The Buffalo Bills came close to trading for All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby from Las Vegas before talks stalled and the team pivoted to other moves.
For a brief moment, the Buffalo Bills were close to pulling off one of the biggest trades of the year.
Buffalo nearly acquired All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders before talks slowed and the Bills eventually moved in another direction.
According to Bills general manager Brandon Beane, while speaking with The Buffalo News, the discussions started during the NFL Scouting Combine last month. The Raiders were exploring a trade for Crosby, and the Bills were one of several teams he’d be willing to join.
Crosby would’ve filled a major need for Buffalo’s defense. Over seven seasons, the four-time All-Pro has become one of the NFL’s most disruptive edge rushers. He’s recorded 69.5 sacks and 133 tackles for loss while building a reputation as a player who can impact both the pass and the run.
The Raiders made their asking price clear early in the conversation. It would take Buffalo’s first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 to get a deal done.
That price alone didn’t scare Beane off.
The bigger issue came down to draft position and timing. The Raiders preferred offers from teams with higher first-round picks, including the Baltimore Ravens, who held the 14th pick. The Bills, by comparison, sit at 26th in the first round.
To make up that difference in value, Las Vegas likely would’ve needed something more in the deal. That could’ve meant another second-round pick or a player included in the trade package.
While those conversations were ongoing, the Bills were also working on another move that ended up forcing a decision.
Buffalo had a chance to trade for wide receiver DJ Moore from Chicago, and with free agency approaching, Beane didn’t want to risk losing that opportunity while waiting for progress on Crosby.
"At that point, we were also working on the DJ Moore thing and decided, you know what, this makes the most sense for us, and let’s lock it in," Beane said.
"The trade with Maxx was not moving as fast, and I get it. They were trying to get as much for the player as they could, and at some point you have to make a decision. You don’t want to be sitting there over the weekend and DJ’s been traded and you still don’t have enough ammo or what makes wise sense, from my seat, for what you have to give up to get him."
The Bills ultimately moved forward with the Moore trade, sending a second-round pick to the Chicago Bears. Shortly after, Buffalo added help to the defensive front by signing veteran edge rusher Bradley Chubb.
Crosby’s situation took another turn soon after. The Raiders agreed to trade him to the Ravens, but that deal fell apart after Baltimore’s doctors reviewed a torn meniscus Crosby had surgically repaired earlier this year.
By that point, much of the league had already committed major money during free agency, and Crosby ultimately remained with Las Vegas.
For the Bills, the near miss shows just how aggressive the front office was in trying to improve the pass rush this offseason. Buffalo finished last season 20th in sacks, and the team clearly wanted to find ways to more consistently impact opposing quarterbacks.
Crosby would’ve been a massive addition to the defense. But when the talks slowed, and other opportunities were on the table, the Bills chose certainty over waiting and hoping a blockbuster trade would come together.
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