The Las Vegas Raiders struck gold when they selected Maxx Crosby in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has significantly outperformed his draft slot, giving the franchise one of the biggest draft steals of the past decade.
Las Vegas has struggled to build around Crosby, as he has played with just one other Pro Bowler and no All-Pros on defense. That has resulted in just one finish outside of a bottom-nine scoring defense, leading the five-time Pro Bowler to request a trade earlier in the offseason.
Ultimately, the Raiders agreed to send Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens before free agency began in exchange for the No. 14 overall pick and a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. However, as is well-documented at this point, the Ravens wound up backing out of the deal.
While the Raiders were, as a result, able to retain the superstar pass rusher, there have been conflicting reports on whether or not he will be moved again. Most reports say he won't, and as such, Las Vegas shouldn't entertain the latest idea that sends him to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Raiders should hold on to Maxx Crosby despite the latest trade proposal
Crosby has often been the lone bright spot on the Raiders' defense since he arrived in 2019. He has been a dominant force against both the run and the pass, establishing himself as one of the league's premier edge rushers.
While he has re-committed to continuing his career in Las Vegas since the trade to the Ravens fell through, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton still pitched the Eagles as a landing spot for Crosby in his latest piece.
"According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Raiders are still "listening" to inquiries for Crosby. He also said the Chicago Bears don't have the cash to acquire him. Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is always lurking in the shadows of trade chatter. If anyone is capable of making a bold move for an edge-rusher, it's him," Moton wrote. "If the Eagles trade wide receiver A.J. Brown, who's a hot name in the rumor mill, they should be able to absorb Crosby's contract. Philadelphia needs a star pass-rusher to close games on the defensive side of the ball. Jalyx Hunt is an ascending talent, but Nolan Smith has just 10.5 sacks in three seasons."
Moton noted that the Raiders are unlikely to find a team willing to meet their asking price of two first-round picks. That alone should motivate the team to keep their defensive star, as general manager John Spytek should not budge on what he perceives Crosby's value to be.
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Additionally, the early wave of free agency has yielded positive results in Las Vegas. The Raiders' defensive haul includes Eric Stokes, Kwity Paye, Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and Malcolm Koonce, along with trade acquisition Taron Johnson.
While the defense is still several pieces away from truly taking the next leap, they are clearly beginning to stockpile talent. Trading Crosby away would erase plenty of the good work done by Spytek to begin the offseason, even if having Crosby wasn't part of his original plan.
Of course, the Raiders don't have their additional two first-round picks, which would have helped the rebuild tremendously. Now that the two-time All-Pro is back and has confirmed multiple times that he is re-committed to the organization, the front office should match that commitment.
Las Vegas has not yet built a roster that is truly ready to contend. However, they got much closer in the first week of free agency. Keeping the face of the franchise would help the Raiders take the next step in 2026, setting them up to enter contention the following year.