The Las Vegas Raiders are entering a pivotal offseason in which they may have to make some difficult decisions, and that goes beyond their recent general manager hiring.
The Raiders just went 4-13 and have made the playoffs just twice since 2004, so obviously, the direction of the franchise hasn't been great the past couple of decades.
Fortunately, Las Vegas boasts significant cap room heading into free agency, so it should be able to make a big splash on the open market.
But could the Raiders also swing a blockbuster trade?
Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team thinks so and has concocted a deal in which Las Vegas would send defensive end Maxx Crosby to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a couple of draft picks.
More specifically, Brooke has the Packers surrendering a second-round pick and a third-rounder in exchange for Crosby.
"It would take significant resources to convince the Raiders to give up their franchise player in his prime," Brooke wrote. "However, if Crosby wants to play for a contender before the end of his career, then the Packers would be the perfect landing spot."
This isn't the first time Brooke has linked Crosby to Green Bay, either.
Here's the thing, though: Las Vegas has shown absolutely no indication that it wants to move on from the star pass rusher in the coming months, nor has Crosby given an inkling that he wants to be dealt.
Crosby is still just 27 years old, so there is no doubt the Raiders can rebuild while still keeping him on the roster through his prime years.
The Eastern Michigan product is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he registered 45 tackles, 7.5 sacks and five passes defended in 12 games, resulting in his fourth straight Pro Bowl appearance.
Crosby entered the NFL with the Silver and Black in 2019 and immediately established himself as one of the game's premier defenders, rattling off 47 tackles, 10 sacks and four forced fumbles during his rookie year.
He then posted back-to-back double-digit sack campaigns in 2022 and 2023, topping out at 14.5 sacks in the latter season.
The chances of the Raiders moving Crosby are slim, especially if they aren't able to extract a first-round draft pick in return.
