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During the offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders aimed for a fast turnaround, hiring 74-year-old Pete Carroll and acquiring veteran quarterback Geno Smith. Yet with a 2-5 record, it’s becoming evident that restoring the Silver and Black may require more long-term planning. That begs the question: could the Raiders begin parting ways with players or coaches who don’t fit a multi-year rebuild? On October 21, Trey Wingo reported that Maxx Crosby might be on the trade block as the NFL trade deadline nears. Amid the Crosby rumors and talk, NBC Sports NFL analyst Chris Simms shared his thoughts on the Raiders trading away their star player at any point after recently signing a contract extension. “I think Max Crosby, first off, he’s old school,” Simms said on the October 22 edition of “Pro Football Talk.” “He realizes the Raiders are a special organization to be a part of. They fit his mantra. I think he wants to make it work and make it all positive there in Las Vegas with the Raiders. “Would he like to go to a new team? I would like to think he would, because right now with the Raiders, you just look at it and see there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. If you’re the Raiders, at some point, you’ve got to start looking and ask, ‘What can we do to change the trajectory of our organization?‘ I don’t know if trading Max Crosby is the answer to that. That wouldn’t be my choice.” Las Vegas Need Players to Build Around Crosby is in his prime years, and while the Raiders look like they may need a long-term rebuild, Simms believes that Las Vegas need players to build around, and the star pass rusher is one of them. “He’s by far their best player on the team,“ Simms added. “He is really their only elite, blue-chip type of player. At some point, you have to start building around somebody. That’s why I would be shocked to see him go. “They could find other trade assets or players to move for assets, but I just can’t imagine them doing that with Maxx Crosby. With Pete Carroll as a defensive coach and all, it just doesn’t line up to me.” The Raiders Aren’t Trading Maxx Crosby, for Now Despite their 2-5 record and possible interest from teams like the Dallas Cowboys, the Raiders aren’t looking to part ways with arguably their most important asset. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Jane Slater reported that the Raiders’ leadership met with Crosby to reassure him he won’t be traded. Crosby stressed that his priority is winning while also making it clear that he wanted to help build a lasting winning culture in Las Vegas. That said, there could be an opening for a rival team to tempt the Raiders with a package of multiple draft picks, especially if Las Vegas decides a long-term rebuild is the smarter path over short-term fixes.
