Did the Rams make a push for Maxx Crosby after the deal between the Raiders and Ravens fell through in March?
According to an ESPN report on Sunday, there were at least four teams still interested in Crosby after the Ravens backed out of the Crosby deal, and the Rams were at the top of the list in terms of teams still interested.
“Sources told NFL Network that Los Angeles pursued Crosby shortly after his trade from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Baltimore Ravens fell through because of a failed physical,” league insider Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday.
“Other teams were interested, but the Rams, with their propensity to swing big, were the strongest club pushing for a deal, according to sources. But before there could be anything official, Crosby let it be known to anyone interested that he did not want to be traded. He wanted to remain with the Raiders, and he let his own organization know as well.”
But according to the California Post’s Vinny Bonsignore, the Rams interest in Crosby was a little sensationalized in the Rapoport report.
Bonsignore is well-connected with the Rams and spent several years covering the Raiders almost exclusively. His account (below) of the Rams interest in Crosby ought to be well sourced…
“According to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, Crosby communicated his desire to stay with the Raiders after the Ravens trade fell through. When the Rams contacted the Raiders to ask about his availability, they were told Las Vegas was keeping him. No offer followed. No trade parameters were agreed upon. And no deal was presented to Crosby for him to accept or reject.
So while the situation has been characterized as Crosby saying no to the Rams, the more precise explanation is that he wanted to remain a Raider — and the Rams’ inquiry never advanced beyond that initial conversation. According to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, the Rams contacted the Raiders soon after the Baltimore trade unraveled. They wanted to understand whether Crosby might still be available and whether there was reason to pursue a discussion…
Were the Raiders still considering moving him? Were they open to hearing from another interested team? Or had they decided to move forward with Crosby in Las Vegas? For the Rams, it was a logical call. When a player of Crosby’s caliber appears potentially available, there is every reason to check. The collapse of one trade created an obvious question about whether another could follow.
But the answer the Rams received, according to sources, was that the Raiders were standing pat. The inquiry did not develop into an offer. The teams did not agree to compensation. And the process never reached a stage at which Crosby was presented with a potential Rams deal that he then brought to a halt. His remaining in Las Vegas was more straightforward than it has sometimes been represented.”
Why try to shoot down the Rapoport story now?
From the Rams standpoint, they got their guy in Myles Garrett and there’s no reason to have a narrative floating around that Garrett was the team’s no. 2 choice.
For the Raiders and Crosby, most believe there are still scenarios where Crosby could be traded during the season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said in July he could see Crosby being a “Raider for life” but added a little wiggle room to his stance last month.
“I know a lot of people are thinking that Max Crosby wants to be trading. He wants to be there right now. And I think he’s going to be there,” Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show in August.
“I think the real question with Maxx Crosby and his future in Vegas comes down to what happens if this team doesn’t perform well. What if there’s a contender out there before the trade deadline that wants to beef up its pass rush? Could we see a team later this season, if the Raiders season is slipping away, make a run at Maxx Crosby? I could see that being a possibility in October. That I see.”
If he continues to play well, could the Raiders get a better offer for Crosby at the trade deadline?
If Crosby continues to play like he did on Sunday, there will be significant trade offers for him again in November.
The Raiders will assess where they are as an organization (if they are winning, most believe Crosby won’t go anywhere), but there are rumblings that a team might offer a better deal than what the Ravens did in March.
It’s all speculation at this point, but if a potential trade partner decides they are an elite pass rusher away from making a run at the Super Bowl, why not give up a couple of late first-round picks and something else for one of the most dynamic defensive players in the league?
x: @raidersbeat