeff Hostetler and Rich Gannon were his most successful QBs late in his life. Of course he hated Gruden’s offense and the attention he got, so he traded him! I really think Al would have traded Maxx two or three years ago, with all this talk of how Maxx is “what a Raider should be”. He hated players who got attention. Al is an NFL legend, old school owner who new the game, but that’s what got in his way late in his life.
Agree with almost everything there. But Flores liked to use the backs as receivers. Even Frank Hawk Hawkins. I think Kenny King still holds a team record for longest reception by a back on a wheel route?
When Al had nobody to answer to, as in an ownership group that he used every tactic to gain majority ownership it was the beginning of the end of the greatness he built. Nobody could touch his cover zero defense mentality. The way he disrespected Marcus was when I lost my shhitee on Al. Marcus even complied when Al obtained Bo lining up at FB. And Marcus owned the position. Lane Kiffin got the same treatment. Projector gate. I wasn’t a Kiffin fan. But the team was behind him completely. But Kiffin divided the team from the front office. Al. Just look at all the great players after Al went over the wire that got overpaid and they went in vacation. Moss, Seymour, Sapp, Larry Brown whose only career highlight was a Super Bowl pick 6.
Yes, good call about Flores using the backs in the passing game, and I bet Al hated that. King did have the longest TD in a Superbowl for sometime and I believe it was the play you are referring to. You only touched on the list of guys over invested in, Desmond Howard was near the same time as Brown because they were both SB MVP. He never did figure out the salary cap.
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I believe Desmond Howard was also a Heisman Trophy winner wasn’t he?? Kind of the same as alligator arms?? lol