Cowboys-Raiders Trade for Maxx Crosby Now Makes More Sense Than Ever

The Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders made headlines all offseason due to Maxx Crosby trade rumors.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) prepares for a play against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Cowboys are off to a 1-1 start after Week 2's win over the Washington Commanders but the jury is still out on if the defense is improved under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

Low-lighted by a woeful performance in the season opener against the New York Giants, the Cowboys have also only posted two sacks as a team through the first two games, tied for third-fewest in the NFL.

On the flip side of that, the Las Vegas Raiders are currently 2-0 and in a three-way tie for a league-leading eight sacks.

Their pass rush has been the driving force to a surprising start, but defensive end Maxx Crosby hasn't been as involved as some would have expected. This might be a good thing for the Cowboys if they want to touch base with Las Vegas again on trade discussions for the five-time Pro Bowler.

Cowboys, Raiders Have Multiple Reasons to Reignite Maxx Crosby Trade Talks

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) reacts after sacking Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis (2) in the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Given Dallas' early struggles to sack the quarterback and Las Vegas versatile ability to do so, reigniting the Crosby trade buzz between the Cowboys and Raiders makes

Bleacher Report even recently listed the Cowboys as a potential trade partner for Crosby at some point this season given how Dallas and Las Vegas have trended in different directions from a pass-rush perspective.

Las Vegas has gotten early production from veteran defensive ends Kwity Paye and Malcolm Koonce, a pairing that would give the Raiders talent to work with moving forward without feeling like the pass rush will completely fall off in the event that Crosby is traded.

This isn't to say that the Raiders would be better without Crosby, but the early returns from the first two weeks show that they certainly have the pass-rush talent to make his hypothetical departure easier to deal with.

Knowing this, it makes a trade a realistic option if the Raiders want to go that route.

What would the franchise rather have: an aging pass rusher whose value will decline as time goes on, or major draft assets to help build the future around No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza? The answer feels like an easy one.

Las Vegas would be better off pulling the trigger on a deal sooner rather than later. Whether that's with the Cowboys or another team remains to be seen, but the Raiders can't sit around and watch Crosby play himself into a new, expensive contract that would handicap the team financially in the future, or worse, lose him due to injury and kiss the trade value goodbye in the process.

Either way, it feels like signs could be pointing toward the Crosby trade buzz being reignited. It's up to the Cowboys if they want to take another swing at it.

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