Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek reacts during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Grading the Raiders' Trade of Maxx Crosby

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Mar 7, 2026 12:03 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders got the offseason started with a bang. Las Vegas released veteran quarterback Geno Smith and traded star defensive end Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens all in the same day. It is evident the Raiders are serious about rebuilding their team.

Rebuilds come with difficult questions for everyone involved. However, aside from finding a way to replace his production on the field, Las Vegas' decision to trade Crosby was likely not all that hard a decision at all, especially considering Crosby reportedly wanted out anyway.

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The Raiders' front office consistently said they did not want to trade Crosby. Yet, it was unlikely both sides were going to fully be able to get past the way the 2025 season. After years of carrying the team with little support, Crosby reportedly had had enough and was ready to move on.

Las Vegas was in a situation where they could traded their unhappy superstar, gain additional draft picks and save money. If they could get what they wanted in return or most of what they wanted in return for Crosby, it was no-brainer to trade Crosby. Both the Raiders and Crosby win from the trade.

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Grading the Trade

The Raiders traded Crosby for two first-round picks in return. One of those picks was the No. 14 pick in the NFL Draft. The Raiders will pair that with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft and still have two first-round picks in next year's draft. The Raiders are loaded.

Las Vegas also saved nearly $31 million in cap space by trading Crosby. Unless the Raiders would have somehow gotten a player from Baltimore as well, it would have been nearly impossible for the Raiders to beat the return they got for Crosby.

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The excitement that already surrounded the Raiders' offseason should only increase with the addition of multiple first-round picks and extra money to spend in free agency. Raiders general manager John Spytek has set the Raiders up for success, adding more resources to help rebuild their roster.

Earlier this offseason, Spytek explained how quickly bad teams can turn things around. Two first-round picks in consecutive drafts will undoubtedly help the Raiders improve sooner, rather than later. Las Vegas may rebuild much quicker than many would have thought entering the offseason.

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"I think we're going to build this team the right way, and this league is littered with examples of teams that went from a top-five pick to the NFC Championship, the Super Bowl. We've seen it the last couple years,” Spytek said at the NFL Combine.

“I mean, the [New England] Patriots won four games last year, and they were in the big game. The year before, the [Washington] Commanders picked second and were in the NFC Championship game. So, we're going to build it the right way, and we'll see what comes."