The smoke around Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby being a legitimate trade candidate this offseason is growing steadily with each passing day. And, in the NFL world, where there is smoke, there is typically fire.
Every team and fanbase in the league wants a player of Crosby's caliber, notoriety and character. He's one of the best in the sport at sacking the quarterback, he's dominant against the run, has a cult following off the field and a great story that anyone could rally behind.
However, the Raiders aren't going to just give him up for peanuts. While each team has something different to offer, and no two trade packages will look the same, Las Vegas will likely want more than Brian Thomas Jr. and a second-round pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars, an idea that was floated.
Raiders need more than Brian Thomas Jr. and 2nd-rounder in potential Maxx Crosby trade
Carlos Sanchez of Black and Teal, FanSided's dedicated Jaguars site, proposed the aforementioned trade package on Wednesday, in which the Raiders would send Crosby to Jacksonville for second-year wideout Brian Thomas Jr. and a second-round pick. A late one, at that.
Now, offloading Crosby is definitely in play this offseason. And trading for a talented young wide receiver like Thomas Jr. could definitely help bolster Las Vegas' offense with presumed rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza and first-time head coach Klint Kubiak.
But Fox Sports' Jay Glazer believes that Crosby could be worth more than Micah Parsons in a trade. That would mean that the Raiders could net more than what the Dallas Cowboys got, which was two first-round picks and veteran Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Thomas Jr., for as talented a young receiver as he is, is not worth two first-round picks at this stage in his career. Yes, he exploded onto the scene as a rookie, catching 87 passes for 1,282 yards and a touchdown en route to Pro Bowl honors in his inaugural professional campaign.
In 2025, however, Thomas Jr. saw his production drop massively, as he totaled just 48 catches for 707 yards and two touchdowns. The Jaguars also drafted Travis Hunter and traded for Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline, so what does that say about Thomas Jr.'s ability to carry a unit on his back?
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The Raiders, for as many promising young wideouts as they have, would need Thomas Jr. to do a lot of heavy lifting alongside Brock Bowers. However, as the Jaguars' 2025 season progressed and Meyers got integrated, Thomas Jr. started to see even fewer touches and fell a bit by the wayside.
Just the fact that Jaguars writers are conceiving of trading a promising player like Thomas Jr. on his rookie contract should tell Las Vegas fans all that they need to know. Yes, this would be a push-all-your-chips-in-the-center-of-the-table move by Jacksonville, but Thomas Jr. is clearly expendable.
If the Raiders want to undergo a full rebuild this offseason, as they have indicated and many expect them to, then getting as many draft picks for Crosby as possible should be the priority. Dealing with a team like the Jaguars, who don't have a 2026 first-rounder, is probably off the table.
Yes, Thomas Jr. showed a lot of promise in his rookie season, and perhaps in the right system, he could attain that level of success again. But as he stands now, a second-rounder attached to him is not enough to pry a five-time Pro Bowler from Las Vegas.
The ball is firmly in the Raiders' court, as they'll have several suitors for Crosby and can start the bidding high. That price point should only climb if Las Vegas restructures Crosby's deal to make him more affordable for other teams, which would then help them garner even more in a potential trade.
So, the Silver and Black should get more than Thomas Jr. and a second-round pick if they deal their star defender. If the Raiders don't get at least one first-rounder or comparable value in return for Crosby, then it is malpractice. Jacksonville doesn't have a first-rounder, though, so no dice.