The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t shopping Maxx Crosby. They’re just not stopping anyone from shopping, either.
In the weeks since a failed physical torpedoed a blockbuster deal with the Baltimore Ravens, new details have quietly emerged painting a portrait of a franchise that knows exactly what it has in No. 98 and refuses to blink.
According to league insider Tony Pauline, the Cincinnati Bengals held serious discussions about sending the 10th overall pick in the draft to Las Vegas for Crosby before ultimately using that selection in a trade with the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence instead.
The Bengals blinked. The Raiders didn’t.
The key point is clear: Baltimore offered two first-round picks but was unable to finalize a deal. Cincinnati reportedly refused to meet that price. Meanwhile, the Cowboys were looming in the background. The Ravens made another attempt. And now, per California Post insider Vinny Bonsignore, the Los Angeles Rams have reportedly entered the conversation, potentially dangling young pass rusher Jared Verse and other assets in a package that could make Las Vegas at least lean forward in its chair.
“You have got to be listening,” Bonsignore said bluntly. “Somebody could make an offer that they couldn’t refuse, and there’s, without question, one thousand percent an offer that the Raiders would be interested in.”
That’s a remarkable statement. And it reframes the entire conversation.
This isn’t about whether the Raiders will trade Crosby. It’s about whether any team loves him enough and is desperate enough to meet a price that general manager John Spytek has clearly set somewhere in the stratosphere.
Raider Nation Radio host Q Myers offered the most honest assessment yet. The trade deadline changes everything. Contending teams get desperate. Late first-round picks start feeling like acceptable collateral. And suddenly, the Raiders’ best player transforms from an untouchable cornerstone into the most coveted name on the market.
“Some team that feels like they’re that one edge away from being over the top,” Myers said. “That’s the one that’s going to go try to make a move.”
The Raiders aren’t rebuilding around Crosby’s absence. They’re waiting for someone to overpay for his presence.
In Las Vegas, the house always sets the line. Right now, the Raiders are the house. And nobody’s covered the spread yet.
*Top Photo: Ramble Illustration/Getty Images