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Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby raised some eyebrows recently when he decided against attending Klint Kubiak’s introductory press conference as the Las Vegas Raiders‘ next head coach. In the past, he has attended the press conferences, and some of his teammates were there.
To make matters more interesting, Crosby was reportedly in the building, so it wouldn’t have been difficult to make an appearance. He has already been the subject of trade rumors, and this move will only make those louder.
This led to former New England Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty pitching a trade that would send Crosby to the Dallas Cowboys.
“If you’re gonna ask me to play ‘Madden’ with no consequences, I’m going for the jugular. If I’m the Raiders, why not go out and trade Maxx Crosby?” McCourty said on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “For the Dallas Cowboys, you franchise tagged George Pickens. You don’t work out a long-term deal. You trade him to the Raiders for Crosby in exchange.
“Now you’ve just beefed up your defensive line. New coordinator coming over, Maxx Crosby. Maxx Crosby is going to make everybody on the defensive side of the ball better. And on top of that, have you watched the way Maxx Crosby plays the game of football? He plays every single play of the game. And for the Raiders, you get a weapon. That’s George Pickens, Fernando Mendoza. You need some weapons on the outside. Well, you got a dog out there.”
Crosby Is Worth More Than Just Pickens
The Cowboys were reportedly interested in trading for Crosby during the season, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were still into the idea. However, it’s going to take more than Pickens on a franchise tag to get it done.
Pickens is coming off a great season, but he has a reputation for being difficult, and the Raiders are going to have to give him a long-term contract. That’s not an amazing asset to get for one of the best defensive players in the NFL.
The Cowboys would have to at least attach one first-round pick to the deal for the Raiders to even consider it. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Las Vegas wanted two first-round picks to go with Pickens. The Cowboys probably wouldn’t want to give up that much, but the Raiders have a lot of leverage here. Crosby is under contract, and he’s not the type to sit out games.
Mark Davis Praises Crosby
In the past, owner Mark Davis has been adamant about not trading Crosby. The two have a very strong relationship, but the power dynamics are a bit different in Las Vegas now.
Davis was asked about Crosby following Kubiak’s introductory press conference. He praised the defensive end, but stopped short of saying there’s no way he’s going to get traded this offseason.
“Maxx has been a great, great Raider. He is a great Raider. He’s gone through a lifetime of development here for seven or eight years, and he still is a Raider. So, it’s all good,” Davis said.
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd
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