Could Maxx Crosby Trade Fallout Land Cowboys Dream Linebacker?

The Las Vegas Raiders might end up with Maxx Crosby still on their roster, which could completely alter their offseason plans.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby reacts after a tackle against the Los Angeles Chargers. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Hope was renewed for the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday night when news broke that the Baltimore Ravens were backing out of their trade for All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby.

According to Dianna Russini, Crosby failed a physical, which led to the Ravens pulling the plug on the deal. Crosby had surgery on his knee in January, and while he expects to be ready to play by the season opener, there was clearly something that spooked the Ravens.

Dallas, who agreed to a trade with the Green Bay Packers for Rashan Gary after losing out on Crosby, is reportedly still interested in making a move. There might be concerns on their part, however, now that there are questions about Crosby's health.

If that becomes an issue, there's a realistic chance that Crosby remains with the Raiders. If that happens, another interesting question surfaces: does Las Vegas still make all their free agency moves if Crosby remains on the payroll?

Las Vegas invested heavily in defense after agreeing to trade Maxx Crosby

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean reacts against the Detroit Lions during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

After agreeing to the deal with the Ravens, Las Vegas agreed to deals with two linebackers. The Raiders agreed to sign Quay Walker to a three-year, $40.5 million deal and, within minutes, had a deal in place for Nakobe Dean. The former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker is set to cash in on a three-year, $36 million deal.

Dallas was reportedly heavily interested in Dean and even made a competitive offer for the veteran. Perhaps if the Cowboys don't revisit the Crosby trade, the door for Dean could reopen.

While the Raiders and Dean came to an agreement, no deal can be signed until Wednesday, March 11 at 4:00 p.m. EST when NFL free agency officially begins. As we have seen in the past, deals made during the legal tampering period can be backed out of.

The Cowboys benefited from this in 2024 when Eric Kendricks originally verbally agreed to sign a deal with the San Francisco 49ers. He ended up backing out of that contract, and wound up signing with Dallas, where he was reunited with Mike Zimmer, who was his head coach with the Minnesota Vikings.

Kendricks ended up being one of the defensive leaders that season, which would be the case with Dean should such a scenario play out.

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