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Maxx Crosby attempting to tackle Cam Newton.
The Las Vegas Raiders are ramping things back up for the second half of the season following their bye week in Week 8. After the team’s blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, there was a lot of speculation that the Raiders would start trading away veterans to accumulate draft picks and focus on a rebuild.
However, the team decided against making any significant changes. One big rumor that surfaced was that the Dallas Cowboys were interested in trading for star defensive end Maxx Crosby. He’s the Raiders’ most valuable asset right now, so they likely could’ve gotten at least two first-round picks if they dealt him.
Las Vegas came out and made it clear that they weren’t trading him, and Crosby’s camp leaked out that he didn’t want to get traded. Crosby is loyal to the Raiders, but some people don’t think that’s wise.
Former MVP quarterback Cam Newton questioned why Crosby would want to stay in Las Vegas when he could join a potential playoff team like the Cowboys.
“But understand, even in the offseason, Maxx Crosby has made it abundantly clear that he wants to do what? Win,” Newton said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “So now, he’s not going to win in Vegas because now you have another situation that keeps constantly coming up: ‘Why am I not in the playoffs?’
“OK, now you have an opportunity to get traded to a team that is potentially what you are looking for.”
Is Crosby Making a Mistake Being Loyal to Raiders?
Crosby has said in the past that he’d like to be a Raider for life. Though the team hasn’t won much during his time with them, they’ve always taken care of him from a contractual standpoint.
Owner Mark Davis loves Crosby, and it’d take a lot to convince him to approve any trade. That said, the star defensive end could apply pressure and request a trade. If that were to happen, Davis would have to at least consider his options.
For now, it sounds like Crosby will stay put, but it could be an interesting offseason if the Raiders continue to play poorly this season.
Cowboys Not Close to Any Deals
Even at 3-3-1, the Cowboys have been much better than anybody expected. The offense has been elite and arguably the best in the NFL.
The problem for them is that the defense is a mess. They had a star pass rusher, Micah Parsons, whom they decided to trade away. Perhaps they’re realizing now that keeping Parsons might have been what they needed to be contenders.
The Cowboys do sound keen on trading for a pass rusher, but owner Jerry Jones doesn’t seem confident that a deal will happen.
“There hasn’t been anything close to a deal,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “We’re looking at all phases of our roster. … I don’t know if we will or not (make a trade). … I can tell you this right now, there is not a trade in my mind, the beginning and end of one, as we sit here and talk … that I would do.”
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd
