There may be no fire where there is currently smoke. Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby was upset with team leadership after they put him on Injured Reserve at the end of the season when he felt he could still compete on the field and help the team eke out a couple of late-season wins.
General manager John Spytek decided it wasn't worth worsening Crosby's knee injury. Or risking the No. 1 pick. Starting with Fox NFL Insider Jay Glazer, and continuing now with The Athletic's Dianna Russini, there is a growing belief that Crosby wants out of Las Vegas.
And while Las Vegas is far from contending any time soon, and trading Crosby could help accelerate a rebuild, there is a giant obstacle in the way that many people aren't aware of. It's not just as simple as trading him for a mountain of picks.
The Raiders need to spend cash during the 2026 NFL offseason
The NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement requires teams to spend a minimum amount of cash over specific time periods. For 2024-2026, teams have to spend 90% of the salary cap over that time period.
Assuming a $305 million salary cap in 2026, Las Vegas will need to spend about $262 million in cash to meet this spending floor. This wouldn't be a problem for most clubs, but there is a compounding problem.
Las Vegas has very few veterans on their roster making decent money. And fewer still are deserving of joining their ranks. Only Crosby at $30.8 million, quarterback Geno Smith at $26.5 million, and left tackle Kolton Miller at $20.7 million clear $10 million in cash due next year.
In total, the 48 players Las Vegas has under contract for 2026 are due around $140 million in cash. That means the team needs to spend $122 million to get to the floor. Now, their upcoming draft class will help. They should total about $60 million as a group.
But that still leaves about $62 million or so for the Raiders to spend. This year's free agent class is not a strong one, but the team should be able to get to that spending floor as is by being aggressive. But if they trade Crosby...
Maxx Crosby is essential to the Raiders' spending plan
Bottom line. The Raiders need to pay Crosby to get to the spending floor. As I said above, they can find a way to reasonably spend $62 million in free agency. But over $90 million? That would essentially guarantee multiple bad contracts.
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They can't offset some of this by extending homegrown talent. There isn't much to be found. Their 2023 draft class, which would be extension eligible, was a bust. Most of those players are on other teams, out of the league, or are not starting, nor worthy of an extension.
It's likely that wide receiver Tre Tucker may be the best of a bad bunch and could get a mid-tier deal in the offseason. Michael Mayer could also qualify. But there would still be a big hill to climb if they sent Crosby away.
Possible solution for Maxx Crosby and Raiders
If the relationship between Mad Maxx and the organization has fully soured and he wants out -- and they are willing to yield to that demand -- the best solution they can navigate while helping with their spending needs would be to convert most of his 2026 salary into a bonus that they pay out.
That bonus payout would count toward their spending needs and simultaneously make Crosby an even more attractive trade asset for potential suitors. By lowering Crosby's 2026 salary and paying most of the cash he is due, it would allow teams with less cash or cap space to enter the bidding war.
At the same time, by reducing the amount of money an acquiring team would have to pay Crosby, Spytek would then be able to increase the draft compensation required to make him part ways with their best player.
Where Crosby's trade value as is would be two first-round picks, if they offset the 2026 salary by paying out the roster bonus, they could ask for an additional third-round pick as well. This would accelerate their rebuild even more.