The Raiders’ slide has turned the conversation in Las Vegas from a hot start to a hard reset, and Maxx Crosby is right in the middle of it.
After opening the season with wins over the Dolphins, Chargers and Saints, including those two road victories, the Raiders have now dropped four in a row. Sunday’s 35-21 loss to the Rams at Allegiant Stadium was the latest gut punch, and it was ugly from the start. Los Angeles ripped off four straight touchdown drives in the first half and walked into halftime with a 28-6 lead.
Kirk Cousins threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns, but the Raiders never found much traction on the ground. They finished with only 48 rushing yards on 17 carries, a modest 2.8 yards per attempt, while the defeat left Las Vegas sitting at 3-4. The Rams, meanwhile, moved to 3-4.
That skid pushed CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco to suggest the Raiders should seriously entertain moving Crosby, especially with the franchise still in a rebuild.
"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,'" Prisco said.
Crosby is still one of the face-of-the-franchise pieces on defense, but the 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 a major dip from last year, when he piled up 73 total tackles and 10 sacks in 15 games before his meniscus injury.
He also just turned 29 in August, which only adds to the long-term debate around his future.
This isn’t the first time his name has come up in trade talk. Earlier this year, the Raiders agreed to send Crosby to Baltimore for two first-round picks before the Ravens backed out after medical concerns surfaced during his physical. Crosby had surgery on his knee after playing through the injury last season, and he still hasn’t played at the elite level he reached a year ago.
A deal would fit the logic of both sides. The Raiders could stockpile draft picks for a rebuild centered around Fernando Mendoza, Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, while a contender would get a proven edge rusher for a run at the postseason. Crosby, in turn, would get a shot at chasing a Super Bowl, something the Raiders are still far from.
The Cowboys and Bears have been connected to Crosby recently, and both have defenses in need of another difference-maker while trying to win now. The Jaguars and 49ers have also been mentioned in past speculation.
The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 10.
In Other News...
Rams Pass Rush Suddenly Rests On Two Unexpected Young Contributors
Injuries on defense have opened the door for two undrafted rookies to get real looks in Los Angeles, and the Rams are leaning on Darryl Peterson III and Wesley Bailey a lot sooner than anyone likely expected. Peterson was recently signed to the active roster, while Bailey has been pushed into a larger role as the team works through the attrition that has thinned its pass-rush depth.
For a defense that has needed fresh legs, their development matters beyond the immediate fill-in work. Both players have limited game experience, but what they show over the rest of the season could shape the Rams thinking on roster spots and contract decisions going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Puka Nacua Gives Rams One Huge Week 7 Concern
Puka Nacuas name showed up on the Rams injury report with a calf issue, and that alone changes the feel of a Week 7 matchup that already had enough moving parts. Listed as questionable against the Raiders, Nacua has missed two games this season and has not been able to practice fully, leaving Los Angeles with one of its most important pass-catching pieces in genuine doubt going into the weekend.
The timing is especially awkward for a Rams offense that is already planning around Davante Adams being sidelined with a hamstring injury. With so much expected to run through Nacua in the passing game, the Rams now have to manage the possibility that their top target may end up as a game-time decision, turning a key divisional-weekend style test into an early stress point for the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Face A Tough Puka Nacua Decision In Week 7
Puka Nacuas availability has become one of the biggest Week 7 questions for the Rams after he hurt his calf in practice and landed on the questionable list. For a team that has leaned on him as a central piece of the offense when hes healthy, the timing is far from ideal, especially with his history of missing games because of injuries.
The Rams now have to weigh the short-term benefit of having him on the field against the risk of making the calf issue worse. If they decide to be cautious, it would open the door for other offensive options to take on a larger role, but it also leaves Los Angeles facing a real test in how much it can ask from the rest of the group without one of its most dependable weapons. [Read more 🡒]