Maxx Crosby traded: What does it all mean?

The Maxx Crosby era is over as the Las Vegas Raiders traded the superstar defensive end to the Baltimore Ravens on Friday night for two first-round pick

s. Let’s look at some key aspects of the trade:

This was happening:

While many fans hoped this was all a media-driven unsubstantial story, the truth is Crosby was always going to be traded. It was my belief since the day Pete Carroll was hired last year that Crosby would want out by time Carroll’s tenure was over if the Raiders hadn’t turned it around.

He simply grew tired of losing. The incident in December when he was upset over being shelves was he last star. Crosby was done. The Raiders finally realized it and decided to move on to help the rebuild process.

They did well:

The Raiders reportedly wanted a “Micah Parsons package” for Crosby. Last summer, the Green Bay Packers traded two first-round picks and a veteran player Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys for Parsons. The truth was, the Raiders weren’t getting that much because Crosby is three years older than Parsons. But, in the end, the Raiders did well, getting two first rounders for Crosby. There was so much interest in the elite pass-rusher that, the Raiders were in position to get the two first rounders. It was set up well for them and took some of the sting out of dealing the superstar.

Don’t hold it against Spytek:

Last week, at the NFL Combine, Raiders’ general manager John Spytek said he expected to keep Crosby and he was comfortable with how Crosby felt about the franchise. He did give himself an out that he would always listen to trade offers. But he was pretty firm that he was keeping Crosby. You can call Spytek a liar if you wish, but the reality is he played it right. What do you expect him to say? It was a truth situation and the process played out as expected.

Good for Maxx:

This can be a win-win-win trade for the Raiders, the Ravens and Crosby. He was badly ready to go to contender and now he’s with Baltimore, a perennial playoff contender. New Ravens’ head coach Jesse Minter is a defensive wiz and should have a lot of fun with Crosby with joins a solid defense. Crosby was an all-time great Raider. He played every snap and his motor was non-stop. He went from a little-known fourth-round pick from a small school to one of the best players in the NFL regardless of position. This is his time to shine. Also, I know some fans were frustrated that Crosby never said he did or didn’t want to be traded. He kept quiet of out respect to fans. He played it right and he was a great Raider until the end.

Time to reload:

This deal was made to kickstart the rebuild (yes, another one). the Raiders are setup to improve this roster immensely. They have $119 million in salary-cap room , the most in the NFL. They also have the most draft capital in the league, including the No 1 overall pick. they can sign whoever they want in free agency (expect a ton of spending as they need to meet the spending floor) and expect many draft trades. it’s going to be wild. Spytek’s future will be made or broken, in large part, what happens this offseason.

Draft night is going to be fun:

It’s widely expected that the Raiders will select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick. It’s exciting for the future, but makes for a dull draft process. Now, that the Raiders own the No. 14 overall pick, they can do some fun things. So, circle April 23 on your calendar. it’s going to be a fun, wild night.

Raiders must get this right:

The Raiders can’t let Crosby leave in vain. Eight years ago, they traded star pass-rusher Khalil Mack and they didn’t do much with the draft haul they received. This situation must be different. The Raiders must make the Crosby trade the beginning of a successful rebuild.

What’s next?

The Raiders have needs all over the field. Defensive end now, however, jumps to the near the front of line in terms of position needs. There are a ton of pass-rusher available (non of Crosby’s caliber, though). They can make a pay for Trey Hendrickson and Minnesota is open to trading Jonathan Greenard. The Raiders’ staff has history with Jaelen Phillips and Odafe Oweh. Boye Mafe was in Seattle with new Raiders’ head coach Klint Kubiak. They can also try to re-sign Malcolm Koonce. The draft is also an avenue Las Vegas could look to help replace Crosby.