The Las Vegas Raiders’ offseason reset should not include trading Maxx Crosby. Elite talent is rare, and Crosby remains the defense’s cornerstone and emotional leader. With young offensive pieces emerging, Las Vegas must build around No. 98—not repeat the Khalil Mack mistake.
The offseason is finally here, and it could not come soon enough. While some teams prepare for the playoffs, John Spytek’s Raiders must grapple with the aftermath of yet another disappointing year. With a reset looming, the familiar question is back on the table: How does the franchise carve a real path forward?
Every rough season brings the same league-wide fantasy: trade Maxx Crosby for two first-round picks or a bundle of picks and players. Rival fan bases fire up the trade machine and picture “The Condor” wrecking game plans in a new uniform.
But the Raiders have to ask a harder question than what Crosby could fetch. They have to decide what kind of reset they are actually building.
You don’t let premium assets walk…
Good organizations do not move elite talent without a clear, unavoidable reason. Finding difference-makers is rare. And for all the talk about Crosby coming off two straight “down” seasons, the production and the film tell a different story: double-digit sacks, near the top of the league in tackles for loss, and the weekly reality of being the focal point of opposing protection plans. That is what prime looks like, not decline.
The Raiders extended him for a reason. They have also signaled, repeatedly, that Crosby’s voice carries weight inside the organization. Through coaching changes, front-office reshuffles and roster overhauls, he has been one of the few constants. Inside the building and in the public eye, he has become an emblem of modern Raider identity.
Unless Crosby demands out, the case for trading him is thin. He deserves to win. His effort says so every Sunday. The more relevant question is whether the Raiders can finally build a roster worthy of that standard.
Build around Maxx Crosby if you’re Raiders GM John Spytek…
The offense is positioned to grow with young talent, including Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty and the No. 1 pick—widely expected to be used on the top quarterback in this draft class. That is precisely why stripping the defense of its best player and emotional engine would be a self-inflicted setback.
A trade haul can speed up a rebuild, but it can also fuel the Raiders’ worst habits: turnover, no anchor, and no identity. Fans remember the Khalil Mack deal for that reason—it was subtraction without a stable plan.
If this offseason is truly about doing business differently, it starts with a simple principle: keep the premium assets, then build with intent.
*Top Photo: Benjamin Hegar/Las Vegas Review-Journal