It's Super Bowl week, and you know what that means. It's time for a little pot stirring.
And by a little... I mean a lot.
This is the week where whispers become rumors, rumors become smoke, and smoke turns into the most magnificent of make-believe fires -- except for when the whole "make-believe" part goes away in some cases.
This week, there's been a lot of chatter about Las Vegas Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby and his future with the team. FOX's Jay Glazer, of course, reported that he believes Crosby will be traded in the near future.
And, if Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase has anything to say about it, Crosby should be joining him and Joe Burrow in stripes, soon enough. In an interview alongside teammate Tee Higgins, with Kay Adams, Chase was asked about adding a top-tier player this offseason:
"I want to go with your boy from Vegas ... Maxx Crosby ... I like Maxx Crosby. He's a dog."
It sure sounds like the Raiders could wind up losing Maxx Crosby sooner or later
First of all, from a Bengals standpoint, Crosby is exactly what that team needs -- but he won't fix all of their problems. Cincinnati's defense is atrocious on every level and, just adding Crosby alone, will not be enough.
But it's a start.
As for Las Vegas, though, the whispers of a Crosby trade have gone on for a long time now. But this year, it feels a little different. With Glazer's report, Raiders fans have a reason to be much more on edge than ever before.
Is this a reality that Raiders fans will have to try to settle with? It's a massive pill to have to swallow, but looking at the state of this franchise, it might just be the correct move.
Las Vegas has holes everywhere. Now, that doesn't mean they don't have some talent. Of course they do.
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But, if you tried to rank their offseason positional needs right now, you could make an argument that, after quarterback, almost any one position could be placed at no. 2.
And that, right there, is your answer.
The Raiders should trade Crosby, but will it be to an AFC team? If the Bengals ended up being the highest bidder, then sure. But, we also have to look at how the Bengals would even begin to take on Crosby's contract.
Cincinnati is forking over a whole lot of money for Burrow, Chase and Higgins, and it hasn't left a lot of finances left for the defensive side of the ball. So, that's a totally different story altogether.
As for other suitors, there would likely be plenty for Crosby, and if the Raiders could get two first-round picks plus, then they would have to pull the trigger.