The Raiders’ season has gone from promising to messy in a hurry, and Sunday’s 35-21 loss to the Rams only turned up the heat. Las Vegas started 3-0 with wins over the Dolphins, Chargers, and Saints, but the slide has now stretched to four straight defeats. At Allegiant Stadium, the Rams were in control early and never really let go.
Los Angeles ripped off four consecutive touchdown drives in the first half and walked into halftime with a 28-6 lead. Kirk Cousins passed for 295 yards and two touchdowns, but the Raiders couldn’t get anything going on the ground.
They finished with just 48 rushing yards on 17 carries, a meager 2.8 yards per attempt. The result leaves Las Vegas at 3-4, with the Rams now also sitting at 3-4.
That backdrop is why the conversation around Maxx Crosby is getting louder. After the loss, CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco said the Raiders should seriously think about moving the star pass rusher, especially with the franchise still in rebuild mode.
"The trade deadline's coming up. Maxx Crosby is a wanted commodity.
And they traded Maxx Crosby once; let's not forget that, and I'm sure people remind him of that all the time. So when the trade deadline comes, I think they should be sitting there and saying, 'You know what, we can get a bunch of assets for a guy that's probably not going to be around here when we become something with our young quarterback,'"
Crosby is still a central figure for the Raiders defense, but his numbers this season haven’t matched his usual standard. Through seven games, he has 18 combined tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.
That’s well short of what he produced last year, when he posted 73 total tackles and 10 sacks in 15 games before suffering a meniscus injury. He also turned 29 in August.
This isn’t the first time Crosby has found himself in trade chatter. Earlier this year, the Raiders agreed to send him to Baltimore for two first-round picks, but the Ravens pulled out at the last moment after medical issues surfaced during his physical. Crosby later had surgery on his knee after playing through the injury last season, and he still hasn’t gotten back to the elite level he showed a year ago.
A deal would fit different goals for different teams. Las Vegas could stockpile picks for a long-term reset built around Fernando Mendoza, Ashton Jeanty, and Brock Bowers, while a contender would get a proven edge rusher for a playoff push. Crosby, meanwhile, would get the chance to chase a Super Bowl, something the Raiders are still far from right now.
The Cowboys and Bears have been mentioned as possible suitors, with both teams needing more help on defense and having rosters that are ready to win now. The Jaguars and 49ers have also come up before.
The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 10.
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