The Las Vegas Raiders are in the midst of a rebuild, and this offseason, the team faces a key question: Can they compete while Maxx Crosby is still in his prime?
Already, the Raiders have building blocks in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, along with the projected No. 1 overall pick, Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
However, all three are still in their early 20s, while Crosby will turn 29 before the 2026 NFL season kicks off. As a result, the timeline regarding the Raiders’ star pass rusher begs the question: Should the team maximize the asset to secure the picks needed for a rebuild?
With the offseason underway for every team except for the two in the Super Bowl, the trade speculation is running rampant, and Crosby’s name is in the rumor mill. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer was asked whether the Chicago Bears should make a move for Crosby or pursue someone like Trey Hendrickson in free agency.
“If you look at somebody like [Hendrickson] versus Maxx, I think he’s about three years older than Maxx Crosby,” Breer said on a Jan. 27 appearance on ESPN Chicago. “The trade-off is, of course, that you wouldn’t be giving up picks to get him.”
Moreover, Breer warned the Bears against making trades that leads to giving up significant draft capital, citing the Washington Commanders of the 2025 season as a cautionary tale.
“The Commanders, I would say, are becoming a little bit of a cautionary tale on that, where you know Jayden Daniels is a rookie. They’re very aggressive in building around him… So they trade draft picks for Marshon Lattimore, Deebo Samuel Sr. and Laremy Tunsil… And now all your draft picks are gone.”
49ers Urged to Make Trade for Raiders’ Maxx Crosby
Nonetheless, the Bears aren’t the only team in the speculative rumor mill involving Crosby. Mark Willard of 95.7 The Game believes the San Francisco 49ers should pursue Crosby after falling short of reaching the NFC title game.
“If you want the big ticket out on the market, whether it’s free agency or trade name, that I would be obsessed with if I were a 49er fan, and I am, it’s Maxx Crosby,” Willard said on Jan. 26 on 95.7 The Game. “If you could circle one player that’s a proven player, and you could find a way to make him a Niner, that’s my guy, Maxx Crosby.”
Las Vegas Urged Not to Pursue a Pass Rusher in Free Agency
Meanwhile, if the Raiders were to hold onto Crosby through the offseason, the next question would be whether the Silver and Black find a running mate for their star pass rusher.
In free agency, there’s a name that could solve that issue if Las Vegas decide to spend the money to lure Hendrickson. However, former Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy believes that the team has several other weaknesses on their roster that need addressing before considering an edge rusher.
“As much as I like Hendrickson as a player, I don’t think the Raiders need to go there,” Kennedy said on the Jan. 26 edition of the “Raiders Squad Show.” “They’ve got other things that they need to address with the money… I think they need help at linebacker. I understand what they’re trying to do with this defense.
“Of course, you want to give a Robin to your Batman with Maxx Crosby. But right now, there are so many things that are glaring to me that you cannot ignore, most definitely the offensive line, possibly the wide receiver in the secondary and stuff like that, that I would go to before I go to defensive line.”
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