How the Raiders Can Look Drastically Different in 2026

Max Chadwick writes for Pro Football Focus, and he wrote an article about some of the biggest NFL combine takeaways from new head coaches and general managers. For Kubiak and the Raiders, their biggest takeaway is what they decide to do with Maxx Crosby.

"One of the biggest stories of the offseason is what will happen with Raiders edge defender Maxx Crosby. He still has four years left on his deal, but Las Vegas may try to trade its star pass-rusher as it goes through a complete rebuild", said Chadwick.

I do think that because of that huge contract extension Crosby received from the last Raiders regime, Kubiak can sit back and let the deal play out. Even if Crosby were to request a trade or become fed up with how much they have lost in recent years, he doesn't have to necessarily do anything.

However, it's always in a head coach's best interest to keep his players happy, especially when they're providing as much value as Crosby is. The question Kubiak has to ask himself is what has higher value, Crosby the player or Crosby the trade asset?

"Crosby’s 379 pressures since 2021 are third in the NFL to only Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett. General manager John Spytek quieted those rumors a bit by saying that he expects Crosby to be back with the Raiders in 2026. That could certainly be a smokescreen, though, as Las Vegas tries to drive up the asking price for his services".

Ultimately, I think that Crosby won't be moved this offseason. He means too much to this franchise not to survive their most exciting head coaching hire yet, and if he were to be moved, a midseason trade would be the best time to do it.

• Analyzing the Raiders' Takeaways from the NFL Combine
• Spytek Gives Clues to How Raiders Will Build Around Mendoza
• How the Combine Changed the Raiders' Draft Board
• Raiders Target Mendoza's Measurements Released at Combine