Las Vegas Raiders Star Maxx Crosby Opens Up About Trade Rumors

The Las Vegas Raiders are days removed from trading six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams. Vegas sent the malcontent to the New York Jets on Tuesday for a mere conditional third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

For general manager Tom Telesco and Co., this was the culmination of major drama surrounding Adams. He had went to the Raiders’ brass earlier in the season, indicating that he preferred to be traded. Adams did not play another snap in the Silver and Black after making that request.

Now that this is a thing of the past, it’s time for the Raiders to move forward. They are 2-4 on the season and going nowhere fast after two consecutive blowout losses. Could this lead to the Raiders making other moves ahead of the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline? It seems likely.

Naturally, star pass rusher Maxx Crosby has come up in trade rumors with the deadline less than three weeks away.

The Pro Bowler touched on that while talking to reporters on Thursday. He did not necessarily push back against the possibility of a trade.

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“I’m not here to rebuild, I’m here to win. Whatever that means. But I’m here to win now. Wherever I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be here to win,” Crosby said.

These words mirror what Adams had said during his relatively short stint with the Raiders. It’s all about winning and competing.

As of right now, the Raiders can’t be seen as legitimate playoff contenders. They are, in fact, closer to a rebuild than contention in the AFC. Consecutive blowout losses to the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers adds another layer to this belief.

Will The Las Vegas Raiders Trade Maxx Crosby?

Both Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce are in their first full season with the Raiders. Regardless of how Raiders Nation feels about the pair, they are not going to be one-and-done. The process of building a contender was not going to be completed overnight.

What does this mean?

Telesco and Pierce can afford to trade veteran assets for future draft capital. They are not in win-now mode.

As for Crosby, these recent comments are a complete reversal from what we heard out of his mouth earlier in the season.

“You know where I want to be. You think I want to be anywhere else? No. I got this shit tatted on my body. I don’t want to go anywhere. It’s just funny,” Crosby said earlier in the month, via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “You’ve got a lot of people that have a lot to say when they really don’t know what’s going on.”

Certainly, Crosby’s tone has changed since then. Adams being traded is likely one of the reasons why. From an on-field perspective, it sets the Raiders back big time.

Raiders Owner Pushes Back Against Possible Maxx Crosby

None of this is to say that the Raiders will move their star pass rusher. Owner Mark Davis has already denied that they are even considering trading him.

“It’s unfortunate today, but there’s so much outside chatter that is not true,” Davis said earlier this week, via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed. “It’s not coming from any sources. It’s not coming from anything. My basic thing is never to answer all that stuff because, otherwise, you get trapped in this black hole. It’s just not happening.”

Rumors heated up that the Detroit Lions might make a move to acquire Crosby after they lost fellow star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson for the season due to an ugly lower-body injury. Obviously, the timing of Davis’ comments is not a coincidence.

If the Raiders can get a first-round pick and other valuable draft capital for Crosby, they have to think long and hard about moving him. He is not going to be the difference between cellar-dwelling status and playoff contention.

Vegas has holes up and down the roster. That includes the all-important quarterback position. Acquiring as much draft capital to find a potential franchise quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft has to be the name of the game for the Raiders right now. Nothing is going to change until the Raiders find a long-term solution under center. It’s that simple.

Crosby, 27, has already recorded 10 quarterback hits and 5.5 sacks this season. He also leads the NFL with nine tackles for loss. From 2019-23, he tallied 124 QB hits and 52 sacks. If the Eastern Michigan product is put on the block, there is not going to be a limited number of teams interested in him.

For now, it’s looking highly unlikely. However, things could change on a dime. Crosby’s latest comments seem to suggest that he’s not happy. At this point, can you blame him?