The Cowboys’ defense left plenty of room for imagination in 2025, and that’s exactly why Maxx Crosby keeps popping up in Dallas conversations.
Jerry Jones’ unit finished No. 30 in total yards allowed and dead last against the pass at No. 32, a collapse that hangs over every offseason discussion. If Dallas is looking for a fast fix to its pass rush, Crosby is the kind of player who changes the conversation in a hurry.
Across 15 games in 2025, Crosby put up 10 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. He’s a five-time Pro Bowler and still one of the league’s most disruptive defenders when he’s on the field.
Injuries have been part of the picture, though, with lingering ankle and knee issues over the last two seasons. Even so, the tape still shows a player who can wreck an offensive tackle on every snap.
Trade buzz around Crosby has been building for months. In March, the Baltimore Ravens reportedly agreed to send two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for him, but Baltimore backed out after structural concerns surfaced during Crosby’s medical physical. Dallas has been linked to him for years, but nothing has ever come together.
Now there’s a fresh idea on the table. Cowboys insider and film analyst Bryan Broaddus floated a deal on 105.3 The Fan that would send George Pickens and a first-round pick to Las Vegas for Crosby, with the Cowboys’ defense serving as the reason to push the button.
He said, "I would offer a one and Pickens to the Raiders... I know Pickens was incredible last year, but the one thing that's holding you back is this defense."
Pickens would be a painful loss. He just turned in a huge season with 93 catches, over 1,400 yards, and 9 touchdowns. But Dallas placed him on a one-year, $27.3 million franchise tag instead of locking him into a long-term contract, and that has only fueled the sense that his future with the team is unsettled.
If the Cowboys ever did make that kind of move, they’d be creating a major hole next to CeeDee Lamb, one that might not be solved until the 2027 draft. For now, it’s only a hypothetical. Still, it’s the sort of hypothetical that shows just how far Dallas may be willing to go if it believes Crosby is the answer.
In Other News...
Raiders May Have Finally Found Maxx Crosby The Help He Needs
For years, the Raiders have leaned on Maxx Crosby to carry their pass rush, and this offseason they finally gave him a proven running mate in Kwity Paye. The move gives Las Vegas a potential No. 2 edge rusher for the 2026 season, a role the defense has been trying to fill while Rob Leonard looks for more consistent pressure up front.
Paye joins a group that also includes Keyron Crawford and Malcolm Koonce, though Koonce is still working back from a knee injury. The hope is straightforward: if Paye can supply steady production opposite Crosby, the Raiders defense should look a lot less one-dimensional, and the pressure on Crosby to do everything himself could start to ease. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Are Waiting To See If Jermod McCoy Changes Everything
The Raiders spent part of the spring taking a careful look at Jermod McCoy, the rookie cornerback they grabbed in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft after his first-round talent made him one of the more intriguing names in the class. Las Vegas has treated his offseason work as a health-and-readiness project, easing him through the process with an eye on getting him to training camp in the best possible shape.
McCoys athleticism is not in question, and the coaching staff has made clear there is real optimism about what he could add if he stays on the field. What makes this one worth watching for the Raiders is the possibility that a patient approach now could pay off in a major way later, especially if his summer progress keeps matching the upside that drew the team to him in the first place. [Read more 🡒]