In early March, Maxx Crosby was on his way to being traded by the Las Vegas Raiders when the new league year began. Then, when the Baltimore Ravens bailed on the agreed-to deal under the guise of medical concerns, the five-time Pro Bowler was back in the Silver and Black.
Apparently, all is good again for Crosby regarding the Raiders. The situation now is diffferent than the one he wanted to be traded out of, but he also knew a new head coach was coming and the team was equipped to make big moves in free agency when he asked to be traded in the first place.
So, it's easy to be a little bit skeptical about everything all of a sudden being hunky dory for Crosby, especially if the Raiders don't win a lot of games in Klint Kubiak's first season as head coach. For a week or so after the deal was nixed, mock trade proposals kept surfacing.
And if Crosby is not happy with another losing season and notable trade offers come before the deadline in November, he could be gone -- for real this time. But in the meantime, things have actually, for the first time in a long time, simmered down on the Crosby trade talks.
The Maxx Crosby trade talk can be put to bed (at least for now)
As the NFL Draft approaches, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report has put a "trade meter" on some notable NFL stars on a 1-to-10 scale from less likely to more likely that they are dealt in the coming weeks. In light of almost being traded, Crosby is, of course, on the list.
But he's only at a 2.
"Although Crosby seems recommitted to being a Raider after the trade flop, the Raiders may still be open for business if another team is willing to give up two first-rounders.
"That said, Crosby's recovery process may scare teams off with John Spytek's reported asking price of two top-32 picks. The 28-year-old underwent surgery back in January and may not be close to 100 percent until after the draft.
"As a result, clubs may wait until late spring or early summer to make strong offers for Crosby, but by then, it wouldn't help the Raiders in the upcoming season to trade their best defensive player for 2027 draft picks.
"Unless Crosby makes a miraculous full recovery within the next two weeks, he'll likely remain a Raider because of the team's steep demand for him."
"Before the draft" is an important distinction here, and with everything in mind, Moton has given Crosby merely a trade meter of 2. That is just a notch above the lowest perceived chance, which feels fitting, unless a team comes out of the woodwork with a suitable offer.
If Crosby ends up being traded, the time is not now, or anytime very soon, barring something unforeseen. So, at least for now, but not necessarily for good, the most prominent trade talk around a Raiders player in quite some time can be put to rest.