Could the face of the Las Vegas Raiders franchise be on a new team next season? We’re referring to Pro Bowl pass-rusher Maxx Crosby, of course.
Controversy has roared over the past couple of days throughout social media due to Maxx Crosby discussing his concerns with both his contract situation and turnover within the Raiders organization. On his podcast, “The Rush“, Sin City’s superstar addressed the constant coaching revisions and instability with his contract. Correspondingly, Las Vegas may deem this as the perfect opportunity to trade Crosby and receive an abundance of draft capital.
This season was surprisingly underwhelming for the reliable edge rusher. Crosby was poised for a historic year, but injuries to his teammates and himself derailed the possibility. He finished his 2024 campaign with half of the sacks he had in 2023, totaling only seven.
On December 14th, the Eastern Michigan alum wrote a ‘goodbye’ post, noting he opted to undergo season-ending surgery.
While addressing a similar situation with Myles Garrett in Cleveland, Crosby empathized with him. Both players endure constant change with teammates and coaching staff.
“There are new coaches every other year and new teammates,” Crosby said. “There have been years where I think this D-line is cold and then I come back and every one of them is gone.”
Additionally, “The Condor” has no more stability left in his current deal. “I have no more guaranteed money,” Crosby noted. “There’s going to be a lot of things that need to be talked about.”
Does trading Maxx Crosby make sense for the Las Vegas Raiders?
No. 98 is currently still under contract from the four-year, $94 million extension he received during the ‘23 offseason. However, only 2023 and 2024 offered a guaranteed salary for the veteran. This means the Raiders have a loophole out of the contract in 2025 that would involve a dead cap hit of only $10 million.
Crosby will be 28 years of age entering next season and in the prime of his career. However, rewarding him a new contract after a subpar year does not make sense.
Trading away a superstar like him will not be an easy task. The difficulty is finding a willing trade partner ready to “win now.” Crosby should only be traded for multiple first-round picks on account of his perceived impact.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, not many teams will want to reach this compensation if things reach that point. You could argue that Crosby is beginning to suffer the effects of being an “iron man.” Wear and tear might finally be rearing its head. On the other hand, if the edge rusher wishes to be traded, the Raiders should honor the request.
A major reason to trade him is for the upcoming draft. With few lottery quarterbacks to choose from, and the Raiders winning meaningless games, the team may need to trade up.
Particularly for Crosby, he has been an impact player from day one. Be that as it may, that has not created team success: one playoff appearance and zero playoff wins. More than that, he has only witnessed one winning season as a Raider.
Raider Nation has seen this story before, and it did not end well
When the Raiders traded Khalil Mack, the franchise was arguably set back. Though, at that time, it was widely recognized that the Silver and Black were entering a full rebuild under the returning Jon Gruden.
Draft picks are a risk no matter what round it is. The Raiders learned this the hard way upon trading Mack.
The team thought draft capital was better than a generational talent. In the end, the Raiders became the laughingstock of the NFL draft due to essentially wasting their high-round picks.
What Trading Maxx Crosby Means
Nobody wishes a tremendous player like “The Condor” off of their team. However, if everything makes sense for the future, it is the right move.
Head coach Antonio Pierce is not secure in his current position. It is possible a new regime enters the building in 2025; a new coach will bring a brand new philosophy and different game-plan.
If that happens, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham could be departing from the team as well. He garnered interest last offseason for head coaching gigs, and with the way his defense has performed this season, he could do so once again.
Alternatively, Graham could potentially be canned as a scapegoat to the Raiders’ miserable season.
In any event, trading Crosby means either this regime or a new one believes his production and compensatory value do not match. Crosby will ask for guaranteed money this offseason and the decision will be on the head coach and general manager tandem.
Should the Raiders pay Crosby and keep the face of the franchise happy, or start a new era in Sin City with a multitude of assets?
*Top Photo: NBC Sports
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