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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Catch him if you can.
It’s still debatable whether the Raiders will make Maxx Crosby available on the trade market, but if John Spytek and Tom Brady are willing to listen to offers, Jason Licht needs to apply.
Forcefully.
Crosby is a game-changing defensive end, a five-time Pro Bowler who twice led the league in tackles for loss and has been named one of the NFL’s top 22 players on three separate occasions in voting by his peers.
Everyone in this league knows Crosby is a special player, perhaps a transformative player for a Buc defense sorely missing a pass rusher of his caliber. Should the Raiders make Crosby available, there would be no shortage of suitors from New England to San Francisco.
Yes, he’s that good. Let’s not be naive … the Las Vegas front office would surely demand a steep price. If the Raiders won’t take less than a pair of first-round picks, move on.
But if Licht is willing to sweeten the pot by adding a veteran player to the mix, especially one Brady is familiar with, that could change the dynamics of the trade discussions.
Tampa Bay’s pass rush is in dire need of an upgrade. Nobody knows that more than Todd Bowles, who blitzed extensively in 2025 and received few dividends in return.
There were a lot of reasons the Bucs went 2-7 after the bye week. Baker Mayfield’s play leveled off, Emeka Egbuka’s production cratered and the defense couldn’t cover backs in the flat.
But there’s also this: During the 6-2 start, the Bucs registered 25 sacks. In the final nine weeks, Tampa Bay was limited to 12 takedowns. If sacks are drive-killers, the Bucs spent the second half of the season letting opponents breathe easy.
Crosby turns 29 in August and he’s a tough guy to keep off the field, even when injured. He has played at least 94 percent of defensive snaps in each of the past four years.
“For me, every time I step on the field I feel I’m the best player,” Crosby says.
He’s not far off.
Ira Kaufman has orders for Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Except for Myles Garrett, who is in a league of his own, Crosby has few rivals as a relentless force off the edge. He’s got power, he’s got moves and he has the determination to beat anyone with the gall to try and block him.
“I love Maxx,” Garrett says. “He plays the game with a helluva motor.”
Bowles doesn’t have enough guys on defense with that sheer drive. And Crosby is hardly one-dimensional. He has averaged four tackles per game during his 7-year career, a strong total for a lineman.
“He’s 100 miles per hour on every play,” says Andy Reid, who has watched helplessly as Crosby created havoc against KC pass protectors twice a season.
Imagine how much more effective YaYa Diaby would be with Crosby on the other side. The Haason Reddick move didn’t work out — acknowledge the mistake and move on.
That $14 million hiccup shouldn’t give Licht pause to pursue Crosby, who would bring a swagger and bravado this defense is sorely lacking. Buc fans appreciate effort, and Crosby brings that every snap.
“The guy I’ve always been a fan of is Maxx Crosby,” says Saints center Erik McCoy. “He plays the hardest of anybody in the NFL.”
If Brady and Spytek deem Crosby a foundational piece of a sad-sack franchise, too valuable to part with, so be it. But if the Crosby door is left open, even a crack, the Bucs need to bring a battering ram to the negotiating table.
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