The 2026 NFL Draft was almost very different for the Las Vegas Raiders. The Maxx Crosby trade to the Baltimore Ravens netted them the No. 14 pick, but also created a huge need at pass rusher.
However, the Ravens backed out of the deal, which means the Raiders only have one first-round pick now. The good news is that the team still has one of the top pass rushers in the NFL on the roster.
There’s been speculation about whether or not the Raiders will try to trade him again, but that doesn’t appear to be happening. General manager John Spytek made it clear that the plan is to keep Crosby on the roster for the foreseeable future ahead of the draft.
“He really never left. I mean, if we look at the actual transaction, he’s never not been a Raider,” Spytek said on the “Rich Eisen Show.” “And he came in his first day back and sat in my office a little bit, and we talked things through, like we always do. … I think we’re always honest with each other. There’s been a lot of growth in those conversations as well, and Maxx has been working his tail off. He’s going to be ready to rock in training camp. We expect him to play good football this year and many years to come.
“Things have an interesting way of working out, however they do, and we’re excited that [Maxx] is still with us.”
Raiders Won’t Get 2 First-Round Picks for Crosby
Even before Crosby had a failed physical lingering over him, the Raiders weren’t getting offers of two first-round picks for him before the Ravens’ offer. Now that there are injury concerns, there’s no way Las Vegas is getting multiple first-round picks for him, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“Maxx Crosby was the one who initially wanted out, and Maxx Crosby was given his wish, and Maxx Crosby didn’t pass the physical. And so Maxx Crosby went back, and now the Raiders didn’t want to move him then, and they agreed to do it only because it was for two first-round picks. They’re not getting, I don’t believe, two first-round picks again for Maxx Crosby,” Schefter said recently, via “The Morning Tailgate” podcast.
“They’re not going to get enough compensation in my mind to make it worth their while to trade him. Could we see it happen? Anything in the league is always possible, but I’m not counting on that.”
Makes More Sense to Keep Crosby
The Raiders were never eager to trade Crosby to begin with. It did make sense to move him for two first-round picks, considering the team is in a rebuild, but it’s very difficult to find players of his caliber.
Taking anything less than two first-round picks would feel like the Raiders were losing the deal. At this point, it’s better to keep him around. He’s still an elite player and a leader for the team. Unless a team is willing to give the Raiders a haul, Crosby will at least be in Las Vegas for another season.
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