Getty
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders are lacking a No. 1 wideout, and if they are going to draft former Indiana Hoosiers Fernando Mendoza, the Silver and Black need to bolster their weapons.
Over the last couple of weeks, Maxx Crosby’s name has been in the speculation mill. While there’s no concrete decision yet on what the Raiders might do with their star pass rusher, could they flip him for a young receiver who has No. 1 wideout potential?
On Feb. 20, ESPN published trade pitches from its insiders, and Dan Graziano notes that a blockbuster move involving Crosby and George Pickens makes sense for the Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.
Graziano’s offer sees the Raiders getting Pickens and a 2026 first-round pick (No. 20 overall). Meanwhile, the Cowboys would receive Crosby and a 2026 second-round pick (No. 36 overall).
“The Cowboys likely aren’t going to fork over a long-term, top-of-market deal for Pickens, and franchise-tagging him could cause more problems than it solves (as it did last year with edge rusher Micah Parsons),” Graziano wrote.
“They get back Crosby, who will make around $30 million per year for the next two years and would replace Parsons. Then, Dallas could look elsewhere for its No. 2 wide receiver.”
Raiders Can Afford to Pay George Pickens Long-Term
Meanwhile, Graziano believes the Raiders can afford to pay Pickens the money he’s seeking long-term.
“The Raiders would have to sign Pickens long-term, but they’re not already paying CeeDee Lamb top-three WR money, as the Cowboys are,” Graziano added. “Pickens fits better into Las Vegas’ budget than he does into Dallas’ roster.
Pickens will be 25 in March, while Crosby will be 29 when the 2025 season starts. As a result, from an age standpoint, the Cowboys receiver would fit the Raiders’ rebuild timeline with Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers, and potentially Mendoza.
Chad Johnson Echoes George Pickens to Las Vegas Idea
A blockbuster trade involving Pickens and Crosby isn’t an idea that only Graziano shares. Recently, former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson floated Pickens to the Raiders, while also mentioning Crosby as a possible fit in a potential trade.
“One move I’ve talked about almost all season long: George Pickens,” Johnson said in a video posted by “Inside the NFL” on Feb. 12. “I would love for George Pickens to have a move. A lot of Dallas Cowboys fans are somewhat delusional and also selfish, wanting to keep George Pickens there when you already have CeeDee Lamb.
“Listen, coming from a great offense, you saw a small sample size of what George Pickens could do, but he needs to be a No. 1 on his own team, and also maximize his value while he can get it now.
“Don’t give Dallas a discount. They’re going to use certain things against you and diminish your value. Allow him to go to the Las Vegas Raiders, new coach Klint Kubiak, [Fernando] Mendoza getting drafted, going to be No. 1.
“Look at all the pieces you can get. Look at all the pieces you can get to build a winning team in trading Maxx Crosby, while his value is extremely high to the Cowboys, problem solved. I don’t want to hear any excuses.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
More Heavy on Raiders
Loading more stories