The Raiders have done everything possible to minimize trade rumors around Maxx Crosby in the last week, but the consensus seems to be that Crosby’s future in Las Vegas is still very much uncertain.
Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter has talked at length about Crosby’s relationship with the team in the last few weeks and he believes Crosby is available for the right price. He also believes there are only two people capable of mending Crosby’s relationship with the organization.
“The mood around the entire NFL is [that] Maxx is available,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast on Wednesday.
“Of course, the Raiders are going to say [they] expect him back… he’s a great player. I expect John Spytek to say [he’ll be back]. I think John Spytek does want him back. I expect Klint Kubiak to say that. I don’t think the issues are with Klint. I don’t even really think they are with [Spytek] if you want me to be blunt with you, [but] I’m not going to get into any more details.”
“If I am the Raiders, I am doing everything possible to fix this. This is Hondo Carpenter’s opinion. There’s only two people who can fix this. Maxx Crosby and Tom Brady. I don’t think an agent can fix it. I don’t think Mark Davis can. Mark and Maxx are great. That’s what I think.”
Carpenter suggested that teams have been making calls about Crosby and haven’t had the door shut in their faces to this point.
“The longer the NFL community believes that Maxx Crosby is out there, I have learned over the years, no matter what a team tells you, NFL teams know who’s available and who’s not,” Carpenter said
“When the league starts being shut down [on Crosby inquiries], then you know. If I’m the Raiders, I’m trying to fix it… Do I think [Crosby] is available? I do. 100 percent I do. No doubts. Do I think Maxx controls the cards…? Yes. But I also know the Raiders are not willing to give him away. Somebody’s going to have to step to the pump and pay for him.”
For now, Crosby’s status is in a holding pattern while he recovers from a meniscus repair that NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said could keep him from being “fully healthy” for several months.
Rapoport said this week will give Crosby and everyone involved in his situation a better understanding of how the sides want to proceed as offseason progresses.
“I would imagine that Crosby’s agents… and Raiders GM John Spytek are going to get to have all the conversations they want, to have all the information they want on what could be out there before we realize or learn [if] Maxx Crosby is going to stay,” Rapoport said this week at NFL Combine.
If Crosby is ultimately traded, it will be interesting to see what his value looks like because estimations have been anywhere from a late first-round pick to a couple of first-round picks and a player.
A few teams to watch on Crosby are the Bears, 49ers, Patriots and Cowboys. Maybe the Lions, too.
Crosby was born in Michigan, raised in Texas, and played his college career at Eastern Michigan University, so he has roots in Michigan and Texas.
The Bears probably need Crosby more than any team in the market for a pass rusher and the 49ers have the leadership in the building that might be willing to offer the kind of return the Raiders are looking for.
The Patriots would also be a good fit for Crosby (New England could offer a lot), but it wouldn’t be the best look for Tom Brady to send his best player to his former team – a team that’s in the AFC and one that Raider fans have grown to hate over the years.
x: @raidersbeat
