Following the Las Vegas Raiders‘ terrible loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, there have been rumors aplenty that the team would be sellers at the trade deadline. This led to a report from Trey Wingo that the Dallas Cowboys had reached out about trading for star defensive end Maxx Crosby.
While this season looks like a lost one for Las Vegas, it doesn’t sound like they’re willing to completely tear down the roster yet. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Jane Slater, the Raiders’ brass has met with Crosby and informed him that they will not be trading him.
Even though Crosby has stated that he just wants to win, he also made it clear that he still hopes to be part of building a winner in Las Vegas.
Many fans were ready for the Raiders to move on from Crosby, considering the terrible start to the year and the fact that he’s their most valuable trade asset. However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Las Vegas is holding onto him. Head coach Pete Carroll is already 74 and isn’t going to want to start from scratch. The Raiders need a lot of pieces, but we’ve seen quick turnarounds before. The team could theoretically be one great free agent and draft class away from fielding a contender around Crosby.
Is This the Right Decision for Raiders?
If the Raiders were to trade Crosby, they’d likely get a serious haul. The baseline would be at least two first-round picks. He’s an All-Pro player who is only 28. He’s been putting up incredible numbers with very little help.
Putting him on a defense with other impact players could lead to him having even bigger numbers. However, the Raiders are making the correct decision if the plan is to give Carroll another year.
Sure, if the team was planning to fire the coach, then it’d make sense just to strip the roster for parts and start from scratch. It doesn’t make sense to embrace a full rebuild with a 74-year-old head coach. Plus, it doesn’t sound like Crosby really wants to leave. Unless he forces the issues, the team is better off keeping him.
Will Things Get Better for the Raiders This Season?
The Raiders hit rock bottom in Week 7. The offense and defense were completely lifeless against the Chiefs. The good news is that things can’t really get worse.
The Raiders are on the bye week, so they’ll have a week to reset. Many fans are down on Carroll, but he has a long history of success. The team’s schedule after the bye week also lightens up a bit.
Las Vegas hasn’t fielded a good product, but there are many new pieces who weren’t with the franchise. It’s possible that they just need time. If things don’t get better and the Raiders want to fire Carroll, then they could consider trading Crosby in the offseason. He’ll still have a lot of value in the offseason months, so there’s no reason to rush a decision.
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