Last week, FOX Sports insider Jay Glazer floated the idea that Maxx Crosby might be open to a trade, and now it sounds like the Raiders might be open to the idea, as well.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Raiders are believed to be shifting their stance on Crosby’s future.
“Maxx Crosby’s Raiders future is… being questioned around the league. Las Vegas shut down its five-time Pro Bowler last week against his wishes, and the relationship between the sides remains strained,” Russini reported on Saturday.
“It’s a dramatic shift from just two months ago, when Crosby and Davis nixed any trade discussions ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline. Many believe Las Vegas will be open to moving its star pass rusher if the relationship remains at an impasse, allowing Crosby, who will turn 29 this summer, an opportunity to compete on a team built to win now.”
Russini added in a tweet that if Tom Brady and company consider trading Crosby, it will be the first time the organization has been willing to go down that road with their All-Pro defensive player.
Earlier in the week, The Athletic’s Mike Silver wrote a column suggesting the Raiders might choose to trade Crosby even if he doesn’t want to leave.
“Is Crosby fed up enough to ask for a trade? If so, who could blame him?” Silver asked in his column on Friday.
“The Raiders, who need draft picks in April like casinos need air conditioning in August, would likely accommodate that request. And if Crosby wants to stay? It’s quite possible they’ll shop him anyway.”
There has been speculation that Crosby could be worth as much as two first-round picks in a trade, but that would seem like a best-case scenario.
Crosby has battled injuries in each of the last two seasons, and ESPN reported last week that he will have a meniscus trim after the season. A meniscus trim isn’t considered a significant surgery, but Crosby’s knees have spent a lot of time on the injury report in recent years.
If the Raiders make the decision to trade Crosby before June 1, they will be hit with a little more than $5 million in dead money but clear a whopping $30.7 million in salary cap room.
As of now, OverTheCap projects the Raiders to have a little more than $100 million in cap room going into next year and a Crosby trade would add another $30.7 million to that figure.
Geno Smith will be cut loose after the season, too, and his contract off the books would open up another $8 million.
What that means is the Raiders could potentially be looking at upwards of $150 million in cap room going into the 2026 league year and hold the no. 1 pick in the draft.
x: @raidersbeat
Well, I can see why they would trade him. I would want no less than 3 1’s and 1 3rd. It will at least 4 to 5 yrs before they are a contender. Max will be past his prime. Also did everyone forget the raiders got rid of Kallil Mac when he was in his prime.
I want to keep him. We hit the OL in free agency we can even compete next year.
That said, I can’t blame him for wanting to leave