Could another Las Vegas Raiders star player be on the move prior to the NFL's Nov. 5 trade deadline?
Just days after three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams was traded to the New York Jets, Raiders three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby had some similar-sounding comments about his desire that Adams did before the veteran hopped on a jet to New York.
"I'm not here to rebuild, I'm here to win. So I don't know, whatever that means," Crosby said, via Crunch Time Sports, on Thursday. "But, I'm here to win now. Wherever I'm gonna be I'm gonna be here to win so that's all that matters to me."
That doesn't appear to be the case in Las Vegas with the Raiders off to a 2-4 start, and their defense's 83 missed tackles ranking as the most in the league this season. However, that's not because of Crosby: He co-leads the NFL in tackles for loss (nine) this season along with Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. and Broncos edge rusher Zach Allen. Crosby's 97 career tackles for loss lead the NFL since entering the league in 2019. The 27-year-old has been effective as ever in getting after opposing quarterbacks this season with his five-and-a-half sacks, tied for the fifth most in the NFL with Anderson.
Last season, Crosby led all defensive linemen in snaps played (1,037) and tackles for loss (24). Across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, his 27 sacks accounted for 37% of the Raiders team sacks, the highest such percentage in the NFL. Crosby, in 2022 and 2023, and Pro Football Hall of Famer edge rusher DeMarcus Ware, in 2007 and 2008, are the only players in the last 30 seasons with 12 or more sacks and 80 or more tackles in consecutive years.
Needless to say, Crosby's trade market would be smoking hot if Las Vegas made him available. He currently isn't with Raiders owner Mark Davis saying Wednesday, "It's just not happening." However, that doesn't mean his mind won't change between now and Nov. 5. Las Vegas head coach Antonio Pierce said the following about Adams last week before he ended up being traded:
"He's still a Raider. He's never not been a Raider," Pierce said of Adams last week. "He's still a Raider. When he's healthy and can play, we'll play him. He's just not healthy right now. He's getting closer though, that's the good part. He's working everyday to get his hamstrings right. He's in the right headspace mentally. We talked recently and had a good conversation. He's ready to play football."
With that in mind, where could Crosby go given that he is in the second year of a $94 million contract? He technically go anywhere since teams can always restructure contracts to make the math work in the present season, as the Jets did upon acquiring Adams. An acquiring team would simply have to account for larger cap hits on the back end, something that is more palatable with the league's salary cap growing each and every year.
Both the Detroit Lions, after losing NFL sacks leader Aidan Hutchinson for the season, and the Washington Commanders, after losing two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen for the season, could be logical landing spots. Following Adams' departure, one can't completely closer the door on Crosby also being dealt, especially because the more Las Vegas loses, the more likely they'll have their choice of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft. That's something they missed out on in 2024, and it's costing them dearly this season.
