Will Maxx Crosby be back with the Raiders next year?
Trade rumors have swirled around Crosby for the last three years, but never with the intensity they have in the last few weeks.
Last week, Crosby warned against listening to “random people” reporting on his future, but he also hasn’t denied reports that he will most likely be traded.
Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer was among the first to report that Raiders’ wellness coordinator Alex Guerrero, who has a close relationship with Tom Brady, is one of the key members of the Raider organization Crosby has taken issue with. This week, Breer said there was a point not long ago where Crosby had “mentally detached” himself from the organization.
“Does Maxx Crosby still feel as strongly as he did a couple weeks ago when I think he had almost mentally detached himself from playing for the Raiders anymore,” Breer said on his Monday Breer Report.
“[Maxx] is a guy who puts great value in being a Raider, has always wanted to be a one team guy, as rare as those are in today’s NFL. He’s always wanted to be a one team guy and has a really strong relationship with Mark Davis and that relationship is really part of what’s kept Crosby on board as a Raider. When you’ve got that strong of a relationship with the owner, you want to do right by the owner. You want to help the owner win and that can be a motivating factor not to have wandering eyes.”
“But now that he has had those wandering eyes, what does that look like?” Breer continued. “I think over a quarter of the league has already sort of sniffed around the possibility of [trading for] Crosby… the idea of adding Maxx Crosby would obviously be enticing to a lot of teams and the Raiders could bring back a big haul.”
Breer added that if Crosby ends up being on the trade block, two teams expected to be interested in him are the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
Crosby met with Klint Kubiak last week and every indication is that the meeting went well, but Breer said Crosby’s issues with the organization go above the head coach.
For what it’s worth, former Raiders beat writer Vic Tafur weighed in on Crosby’ situation last week and he believes it’s time for the All-Pro pass rusher to move on.
“At some point it just runs its course, and then you get a fresh start,” Tafur said on Scoop City podcast. “At this point a bunch of draft picks would be good for the team to get more young talent, and rebuild with this new staff and these new young guys on the team. I think at this point I’d be very surprised if Maxx Crosby were a Raider next year.”
There has been enough smoke around the idea of Crosby being traded to believe the storyline isn’t being made up, but for now he’s under contract with the Raiders for another four years and every indication is that the team still wants him back.
x: @raidersbeat
2 firsts a second and a blue chip player.
But enough articles about Crosby! In a month, this site hasn’t talked about anything else: not a word about Kubiak’s staff, not a word about the FA, which is imminent, not a word about the combine… You’re fed up. If Crosby wants to go, then he can go. If he wants to stay, then he can stay, with all due respect to everyone… A month of talking about Crosby’s intrigues… and what a drag.