When the Las Vegas Raiders started entertaining the idea of trading superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby, Cincinnati Bengals fans were all over the idea. Knowing Trey Hendrickson would be leaving in free agency, fans viewed Crosby as not only a great replacement but an upgrade.
A blockbuster trade of that magnitude isn’t necessarily what the Bengals are known for, but after two years of bottom-of-the-league defense and Ja’Marr Chase publicly stating his desire for the team to go get Crosby, some thought they could shock the fan base and pull it off.
While he ultimately wound up with the Baltimore Ravens for a pair of first round picks, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that the Bengals did, in fact, call the Raiders about a potential Crosby trade.
”The Bengals, on the verge of losing Trey Hendrickson in free agency, were another latecomer to the party. By then, over a quarter of the league’s 32 teams had shown some level of interest in Crosby, with a few others that he had less interest in going to throwing their hats in the ring as well,” wrote Breer.
Breer also said that the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, and obviously the Ravens were the most aggressive, but the Bengals did at least check in with Las Vegas about a deal.
With multiple teams showing interest, Raiders General Manager John Spytek was able to raise the price in a simple case of supply and demand. In the end, he walked away with two first round picks and a trade that shook the entire NFL.
If the Bengals had been willing to offer the 10th overall pick plus next year’s first-rounder, it would have beaten Baltimore’s offer based on them holding pick 14 in this year’s draft. Realistically speaking, the Bengals were never going to give up multiple first round picks. It simply isn’t what they do, and while they have changed some in how they operate over the years, that deal was likely too rich for their blood.
The Bengals are reportedly still going to get aggressive to improve their defense, though. They are expected to be active in free agency, which technically begins Monday at 4 PM ET. The NFL calls it the “legal tampering period,” so we will see contracts announced that will be finalized on Monday.
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