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The NFL offseason is officially underway and with free agency right around the corner, the rumor mill is in full gear. One of the biggest rumors floating so far this offseason is the status of Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby. There has been a lot of smoke that Crosby could be on his way out and even though Vegas has maintained their stance that they aren’t moving him, anything can happen when teams come calling.
So where do the Bucs fit into this? They could certainly use a player like Crosby, but he doesn’t come without a little bit of risk. Let’s break down the pros and cons of a potential deal for Crosby.
Pro #1: Maxx Crosby is really, really good
When it comes to pass rushers, Maxx Crosby is one of the best in the entire league. The former fourth round pick in 2019 has overcome a lot of personal adversity to become the face of the Raiders for the past few seasons. He has 69.5 career sacks over the course of his seven years in the NFL so far and he has also notched four seasons with double digit sacks, including just this past season. Not only is he great at getting to the quarterback, but Crosby is one of the best run defenders in the league, which is something the Bucs and head coach Todd Bowles would obviously appreciate. Crosby is a five-time pro bowler who will help any team he’s on.
Crosby would likely immediately become the best player on Tampa Bay’s defense and would probably be the best pass rusher they’ve had since Simeon Rice. Acquiring a player of Crosby’s caliber could help transform the Bucs defense and make sure one of the team’s biggest needs is taken care of.
Pro #2: He’s still relatively young
A lot of the time when trade rumors surface about a player, it is often someone who was a star player at one point but is getting older and their best days may be behind them. That may not be the case for Crosby as he turns 29 in August and is still likely in the prime of his career. For any team acquiring him, it wouldn’t just be for a one year swing. Crosby is signed for four more seasons at reasonable cap hits for his caliber of player. Whoever gets him is getting a guy who will be there long term and also someone who won’t likely fall off the cliff production wise in year one of two. There’s no reason to think Crosby can’t be an elite player for the next 2-3 seasons.
Now just like with every situation there is also some downside to getting Crosby.
Con #1: Acquiring him won’t come cheap
When the Raiders come out and say things like they aren’t shopping Crosby and they don’t want him going anywhere, it is fair to believe them. He has been a mainstay for them and a bright spot through some really dark years. As I explained earlier, he’s also really good and typically teams like to keep good football players!
That’s why for any team acquiring Crosby, it won’t be cheap. It’s likely going to be a price that honestly stings a little but is necessary to get this type of player at a premium position. The current rumor floating around is that per Mike Florio, Vegas is looking for two first round picks and a player for Crosby. Not cheap! Now that is just an asking price and it could very well go down in the coming weeks/months but either way, it is guaranteed to be a pretty significant package involving at least one or two premium draft picks.
Ben Solak of ESPN recently proposed a trade between the Buccaneers and Raiders for Crosby. The proposal was Tampa Bay acquiring Crosby and a 2027 fifth round pick in exchange for Tampa Bay’s first round pick (15th overall), a 2027 second round pick and wide receiver Chris Godwin.
While that proposal seems like a lot, it likely is what it’s going to take in order to be a serious player in the Crosby sweepstakes. We’ll see if Tampa Bay wants to pony up those types of assets.
Con #2: The injury risk is real
During the 2025 season, Crosby suffered a knee injury while he was also dealing with a back issue from earlier in the season. The knee injury suffered in October would cause him to miss the rest of the season and the Raiders placed him on injured reserve in December. Shortly after the Raiders season ended, Crosby got meniscus surgery and while it is reported that he is ahead of schedule in his rehab, any team looking to get him will also want to take a look at his medicals before moving forward. While Crosby still his in his prime, could the injuries catch up to him sooner rather than later? It is certainly possible and a risk an acquiring team would have to take.
No doubt about it, trading for Maxx Crosby would make the Buccaneers a much better football team but that doesn’t mean it is the last piece of the puzzle. They would be committing a lot of money and spending a lot of assets on Crosby who may be worth it, but it’s also a huge risk. You know the old saying though, no risk it, no biscuit. We’ll see if the Bucs decide to swing for the fences in the coming weeks.