With the departure of Davante Adams finally a reality, all eyes are on Maxx Crosby and his future with the Raiders.
Every indication is that the Raiders aren’t interested in trading Crosby, but if the organization is entering a rebuild phase, it’s fair to wonder if they might consider a significant offer for their superstar pass rusher.
One detail that isn’t up for debate, though, is whether or not Crosby is interested in being part of a rebuild.
“I don’t believe in, you know, I’m not here to rebuild, I’m here to win, so, you know, I don’t know whatever that means,” Crosby told members of the media on Thursday. “I’m here to win now, and wherever I’m gonna be, I’m, you know, I’m gonna be here to win, so that’s all that matters to me.”
Without reading too much into Crosby’s statement, the phrases “whatever that means” and “wherever I’m gonna be” are interesting choices of words. He added that he is “gonna be here to win” so he’s not talking about leaving, but it definitely feels like there is a lot of uncertainty around the Raiders right now.
In theory, the Raiders would be able to get a first-round pick and more for Crosby, but his loss would leave a devastating void in the locker room. It’s hard to imagine head coach Antonio Pierce or GM Tom Telesco would be interested in navigating their future with the organization without Crosby in the mix.
The Raiders have lost a few fan favorites over the years, but none would sting the fan base like losing Crosby.
The only way the Raiders can squash the trade speculation around Crosby will be to turn the season around in the next few weeks. They face the Rams, Chiefs and Bengals in the next three weeks and the trade deadline will come two days after their road game in Cincinnati.
If the Raiders somehow get swept in those three games, it’s going to be a stressful 48 hours for Raider fans leading up to the trade deadline. No one is expecting them to trade the heart and soul of the organization, but unless you’re new to following the team, you know better than to rule out anything.
