One of the two NFL trades that happened on June 1 was expected. The other was out of nowhere and is in line to have bigger ripple effects. The always all-in Los Angeles Rams acquired star edge rusher Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns for three draft picks and edge rusher Jared Verse.
Fellow contenders in the NFC have been firmly put on notice, and teams with a potentially available edge rusher may end up getting a renewed push from trade suitors between now and the start of the season as a result. The Las Vegas Raiders and Maxx Crosby are a poster boy for that latter category.
The time to trade Crosby, if he's going to be moved anytime soon, was deemed to be closer to the trade deadline if the Raiders aren't winning a lot of games. The Rams were a hypothetical suitor for Crosby with that in mind, but their move to add Garrett might alter that timing for other teams as well.
Obvious Maxx Crosby trade suitor in wake of Myles Garrett trade has already been offered
In the wake of the Garrett trade, Alex Kay of Bleacher Report has offered five hypothetical NFL trades that would compare to Monday's blockbuster. One, of course, had to do with Crosby, and the potential suitor feels easy and obvious, especially considering who acquired Garrett.
Kay had the San Francisco 49ers swinging a big deal for Crosby.
"Las Vegas Raiders receive: 2027 first- and second-round picks, 2028 third-round pick
San Francisco 49ers receive: Edge Maxx Crosby
"The Raiders would have returned a pair first-round picks for Crosby's services had Baltimore not reneged, similar compensation to the haul the Cleveland Browns received for Garrett earlier this week. The market is clearly still red-hot for Pro Bowl-caliber edge rushers, making this an ideal time for Vegas to attempt another deal.
"An organization like the San Francisco 49ers, who appear to be a piece or two away from making yet another Super Bowl run, could offer a first-round pick plus additional compensation for Crosby. He may not net Vegas another set of first-rounders after failing Baltimore's physical, but some Day 2 picks could be enough to get the Raiders to move on from Crosby for a second time this offseason."
The ship has undoubtedly sailed on the Raiders getting two first-round picks for Crosby, but three top-100-ish picks are a nice-looking return. After the Rams raised the bar a notch in the NFC West by getting Garrett, the 49ers can't sit on their hands and not add someone to their pass rush.
Time will tell if the Raiders get renewed trade interest in Crosby now, and we likely won't know unless a deal is done. But the Rams have created possible leverage for John Spytek with their bold move to get Garrett, as teams in their division, or the NFC at-large, may now feel urgency to make a splash.
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