If the Jacksonville Jaguars were to submit a trade offer for Las Vegas Raiders five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby, what would it look like?
That’s the question I asked myself when Bill Williamson of Silver & Black Pride requested mock proposals from SB Nation’s group of site managers.
Today, we’ll discuss what a mock offer from Jacksonville might entail.
Based on recent reporting by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, and The Athletic’s Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur, among
others, Las Vegas wants a Micah Parsons-like package (two 1sts and a good player) in return for Crosby. Given his age and mileage, however, teams are more likely to propose something in the ballpark of a 1st, a 3rd, and a good player. We’ll see how much the Raiders are willing to budge.
By the time I read Bill’s message, three site managers had already submitted mock offers.
- Chargers (Bolts From The Blue): 2026 2nd (No. 55), 2027 3rd, EDGE Kyle Kennard
- Patriots (Pats Pulpit): 2026 1st (No. 31), 2027 4th, DT Christian Barmore
- 49ers (Niners Nation): 2026 2nd (No. 58), 2026 conditional 4th, QB Mac Jones
Pretty poor proposals from Los Angeles and San Francisco if you ask me — Crosby demands at least one 1st. The offer from New England is intriguing, but ultimately unconvincing, as it includes the second-to-last pick in Round 1 and a player with some character concerns.
Jacksonville’s current allocation of resources makes this tricky. The team doesn’t have a 2026 1st due to last year’s Travis Hunter trade, and the roster already has two stud EDGE defenders in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker (the former re-signed in 2024 for $28 million per year; the latter is eligible for an extension that will likely top $35 million per year).
There are plenty of reasons for the Jaguars not to go down this road. Until seeing Bill’s message, I was holding myself back from plotting any Madden-brained offseason trade scenarios. But what the hell. Just for kicks, let’s daydream about what an offer for Crosby could look like.
Assuming he won’t be moved without at least one 1st-round pick coming back to Las Vegas, Jacksonville’s 2027 1st seems like a reasonable starting point. From there, considering they’re currently below the salary cap and already without their 2026 1st, the Jaguars may want to add players over picks to this hypothetical package.
Enter Brian Thomas Jr., whose name has been atop “trade candidates” lists since the start of the offseason despite there being no real traction to the rumor. The Jaguars will only trade their super-talented, super-cheap wideout if they hear an offer that’s too good to believe. I wrote last month that I’d really only want the front office to trade him if it were in exchange for a better player. Well, here we are.
Thomas would be an excellent buy-low target for any team, but perhaps none greater than the Raiders. They hired a first-time, offensive-minded head coach (Klint Kubiak), are expected to field a rookie quarterback (Fernando Mendoza), and roster elite talents at tight end (Brock Bowers) and running back (Ashton Jeanty). Thomas’ field-tilting speed may not have a better impact on any other 2026 offense.
Losing that same trait would be tough to swallow for Jacksonville, but the pass-catcher room would still have three good options (Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, Brenton Strange) and the team could readjust its plan for Travis Hunter’s usage.
At the end of the day, the Jaguars would need to add another considerable asset to their trade package for Crosby, and Thomas makes more sense than any other option. I think the team would sooner pay Travon Walker than send him with draft capital to Las Vegas for the right to pay Crosby.
We have a pretty strong offer with a 2027 1st and Brian Thomas Jr. written down. That said, it might still not be enough to sway the Raiders, and it would put the Jaguars in a brutal cap situation. So let’s present a potential win-win by throwing in offensive lineman Patrick Mekari.
Mekari signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract as a free agent last offseason. A pre-June 1 trade would save the Jaguars $8 million. While I’d expect the team to want to hold onto his positional versatility, the 28-year-old guard had an up-and-down season in his first year in Duval County. He’s no foundational piece for Jacksonville. Mekari may be more valuable as a solidifying presence for Mendoza and Las Vegas, which needs to find multiple new starters up front this offseason.
Mekari’s departure would leave a gaping hole in the Jaguars’ offensive line. Would it really be worth losing him, Thomas, and another first-rounder for a single defensive player?
Probably not. The exercise is the exercise, though. If the Jaguars were to submit a trade package for Crosby, this is what I imagine it’d look like.
Thus, this is what I sent to Bill.
(As I wrote to him, “We’d like to get a Day 3 pick back to help reload our draft capital.)
Raiders trade: DE Maxx Crosby, 2027 4th
Jaguars trade: WR Brian Thomas Jr., RG Patrick Mekari, 2027 1st
I do believe that Crosby will be traded in the near future. The question is whether the Jaguars are at a spot where they feel comfortable going all in. It’s one thing to make a major move for Travis Hunter, who’s just 22 years of age and offers sport-altering potential. It’d be another to push the chips to the middle of the table for Crosby at the end of his prime.
After submitting my proposal, Bill received two more offers.
- Ravens (Baltimore Beatdown): 2026 3rd (No. 80), 2027 1st, 2027 3rd, 2028 2nd (conditional on the Raiders absorbing $20 million of Crosby’s contract), WR Rashod Bateman
- Bears (Windy City Gridiron): 2026 1st (No. 25), 2027 3rd, WR D.J. Moore
Baltimore’s offer stands out to me as the top option. It would provide the most draft capital for Las Vegas, and Bateman is a former first-round pick who could benefit from a change of scenery.
Bill finalized the exercise here by reviewing the offers and determining whether any were worth accepting.
The Raiders are on the record, saying they want to keep Crosby. They would have to be blown away to move him.
My biggest problem is the deferred compensation. If you’re going to play with Crosby in 2026, you’re going to need some immediate firepower. I get that the 2027 draft is considered better overall than this year and the Raiders are in a rebuild, so later picks will be of value. Still, we want more now.
To be honest, I don’t see the Raiders agreeing to any of these deals. So, I’m not either. If Crosby pushes the matter and forces a deal, I think I like Windy City Gridiron’s offer the best.
I suppose the fact that Chicago offered the best 2027 draft pick is what swayed Bill. Not great to hear on our end, since Jacksonville’s first pick this year is all the way down at 56th overall. Alas. If the Raiders were to call the Jaguars and ask if they could beat the Bears’ package, the Jaguars would politely decline and move on to the next guys at the top of their wish list.
Jaguars fans, do you think the team should be aggressive in pursuing Crosby? How would you go about building a mock proposal? What do you think the Raiders will end up doing?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
