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Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby.
Star defensive end Maxx Crosby has gone out of his way not to directly address the trade rumors surrounding his name, but he has also been very quiet about what the Las Vegas Raiders have done this offseason. He hasn’t spoken much about new head coach Klint Kubiak outside of praising the work he did with the Seattle Seahawks.
However, there was one coaching hire he couldn’t ignore. The Raiders promoted longtime defensive line coach Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator. He has worked with Crosby for the last three seasons, and the two are very close.
The All-Pro reacted to the Raiders hiring Leonard by posting the word “legend” on his Instagram story.
Maxx Crosby likes the Raiders naming Rob Leonard as the DC
Considering Crosby has been so quiet this offseason, it’s notable that he’d react to the Leonard news. Promoting him to defensive coordinator should go a long way in easing any tension Crosby might have with the front office.
That said, it’s likely going to take more. While Crosby respects Leonard, it doesn’t mean that he’s willing to continue playing for a franchise he may no longer want to be a part of. This may be a step in the right direction, but this will continue to be a situation to watch.
Latest on Crosby Trade Rumors
This isn’t the first time Crosby has been involved in trade rumors. It has been an annual thing in recent years.
However, this time they seem more real than ever. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, this might be the first time he’s really open to the idea of moving.
“[Maxx] is a guy who puts great value in being a Raider, has always wanted to be a one-team guy, as rare as those are in today’s NFL,” Breer said on “The Breer Report.” “He’s always wanted to be a one-team guy and has a really strong relationship with Mark Davis, and that relationship is really part of what’s kept Crosby on board as a Raider. When you’ve got that strong of a relationship with the owner, you want to do right by the owner. You want to help the owner win, and that can be a motivating factor not to have wandering eyes.
“But now that he has had those wandering eyes, what does that look like? I think over a quarter of the league has already sort of sniffed around the possibility of [trading for] Crosby … the idea of adding Maxx Crosby would obviously be enticing to a lot of teams and the Raiders could bring back a big haul.”
Raiders Have the Leverage Here
Even if Crosby demands a trade, he doesn’t really have much leverage. It’s very difficult to see him sitting out games, and he’s under contract until 2030.
Obviously, the Raiders don’t want to have a disgruntled star on their team, but they can afford to be patient and wait for the best trade package. Crosby likely won’t go public with a trade request, as there’s not much he can do.
The Raiders are in a good position. If they get a haul for Crosby, that will help with the rebuild, and if he decides he wants to stay, then they still have their best player and leader.
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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