Grading New Proposed Blockbuster Trade for Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders have gotten off to a great start to their 2026 offseason.

They were rewarded for their abysmal 3-14 finish in the 2025 season with the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. To nurture the young star that comes of that selection — presumably, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza — the Raiders have enlisted two former members of the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl LX staff: offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their new head coach and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko to be their new OC.

With those foundational pieces in place, General Manager John Spytek now has to ensure that he builds an adequate support system around his prized franchise quarterback. Las Vegas has plenty of cap space and draft capital to work with this offseason, but it also has a lot of work to do with the roster. Considering how many holes there are to fill, Spytek might want to explore the trade market as well.

Chicago Bears, NFL, Las Vegas Raiders, Maxx Crosby — Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney (62) attempts to stop Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Raiders might have to move on from Maxx Crosby

Even if the Las Vegas Raiders didn't want to make a trade this offseason, they might be forced to. Things didn't end well between the team and star EDGE Maxx Crosby this past season, with the franchise shutting him down to protect his health and bolster its chances of finishing with the worst record in the league and securing the first-overall pick. It worked out perfectly, but the cost might prove to be a trade request from Crosby.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell has an idea for Sin City if it does have to move Crosby, proposing that the Raiders ship him off along with a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for their 2026 first and wide receiver D.J. Moore: "The Raiders probably aren't trading Crosby unless they can get a first-round pick or some cumulative value in that ballpark... The Bears have the 25th pick, and GM Ryan Poles hasn't been shy about using draft picks to add talent."

What should the trade compensation be for Maxx Crosby (29 yrs old in Aug)?

Here are some of the Edge trades in the NFL recently:

1) Micah Parsons(26 yrs old) for 1st + 1st + Kenny Clark

2) Khalil Mack(27 yrs old) + 2nd + 7th for 1st + 1st + 3rd + 6th

3) Bradley Chubb(26 yrs… pic.twitter.com/Sp8iYMBcJT
— Nick Whalen (@_NickWhalen) February 16, 2026

"Poles probably has to clear out some cash and cap to get a deal done. Enter Moore, whose four-year extension starts next season... Is that a good deal? It depends on which version of Moore that team is getting... The Raiders, meanwhile, need to add help at wide receiver for presumptive No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza."

Getting the 25th-overall pick in exchange for Crosby, an aging, expensive veteran coming off of injury, isn't the worst payoff, but D.J. Moore does little to move the team in the right direction in this next era. The Raiders just moved off of Jakobi Meyers because the team felt he wasn't a true WR1 worth $20 million AAV.

This deal would have them paying Moore even more than that, and he's only been marginally more productive than Meyers and much more of a locker-room headache. It's not the worst return that Las Vegas could get for Crosby, but it's not a huge win either.

Grade: C-

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