In one of the craziest NFL offseason stories in memory, the Las Vegas Raiders trade of superstar pass-rusher Maxx Crosby is off with the Baltimore Ravens. It was supposed to official Wednesday afternoon.
Let’s look at what it means:
To answer that question, who the hell knows what it means? But this is for certain in the developing saga, it changes everything for the Raiders, Ravens and for Crosby.
Everything is likely on the table. But, to be sure, everyone is in scramble mode.
First, the focus is on the fact that The Athletic reported Crosby failed the Ravens’ physical because of his recently repaired knee.
Physicals are subjective and other teams not feel like Crosby’s issue is a major long-term concern.
What the Ravens may have been thinking is, the test results may be too risky at the price of two first-round picks. The Ravens also had a rough first two days of free agency (including seeing the Raiders agree to terms with center Tyler Linderbaum), and may not feel like they are in position to contend. That might be the sense around the league.
There were already reports that other teams will be interested, including the Dallas Cowboys, who reportedly were the runners up for Crosby. Yet, the Athletic reported Tuesday night the Cowboys are not currently expected in trade talks with the Raiders. But, let’s face it, the price will likely not be what the Raiders’ wanted and with deals committed elsewhere, the market may be smaller. The Raiders got the big deal from the Ravens because there was such a robust market. Will that still be the case?
They might get a first-round pick, but further compensation might have to be conditional for Crosby, who turns 29 in August. Either way, it may take some time to get a new Crosby finalized because of the medical process. His agent released this on X on Tuesday night.
ESPN reported Tuesday night that teams are already calling the Raiders, but the team is prepared to keep him but are listening. That was the same approach the team took before accepting the highest offer, from Baltimore.
The Raiders could potentially keep Crosby but that might be awkward for everyone and they’ve already committed to a post-Crosby defense. Still, they can still fit in their salary-cap structure but it would likely alter some further planned spending. Also, it could seriously affect 2027’s cap. So, for a team committed to a rebuild, this could present a major issue.
None of the Raiders’ planned signings can be official until Wednesday and that including Kwity Pate ($48 million) and Malcolm Koonce ($11 million). NFL.com reported that the Raiders still plan on honoring the deals. That would be a lot of money at the position if Crosby is part of the future.
There are currently no answers in this incredible turn of events. Yet, there are plenty of questions.
We are all used to “only Raiders” stories, but this is an all-timer.
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