Baltimore Ravens land Maxx Crosby in blockbuster trade with Las Vegas Raiders | NFL
Five-time Pro Bowl star Maxx Crosby is headed to the Baltimore Ravens, two people with knowledge of the trade told The Associated Press Friday evening.
Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal cannot be announced until the new NFL year begins next week.
The Las Vegas Raiders will receive two first-round picks from the Ravens, including the No. 14 pick in next month’s NFL draft, one of the people said.
Crosby, 28, had 10 sacks and a career-high 28 tackles for loss last season, and had four double-digit sacks in his seven seasons.
Baltimore, which has a first-year coach in Jesse Minter, is in win-win mode with three-time All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson. Crosby is an important addition to a defense that finished tied for 28th in the league in sacks with just 30 last season.
He is the latest elite passer to change teams for a big price. Micah Parsons was traded from Dallas to Green Bay last year for two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
The last time the Ravens didn’t have a first-round pick was 2012.
Crosby had long maintained that he wanted to play his entire career for the Raiders, but his frustration with the organization’s struggles was evident even before a tumultuous end to last season, when the team opted to place him on injured reserve with two games remaining due to a knee injury. Crosby, who prided himself on not leaving the field despite various injuries for much of his career, left the team facility after being informed of the decision.
Given the opportunity a month ago to refute reports that he wanted to leave Las Vegas, Crosby instead said such words did not come from him. However, he never said he wanted to return to the Raiders.
“I sit and I laugh because I know my truth and when I go to bed at night I have a smile on my face because I don’t have to explain anything to anyone,” Crosby said during an appearance on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.”
He told Cowherd he is focused on rehabilitation after surgery on his left knee about a month ago.
“I’m ahead of schedule and everything is business as usual,” Crosby said. “This is my eighth surgery in seven years. It’s something I’ve gotten used to. It’s all about perspective, how you approach what you want to accomplish. I’m ready to run this marathon.”
First-year Raiders coach Klint Kubiak and general manager John Spytek had said they wanted Crosby to stay on the team. Spytek said at the NFL scouting meeting that he expects Crosby to be in the lineup when the team opens its season, but noted the club is willing to listen to trade offers. The Ravens clearly made an offer they couldn’t refuse.
The Raiders have the No. 1 pick in the draft and are widely expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. This deal also allows them to fill several other holes on their roster.
They are likely to cut quarterback Geno Smith before the league season opens Wednesday. Las Vegas had nearly $122 million in salary cap space before this deal, according to overthecap.com.
