Maxx Crosby was always earnest in the devotion he expressed for his beloved Raiders.
And if he truly had it his way, he would have spent his entire career in silver and black, triumphantly hoisted a Lombardi Trophy or two and cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats while playing every down of his career with the same franchise that drafted him.
But for all of Crosby’s superpowers, he didn’t have a magic wand capable of fixing the Raiders’ problems over the years.
The constant coaching and regime changes. The numerous whiffs on draft night that sabotaged multiple rebuilds. All those incomplete rosters. The Raiders’ uncanny ability for all-field drama.
Every year, it seemed, it was something.
No matter how much Crosby loved being a Raider — and no one represented the shield with as much passion as he did — it was probably inevitable that his longing to play on football’s biggest stages would eventually supersede his determination to remain with the franchise he proudly represented.
With Crosby soon turning 29 years old and the Raiders facing yet another rebuild, that time finally arrived. Unable to stomach the latest organizational reset and burning to play in important games in December and beyond, Crosby let it be known he wanted to play for a team that offered a more immediate chance to win.
The Raiders, sensing the opportunity to gather significant assets to expedite their rebuild, obliged by trading Crosby to the Ravens for two first-round picks over the next two years, including the 14th pick overall in next month’s draft.
It will take years to figure out who won Friday’s blockbuster trade, but on the surface, it has a chance to be a win-win for everyone involved. The key, of course, will be how well the Ravens maximize one of the NFL’s true game-wreckers and how the Raiders use the assets they got in return.
Here is a look at it from all sides:
Maxx Crosby gets chance to showcase himself on bigger stage
Crosby poured his heart and soul into the Raiders and expressed nothing but support for each new reset. Ultimately, he got one winning season and a lone playoff appearance out of it. With only a finite number of peak years left, it’s understandable he wanted to move on to a better situation.
He should get that in Baltimore, where the perennially contending Ravens are as well-run as any organization in football, feature one of the best quarterbacks in the game in Lamar Jackson and are ushering in a new era under new head coach Jesse Minter, a defensive whiz who has plenty of ideas on how to utilize one of the best all-around defensive ends.
Crosby won’t be the lone shining light he was in Las Vegas. With the Ravens, he joins forces with fellow stars including safety Kyle Hamilton and linebacker Roquan Smith.
The Ravens get their closer
The cost to acquire Crosby was significant, of course. But the Ravens obviously believe it is resources well used, with Crosby being the critical missing piece to an otherwise championship-caliber football team.
The Ravens had 30 sacks last season, which ranked 30th in the NFL. Their pressure rate was the fourth worst in the NFL.
The presence of Crosby, who has 69 ½ career sacks and 164 quarterback hits, should improve that.
Much like his hero, Kobe Bryant, Crosby brings a mamba mentality to everything he does, right down to shining in critical moments. It’s a mindset and component Baltimore absolutely needs.
The Ravens have had issues holding onto fourth-quarter leads over the years, squandering a league-high 16 of them over the last five minutes since 2021. Last year, they lost two games in which they held a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
Crosby is one of the most clutch pass rushers in the game, specifically in the fourth quarter — where he’s come alive for 22 ½ sacks in his career.
It didn’t make a big difference with the Raiders, who too often were playing from behind. But it should be a different story in Baltimore, where Crosby’s game-wrecking abilities will be put to far better use.
In a league in which the margin of victory is so slim and the fourth quarters are so critical, Crosby’s dominance in crunch time could be the difference in the Ravens securing victories in games they have shown a propensity to lose recently.
The Raiders can earnestly rebuild
It’s not like the Raiders woke up Friday morning believing they could be a better team without Crosby and decided to shop him as a result.
He wanted out, point blank, and made that clear. At that point, their task was to make the best of the situation. Even if it meant keeping Crosby if they didn’t get an offer they felt worthy of him.
Credit goes to Raiders general manager John Spytek, who drew a line in the sand on what it would take for a team to pry Crosby from Las Vegas and never budged.
For this to be a win for the club, Spytek has to maximize the return. But it’s hard not to like where the Raiders stand as they begin their reset.
Trading Crosby now gives the Raiders 11 draft picks next month, including the first and 14th overall. They now own the most draft capital of any NFL team, with most of their nine picks beyond the first round being near the top of every subsequent round.
It also gives them two first-round picks next year.
Just as importantly, they free up $30,690,000 in cap and cash savings. Coupled with the release of quarterback Geno Smith, they will have a league-high $129 million in cap space.
That is an incredible amount of purchasing power, both in draft and monetary resources. The Raiders can be major free agency players for Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, Chargers edge rusher Odafe Oweh and Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce, if they choose.
With their top pick undoubtedly going to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, they can target a wide receiver such as USC’s Makai Lemon or Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson. They could look to the offensive line, where Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane or Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor could be possibilities.
Cornerbacks Avieon Terrell (Clemson) or Mansoor Delane (LSU) could also be in consideration.
It will take years to determine the winner of this trade. But don’t be surprised if everyone involved looks back fondly on it.
