The Chicago Bears are dragging their feet on adding a pass-rusher this offseason, and while that probably doesn’t mean the team is going to jump headlong into a pricey deal for Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders, it does leave the opportunity on the table.
No trade materialized ahead of the NFL draft in late April, and so it could be weeks before any real talks between the Raiders and any potential suitors begin/restart. That said, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported during the fallout of the botched agreement with the Baltimore Ravens that there is reason to expect the Raiders will field calls on Crosby again before Week 1.
“Since [Las Vegas] already looked at trading [Crosby], they’re open to that possibility, potentially, if the right offer would come,” Fowler reported. “We’re looking at timelines here. Now is gonna be a little slow, but you get closer to the draft, perhaps trade offers will heat up — or even maybe closer to the season.”
Chicago may have been a bit slow to fill its void off the edge because it wants to know more about what it has in 2025 second-round pick Shemar Turner. The No. 62 overall selection out of Texas A&M played just 74 snaps on defense for the Bears during his rookie campaign before an ACL tear in Week 8 cut his year short.
The Raiders accepted an offer of two first-round picks from Baltimore for Crosby earlier this year. But his trade value took a hit after the Ravens backed out at the 11th hour citing a bad physical.
Two firsts is probably off the table from any team now, but a first-rounder in 2027, a mid-round pick in 2028 and Turner might be enough of an eye-opener from the Bears to command the Raiders’ attention.
Shemar Turner Offers Intriguing Upside, Versatility as Part of Blockbuster Trade Pitch for Maxx Crosby
GettyChicago Bears defensive lineman Shemar Turner.
A first-round selection next April has massive value given the expected quality of the class and all the needs Las Vegas will likely have heading into the spring of 2027.
If Chicago were put up a 2027 first in addition to a third-rounder in 2028 and Turner, who has big upside and the versatility to play either defensive end or defensive tackle, the Bears’ offer would essentially equate to the following: second-round value in 2025, first-round value in 2027 and third-round value in 2028.
That is a huge haul for Crosby, who while still elite, has seen a downturn in his advanced metrics and an uptick in injury concerns over the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, Chicago would get its marquee edge-rusher in Crosby who fixes the weakest part of the Bears’ defense and allows the team to stroll into 2026 with a legitimately improved roster and viable Super Bowl aspirations.
Bears May not Make Huge Trade Swing, but Should Add Talent to Pass-Rush Group Opposite Montez Sweat
GettyDefensive end Montez Sweat of the Chicago Bears.
Chicago’s operating procedure to this point in the offseason does not indicate that the Bears will ultimately take such a strong swing on a player like Crosby, who turns 29 in August, though they were involved in at least moderately serious discussions with Las Vegas the first time around.
The Bears have taken a measured approach to replacing retired center Drew Dalman, whose decision to leave came as a surprise, by trading a fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots for Garret Bradbury and drafting Logan Jones out of Iowa in Round 2 last month.
Chicago did the same sort of thing at left tackle to fill the gap caused by Ozzy Trapilo’s knee injury in January, bringing back Braxton Jones on a one-year deal and taking a flier on former No. 10 overall pick Jedrick Wills Jr., a bust to this point in his career who also missed all of 2025 due to injury.
The Bears have Turner coming back healthy in Year 2, as well as Austin Booker on the rise heading into Year 3 and Dayo Odeyingbo on an uncuttable/untradable contract this offseason after tearing his Achilles tendon during the middle of last season.
That, plus perhaps the addition of a productive veteran like Cameron Jordan or Jadeveon Clowney for between $5-$7 million on a one-year contract, is the likely depth chart alongside starting defensive end Montez Sweat heading into Week 1.
But Crosby offers an exciting and intriguing possibility via a trade, including one that could be there for Chicago at the mid-season deadline depending on how things play out for the Raiders and Bears across the first half of the campaign.
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