The Maxx Crosby trade rumors are picking back up again after the 2026 NFL combine, and while nobody knows for sure what the future holds for the Las Vegas Raiders' star and leader, that hasn't stopped lips from flapping, nor teams around the league from monitoring the situation.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer wrote on Monday that, not only does he believe that a Crosby trade could be imminent, but that a relatively long list of other NFL teams are monitoring the situation closely.
"We should know soon enough which path the Raiders are taking, with teams like Dallas, Chicago, Baltimore, Buffalo, New England, Philadelphia and the Rams keeping tabs on his availability," Breer wrote.
None of those are particularly great options.
Raiders' reported list of Maxx Crosby suitors is mixed bag for team & fans
First and foremost, only one of the aforementioned teams (the Cowboys) has a first-round pick in the top 12 of this year's draft. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones is flush with resources and known to overpay, so from that perspective, dealing Crosby to Dallas wouldn't be so bad.
But Raider Nation can imagine the media firestorm and subsequent criticism that comes with their former star lighting it up for the Cowboys. They experienced that when Amari Cooper was traded to Dallas, and it would just be too frustrating to see Crosby wearing the star on his helmet.
The Los Angeles Rams have the next-earliest pick in the draft at No. 13 (they own the Atlanta Falcons' first-round selection). They may also have the most young talent to give back to Las Vegas, and they have been known to give up a lot to go all-in on Super Bowl runs. The Raiders could cash in on that.
That said, it would be hard to watch Crosby reunite with Davante Adams in Los Angeles and potentially help lead them to the promised land. While that may sound petty, and Las Vegas should ultimately take the best return, stuff like that matters to the fanbase and for the optics of the franchise.
Baltimore is next in the draft order at No. 14, and they have some solid pieces that the Raiders could be interested in as part of a return package. But trading Crosby to an AFC foe, especially one on the verge of contention like the Ravens, would be hard to stomach.
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As far as Chicago, Buffalo, New England and Philadelphia, none of them pick before No. 23 in April. The Eagles have that 23rd pick, but the Bears, Bills and Patriots aren't on the clock until No. 25, No. 26 and No. 31, respectively.
If the Raiders want to load up on talent in this year's draft class and get their rebuild on track a year or so early, then Las Vegas may want more premier capital than picking somewhere in the 20s. Trading up with a pick in the 20s and the No. 36 pick is always an option, albeit a less desirable one.
Chicago would be frustrating for several reasons. One is that it would be an eerie reminder of the Khalil Mack trade, in which the Raiders got fleeced, and another is that seeing Crosby play for Ben Johnson after he spurned Las Vegas last year would be doubly insulting.
Crosby heading to New England would not only see him land with the AFC champion from this past year, but he would be reunited with Josh McDaniels and a band of other former Raiders, like Robert Spillane, K'Lavon Chaisson and more.
Neither Buffalo nor Philadelphia strikes fans as the worst trade locations, outside of Buffalo also being in the AFC and neither having a premier first-round pick. Plus, doing business with Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is always an exercise in caution, as Spytek said at the combine.
Notably absent from this list are two other common mock trade destinations: the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, holders of the No. 17 and No. 27 picks. Seeing Crosby in any other uniform is going to be a gut punch, but the Raiders can find a better compromise or solution than these spots.