For four days the Raiders and Ravens had a deal in place for Maxx Crosby, but as of Tuesday evening the deal is off and a subsequent statement from the Raiders said the Ravens “backed out” of their agreement.
It’s anyone’s guess how the situation is going to play out from here, but according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Cowboys will most likely still be interested in a trade for Crosby.
“Maxx Crosby, once again, is on the Raiders. He is right back on the trade block,” Pelissero said on Tuesday evening.
“Other teams, I will emphasize this, the Cowboys would remain interested. They were the runner up to the Ravens. Other teams, I’m missing the calls right now from other teams trying to figure out what’s going on and all the other pass rushers have gotten agreements. Do the Ravens now, who didn’t get a pass rusher, try to flip one of those players that agreed to a deal someplace else?”
Shortly after his rant on NFL Network, Pelissero tweeted that a GM told him the feeling around the league is that “this is very much bullsh– on Baltimore’s part.”
From the Raiders standpoint, it would presumably be a difficult pivot back to keeping Crosby, but the California Post’s Vinny Bonsignore is reporting that the Raiders have the cap room to continue with Crosby on the roster if they choose to go that direction.
There will be a lot to sort out in the days ahead, but it’s worth pointing out that not everyone is in agreement that the Cowboys will still be in the mix for Crosby.
Furthermore, it sounds like a lot of teams interested in Crosby a week ago are no longer expected to be in the running for his services.
It was reported over the weekend that Crosby “quietly” requested a trade in December, but the position of the Raiders has always been that they were not going to trade him unless they were offered the right price.
Tom Brady and the decision makers in Las Vegas wanted two first-round picks for Crosby, and it sounds like that might not be an option going forward. If that ends up being the case, it will be interesting to see if the Raiders consider a lesser deal.
Last week, the Chicago Bears were said to be interested in Crosby, and it was rumored at the time that Chicago was his preferred destination. If Chicago was seriously in the mix for Crosby and that’s where he wanted to play, maybe the Bears will emerge as the new team to watch.
Of course, the Raiders also have the option of keeping their star pass rusher. That’s a scenario that might be a little awkward for everyone involved… but there are worse situations this time of year than being forced to bring back one the league’s premier defensive players.
Crosby’s agent, weighed in on the situation and said his client remains on track for recovery and “if anything is ahead of schedule” according to renowned surgeon Dr. Neal El Attrache…
x: @raidersbeat
If this happened to any other team other then the Raiders The NFL would be having a complete fit!
Come on, man. If the NFL sticking it to the Raiders was ever a real thing, it hasn’t been in years. The NFL would love the Raiders to be successful, as one of the most recognizable brands in world sports continues to lose reverence. They voted to allow them to move to Las Vegas because Oakland wouldn’t bail out Mark Davis and give him welfare to build his stadium? They’ve hosted a draft, a Super Bowl, and have been spared from losing home games to the international slate. They’ve permitted Tom Brady to engage in a blatant conflict of interest.
Just maybe it’s the Raiders and their failing owner who keeps screwing the Raiders.
All valid points but none of that goes into consideration on this specific transaction/ non transaction. Balt did the Raiders, Maxx, & the rest of the NFL teams that wanted a chance at Maxx dirty.
The Ravens are scum!