Maxx Crosby is the kind of name that can warp a trade deadline, and the NFL has already shown this year that blockbuster deals are very much on the table. With the November 10 deadline approaching, the Las Vegas Raiders defensive end is one of the biggest wild cards out there.
Crosby was traded during the offseason for a pair of 1st-round picks, and that’s the price tag the Raiders should expect again if they decide to move him. Las Vegas is still rebuilding, even at 3-4 entering Week 8, so there will be interest if Crosby becomes available. The real question is which team would feel the pressure to go hardest.
Buffalo is one obvious fit. The Bills’ defense has been a mess, ranking 30th in points allowed per game at 28.5, giving up the most 1st downs in the league and sitting 31st against the pass.
They’re also tied for 25th in sacks per game at 1.8. For a unit that badly needs a jolt, Crosby would change the conversation immediately.
When a 1st-year coordinator is struggling to get the defense on track, the simplest fix can be upgrading the talent - and Buffalo could make noise if it decides to take that route.
Detroit belongs in the conversation too. The Lions are fighting in what has been the best division in football this year, and they need something to help set them apart.
Brian Branch’s return gave the defense an instant lift, and Week 7 against the Green Bay Packers was their best showing on that side of the ball. Still, the bigger picture says the Lions need more help.
The offense has been good enough to keep the window open, the cap space is there with over $34 million available, and Brad Holmes comes from the Les Snead school of roster building. In other words, the “F*** Them Picks” mindset is part of the family business.
Then there’s Dallas, where Jerry Jones never seems to shy away from the big swing. The Cowboys have already been linked to Crosby in the past, and Jones said it wasn’t him who backed away from that interest.
With Dallas once again fielding one of the NFL’s worst defenses, the fit is easy to see. The Cowboys are averaging just 1.4 sacks per game, which ranks 28th in the league, and Jones has already been willing to spend draft capital on players like Quinnen Williams and Joey Porter Jr.
A move for Crosby would be right in the lane of the kind of deal Jones has been known to chase.
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The next test is a serious one, though, because Baltimore brings a top-10 run defense into the matchup and will force the Bills to prove their rushing attack can travel against a sturdier front. For Buffalo, that puts extra weight on Cooks role, especially with offensive coordinator Joe Brady already zeroing in on ball security as a point of emphasis. [Read more 🡒]
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Josh Allen Could Be Headed For A Huge Bills Statement Game
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What makes this one especially worth watching is how much of Buffalos plan can flow through Allen if the passing game has to work around protection questions. The Bills have been using him as a central piece of their goal-line approach, and if the offense gets into scoring position repeatedly, his role could become the difference between a solid outing and something much bigger. [Read more 🡒]