On Tuesday morning, the Las Vegas Raiders sent a light ripple through the NFL world when they traded perennial All-Pro Davante Adams to the New York Jets.
It was a deal probably written in stone the moment it was apparent Antonio Pierce’s team wouldn’t be competitive in 2024, necessitating that an older, unhappy playmaker like Adams would try and go contend elsewhere. (Note: Adams shining on a great Jets team probably won’t happen, though.)
But the elephant in the room still needs to be addressed as Las Vegas moves into the next phase of its kind-of-sort-of pseudo rebuild.
What the heck is next for fellow perennial All-Pro Maxx Crosby?
Try as Crosby might to explain the weird pushes of his coaches — you know, his bosses — I think it would be silly to presume he is entirely happy with where the Raiders stand:
“Mike Caldwell is a great dude, we have a great relationship and we do that all the time.”
Maxx Crosby clears the air on a push he had with coach Mike Caldwell caught on the sidelines during today’s game against the Steelers.
🎥: By @MikeDixon_VST, Vegas Sports Today… pic.twitter.com/WPGfSwVvlZ
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) October 14, 2024
Still, by early accounts, the Raiders have no plans to trade the 27-year-old. And why would they? You don’t just offload electric pass-rushers in the prime of their career and expect to get equal value in return. Crosby has averaged over 30 quarterback hits and 10-plus sacks over the last three seasons and is on a similar trajectory in 2024. He’s one of the finest edge defenders on the planet. That sort of franchise-player production is exceedingly rare, making it less likely that the Raiders will move on from his services.
Even with blockbuster deals on paper ramping up in recent years, it’s not how the NFL trade market works. Don’t expect that to change any time soon, either.
And yet, by that same token … how much does it benefit a rebuilding Raiders team to keep Crosby at this current stage of his career?
I hate to say it, but at 27, the next few years will likely be the best for Crosby as an NFL star. Given the history of older pass-rushers looking longer in the tooth as soon as a “3” and “0” appear as their age, it also probably wouldn’t be a stretch to assume this next multi-year stretch will be the last we see of him as a field-tilting game-breaker. For a guy who relies on his relentless motor more than most, it wouldn’t be foolish to think Crosby’s elite production falls off a cliff the moment he loses even half of a step in the coming seasons.
That puts the onus on the Raiders to compete now, for Crosby’s sake. Unfortunately, they’re nowhere close to a win-now position. I’m not even sure where to start to list out the Raiders’ laundry list of issues before they’re a viable competitor again.
They are years away, which would come near the tail-end of Crosby’s prime.
The quarterback of Las Vegas’ future is not on the current roster. Antonio Pierce has not clearly distinguished himself as this well-entrenched coach. Aside from promising rookie tight end Brock Bowers, the Raiders have a tremendous dearth of reliable playmakers. The offensive line can be described as patchwork at best. And Crosby aside, I really challenge you to ponder who, if anyone else, is a foundational defensive piece.
(Jeopardy theme plays.) Don’t worry, I’ll wait.
Considering that Crosby still has 2.5 attractive years left on his current contract, the writing feels like it should be on the wall. It paints the picture of a trade that needs to happen either now or in the near future. Otherwise, you’re simply letting a talent like him go to waste on a rudderless team going nowhere.
To be clear, I doubt Raiders owner Mark Davis would pull the trigger. With the Raiders hopeless, players like Crosby put butts in seats for any fans still sadly hanging around a franchise that hasn’t rewarded their faith in decades. Ticket sales and fan “loyalty” are often enough to keep organizations from punting on all-time talents.
But if Davis is serious about turning the Raiders around, he should at least pick up the phone and listen if anyone comes calling about Crosby. He’d be ignoring reality to a delusional point if he didn’t.
