Are the Patriots going to get the deal done to trade for the frustrated Raiders edge rusher?
Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby is not happy out in the desert, and the entire NFL knows about it, especially the New England Patriots. The question is: will the Raiders take a trade offer or try to smooth it over with one of their key players?
According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Raiders are not just going to push Crosby out of town at the first chance they get. They'll want a top-of-the-line offer.
Schefter was on 97.5 The Fanatics with Kincade and Salciunas on Wednesday, where he spilled the tea that the Raiders want something big for Crosby and that trade would have to look similar to one of the bombshell player moves from this past season.
The full episode of the radio show is below.
“I was told that the Raiders don’t want to trade him and that if they even contemplated it, it would take a Micah Parsons-type package,” Schefter said. “That’s what I was told.”
Schefter also added his two cents based on knowledge he may or may not be aware of.
“Do I think they’re getting two ones and a player? No," Schefter said. “Do I think that they’re going to want to trade him? No. Do I think he’ll be traded?… It’ll change by the week, but it’s certainly possible.”
It's here that the Patriots come into play. All postseason, the Patriots have been mentioned as a team in the sweepstakes to acquire Crosby from the Raiders. The fact is that despite his frustrations with how his injury was handled last season, Crosby is still very loyal to owner Mark Davis, apparently.
“This is a guy who’s incredibly loyal to the Raiders organization, wanted to spend his entire career there, and is loyal to Mark Davis as well," Albert Breer said on NBC Sports Boston last week. "Now, he feels betrayed, and I think that there is this feeling, ‘I’m 28 years old; they didn’t do right by me, so now it’s time for me to go find a way to win.’”
Crosby's issue also apparently stems from a rift with longtime Tom Brady business partner and Raiders "wellness coordinator" Alex Guerrero.
“He was part of communicating the Raiders’ decision and why they made the decision to shut him down in December, which really angered Maxx,” Breer added. “I believe the day was [December] 23 when they had some scans done, and the Raiders basically told him after the scans, ‘We’re gonna shut you down for the season. Maxx had strong suspicion that the reason they were doing it was to tank for the No. 1 overall pick, which worked. But the communication of it got fouled up. And a lot of people in that building report to Alex Guerrero now, and Alex is seen as the eyes and ears of Tom Brady internally, so there is some fence-mending that would have to happen there."
The Patriots now need to look at the Crosby situation and wonder if they want to give up the 31st overall pick and maybe something else to sweeten the deal. They do need help in the field where Crosby is. Last season, they were 26th in total sacks (35 over 17 games) and 20th in sack percentage (5.9%)
Let's also not forget that The Athletic's NFL Insider Dianna Russini made it known on Super Bowl week that Maxx Crosby would want to play for Mike Vrabel.