The latest reports indicate that, after being shut down for the end of the 2025 NFL season, Maxx Crosby always wanted the Las Vegas Raiders to trade him. But whether the Silver and Black's front office would grant that wish was what remained to be seen.
John Spytek held his ground for a long time; he wouldn't budge on his price of two first-round picks. Finally, he found a team that would pony up, the Baltimore Ravens, and the deal was done immediately. Although this was always a possibility, the trade now changes Spytek's free agency plan.
Before the deal, the Raiders had one of the NFL's premier defensive ends and under $100 million in salary cap space. Now, however, Las Vegas has a chasm on the edge, but almost $120 million to spend on the open market after dealing Crosby and releasing Geno Smith and Alex Cappa.
How to fill that defensive hole and what to do with all that money become the two biggest questions of the offseason now.
Maxx Crosby trade changed complexion of free agency for John Spytek
Let's start with filling the Crosby-sized hole in Rob Leonard's new defense. In what is widely regarded as an elite defensive line class, especially at the edge rusher position, the Raiders should leave April's event with at least one or two young players. Ideally, one immediate starter and a traitsy project.
But Las Vegas needs surefire veteran talent, and neither Malcolm Koonce, if he is even re-signed, nor Tyree Wilson is that. The Raiders could always swing for Trey Hendrickson, but no known ties exist between him and this leadership tandem; he's ungodly expensive, and doesn't really fit the timeline.
If Las Vegas wants a stud young player, Jaelan Phillips is going to be their best option. He'll be just 27 years old next season, and his market value contract is three years for $52 million, which is more than palatable, given Las Vegas' salary cap situation.
Boye Mafe is another option. He already knows Klint Kubiak from their year together with the Seattle Seahawks, and although he'll turn 28 next season, his market value contract is only three years for $36.7 million. Neither Mafe nor Phillips is truly elite, but they represent solid alternatives to Crosby.
Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson, in my opinion, are the best Crosby replacements, if such a thing exists. These two players each had more sack production than the previous two players combined, and yet their respective market values are still reasonable.
Spotrac believes Oweh is set for a deal somewhere in the ballpark of $57.9 million over three years, which is the highest average annual value of the group. Chaisson, however, isn't even expected to make $9 million per year, as his contract valuation is three years for $26.9 million. That's a steal.
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Now that we've gone over how the Silver and Black can try to recreate Crosby in the aggregate, let's take a look at what else the team can do to bolster its roster with the massive salary cap space that suddenly became available with his departure. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently gave some insight.
"Expect negotiations between Alec Pierce and the Colts to go down to the wire as the team tries to keep him off Monday's open market," Fowler wrote. "That's going to be a challenge. Pierce appears poised to make at least $27 million per year on a new deal. The Patriots, Commanders, Raiders and Titans are among teams in the mix."
Pierce would be a major upgrade to the wide receiver room in Las Vegas. Although he is incredibly underrated as a deep threat and picker-up of chunk yardage, his best skill would be catching contested balls or back-shoulder throws from Fernando Mendoza. Price is everything, though.
Price is also everything with Rashid Shaheed, the most obvious and commonly-linked player to the Raiders in free agency due to his relationship with Kubiak. Fowler touched on this potential pairing as well.
"I'm expecting the Raiders to make a run at Rashid Shaheed depending on how the dominoes in the receiver market fall and the price point. New coach Klint Kubiak loves him. But Vegas' bigger need is the offensive line."
Speaking of offensive line upgrades, Kubiak has expressed over and over again his desire to have an elite center. He believes that they are the engines that make an offensive line go. Luckily, Fowler believes that the Raiders are in the thick of the hunt for elite young center Tyler Linderbaum.
"He will have the center market cornered, so if he gets to Monday, he'll be tough to keep. The Raiders, Giants and Titans could be involved to some extent. The number should easily surpass $20 million per year."
Money is almost no object to Las Vegas on the open market, and although wisely using resources is the best way to build a team, fans wouldn't blame the front office if they got a little carried away and overpaid Linderbaum. 25-year-old multi-time Pro Bowlers almost never hit free agency.
Other players who have connections to the coaching staff or front office that the Raiders can easily afford now with Crosby's contract off the books include Alontae Taylor, Coby Bryant, Nakobe Dean, Josh Jones, Riq Woolen, Deebo Samuel, Mike Evans, Jamel Dean, and Rachaad White.
Coveted free agents now firmly on Las Vegas' radar should include Braden Smith, Romeo Doubs, Devin Lloyd, Nick Cross, Kenneth Gainwell, Tremaine Edmunds, Tyler Allgeier, Jaquan Brisker, John Franklin-Myers, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Cade Mays, Rasheed Walker and Kaden Elliss.
Simply put, plenty of great options are out there for the Silver and Black when the legal tampering period begins on Monday. It'll be up to Spytek and Kubiak to put their heads together and maximize their resources, but they are sitting pretty as the free agency frenzy begins.