49ers may have a clear path to trading for Maxx Crosby

For years, the San Francisco 49ers have knocked on the door of another Super Bowl win, but to no avail.

Kyle Shanahan's team is one of the most stacked in the game, but a combination of injuries, misfortune and facing a better team has cost it when it matters the most. That's why, after so many years of flirting with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, general manager John Lynch might be eager to make yet another big move.

Unsurprisingly, they've been tied to a move for Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby. And while he was almost traded for two first-round picks, FanSided's Austen Bundy made a case for a more reasonable asking price.

The 49ers might get Maxx Crosby at a discount

“San Francisco would probably still have to part with a first-rounder, but there’s a possibility general manager John Lynch could persuade Las Vegas into taking a pair of conditional second-rounders in future years,” Bundy wrote.

He argued that the Raiders could still get more first-round selections if Crosby does well, and they wouldn't have to face him by shipping him to the NFC.

“Those would upgrade should the 49ers go a certain distance in the playoffs and/or Crosby plays a majority of snaps. Keeping Crosby on the west coast may also be a likelier move than him going east,” he added.

Lynch is a savvy negotiator who has brokered his fair share of big deals in the Bay Area, and given Crosby's age and injury concerns, this sounds like fair value. Of course, the Raiders may not want to part ways with their best player, and they should be the ones dictating the rules and value. But if Crosby doesn't show his usual explosiveness right out of the gate, the 49ers might be able to get him at a bargain.

Crosby is one of the three best pass-rushers in the game, and with Myles Garrett in the NFC West and the Seattle Seahawks as defending champions, acquiring him might be the only way the 49ers can reclaim the division.