Crosby to 49ers? Five landing spots if Raiders trade star originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Las Vegas Raiders might be on the brink of imploding.
Despite it being Antonio Pierce’s first full season as coach, Las Vegas didn’t have high expectations to compete, especially with well-traveled veteran Gardner Minshew and second-year pro Aidan O’Connell the primary options under center.
Matters worsened when Davante Adams requested a trade, and eventually was dealt to the New York Jets, where he reunited with former Green Bay Packers teammate Aaron Rodgers.
With Adams cropped out of the picture, the focus moves to Maxx Crosby. The 27-year-old edge rusher is the sole star left on the Raiders’ star, and the three-time Pro Bowl pick and two-time second-team All-Pro is coming off consecutive double-digit sack campaigns (12.5 and 14.5, respectively) with 5.5 already to his name through five games in 2024.
Should Crosby, who is under contract until 2026, not stay in Vegas, these teams should make the trade call, even if the price tag is expensive:
Detroit Lions
This one is a no-brainer. The Lions certainly should be in the market for a marquee edge rusher with Aidan Hutchinson likely out for the season because of a broken tibia.
Though coach Dan Campbell doesn’t want to rule out Hutchinson’s possible return this season, there’s no guarantee it will happen, and speculating won’t solve any issues. Crosby would help the Lions retain their status as legitimate NFC contenders while further bolstering them once Hutchinson is healthy.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders are living up to their sleeper status early this season, with Jayden Daniels looking more than comfortable as a rookie signal-caller. That could persuade the front office to make win-now moves sooner rather than later, especially with the NFC East title being a strong possibility.
Like Detroit, Washington also is dealing with defensive line injuries, as tackle Jonathan Allen was ruled out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Crosby doesn’t plug the same hole, but he’d be a boost.
Chicago Bears
The Bears don’t have defensive line injury issues to worry about yet, though they do have production woes. After landing Montez Sweat from Washington in 2023, Chicago has spent some time trying to figure out who to play opposite him.
Darrell Taylor came over from the Seattle Seahawks, and DeMarcus Walker is becoming involved, but Crosby easily would be an upgrade over both, while Gervon Dexter Sr. is showing high potential as an interior lineman in just his second NFL season.
Buffalo Bills
Las Vegas likely would prefer to send Crosby to the opposite conference, though some AFC teams could make sense. One such team already has been involved in the NFL trade market, as the Bills addressed their wide receiver problems by acquiring Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns.
But should they continue to go all in, Crosby would be an immediate edge upgrade over Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa. If they somehow can get off Von Miller’s contract, it’d make even more sense.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers should at least poke around the possibility of this trade happening. They’re in the opposite conference, and the teams’ rivalry isn’t the same anymore after the Raiders’ relocation from Oakland to Vegas.
San Francisco has been hampered by injuries along its D-line, with Javon Hargrave out for the season and new signing Yetur Gross-Matos already on injured reserve. Crosby would give the 49ers the reliable star partner for Nick Bosa that they’ve continuously sought since he was drafted, with names such as Dee Ford and Chase Young, among others, not panning out.
A trade might not be realistic, but due diligence wouldn’t hurt.
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