Bears get second chance at DE Maxx Crosby, and perhaps with lower asking price from Raiders
Elite pass rusher Maxx Crosby is back on the trade market, and the Bears badly need help at that position. If the Raiders’ asking price was too high a week ago, when they received two first-round picks from the Ravens for him, it likely has dropped after Baltimore backed out of the trade because of a failed physical.
The big question, among several, for Bears general manager Ryan Poles is whether the price will fall enough for him to go for it.
Sending away two first-rounders would’ve been questionable for the Bears at this stage of their roster construction.
But if the Raiders are willing to adjust their expectations to a first- and a second-round pick for Crosby, that could work for Poles.
The Bears’ first-rounder this year is No. 25 overall, so the Raiders might prefer to take their chances on a 2027 pick instead in the hope that it’ll be higher. Poles also has an extra second-rounder in his pocket after landing one from the Bills in the DJ Moore trade.
Crosby is a five-time Pro Bowl selection who has averaged nearly 10 sacks per season. The Bears haven’t had a force like him in their pass rush since Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. Pairing Crosby and Montez Sweat would seem likely to fix a problem that has plagued Poles throughout his tenure.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta imagined a similar tandem, saying Wednesday that he had wanted to trade for Crosby and sign free-agent defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson signed with Baltimore on Wednesday for $112 million over four years. DeCosta said he was “gutted” by having to nix the Crosby trade.
Poles acknowledged inquiring with the Raiders about Crosby at the trade deadline last season.
The Bears have the second-fewest sacks over the last four seasons and finished 22nd in pressure rate last season. Without much production from the defensive line, they were 12th in blitz frequency in the NFL.
But there’s no certainty of the Raiders actually lowering their demands in a Crosby trade. He was still on their roster when the new league year began Wednesday, essentially eliminating any hurry to offload him.
With that on their side, the Raiders could wait all the way to the start of the season to trade him. There’s precedent for getting a haul at that point, too, with Mack and Micah Parsons recently drawing two first-round picks.
Crosby also could be practicing by then — agent C.J. LaBoy said he’s expected back on the field this spring — and also might look better in a physical examination.
He had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in January.
Draft capital, however, isn’t the only concern for Poles.
Crosby is due $121.1 million over the next four seasons. The Bears would need to clear additional salary-cap space to afford him this season, then do some maneuvering in future years. That could be challenging as the team prepares, Poles said, for the possibility of a contract extension for quarterback Caleb Williams.
Additionally, if the Ravens’ medical staff raised issues with Crosby’s physical, it’s hard to say whether he’d pass an exam anywhere. Every team has different standards and different thresholds for risk.
Poles has been careful about situations like this and notably rescinded a contract offer to defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi after agreeing to a three-year, $40.5 million deal in 2022.
Ogunjobi ended up with a one-year, $8 million contract with the Steelers but has proved durable.
Given Poles’ general aversion to jamming the Bears’ future salary-cap situations by restructuring contracts, he’s likely to go a more conservative route by looking for a defensive end in the draft, hoping that Sweat will assert himself as a dominant pass rusher and that Shemar Turner, a second-round pick last year, will play up to his potential.
The Bears also could look at the free-agent class of pass rushers and try to get one on an expensive but short-term deal.
Former Saints star Cameron Jordan, for example, is a free agent at 36 but had 10½ sacks last season and played 10 seasons for Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
Even with financial and medical factors in play for Crosby, he’s more of a sure thing than any of the alternatives. If the goal really is to win now, few players could accelerate that timeline like him.
The NFL’s league year began Wednesday, though players started agreeing to deals on Monday.
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