The most shocking move of the NFL offseason so far has been the Las Vegas Raiders trading star pass rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens. For many Las Vegas fans, the deal, for a massive draft package that reportedly includes multiple first-round picks, felt like the end of an era.
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Since getting drafted in 2019, Crosby became the emotional leader of the defense and one of the Raiders’ most recognizable players. But according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the trade represents something much bigger than simply moving on from a star. It signals the beginning of a full organizational reset.
“This is the right thing to do for the organization. I know it hurts for the fans,” he said on his YouTube channel. The reason for the trade is rooted in where both teams stand competitively at the moment.
Baltimore is firmly in win-now mode with former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson leading one of the league’s most talented rosters. The Ravens were already a contender, but lacked a dominant edge rusher capable of consistently changing games.
Rapoport explained that the team had been searching for that type of player for months. “Crosby goes from the Raiders to the Ravens, who haven’t had a pass rusher like him in a very long time and certainly have been looking for this,” he said.
Baltimore even attempted to address the need earlier in the season before ending up landing a relatively less-accomplished addition. “I know at the deadline they tried to trade for a pass rusher and ended up with Draymond Jones,” Rapoport noted. “This is a big-time upgrade.”
Since this factor was in play, Rapoport believes the Ravens‘ giving up significant draft capital was justified. Baltimore already has a strong core in place and can afford to sacrifice future picks for immediate impact.
“The Ravens get what they hope to be the final piece,” said Rapoport. “They give up a couple [of] ones. That’s real compensation. But they also have a stacked roster, and they have free agency. They can replace one or maybe two draft picks.”
And in the modern NFL, Rapoport emphasized, elite pass rushers like Crosby rarely become available. “It’s hard to find another Maxx Crosby,” he added. That makes it all the more difficult to decipher the Raiders’ side of the deal.
Las Vegas is entering a rebuilding phase after several disappointing seasons and roster turnover. That’s where Rapoport brought up the blueprint used by the Houston Texans, one of the league’s fastest recent turnarounds.
“They need to get it right, and they need the draft picks to hit,” Rapoport explained. “This is what the Texans have done to get to where they’ve gotten.”
Houston rebuilt its roster in 2024 by accumulating high draft picks, selecting a franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud, and surrounding him with young talent and a new culture under head coach DeMeco Ryans. Within a short time, the Texans went from one of the league’s worst teams to a playoff contender.
Rapoport suggested the Raiders may now be attempting a similar strategy. “They get bad, they get the draft picks, they reload,” he said. “This is what a lot of good teams have done.”
The trade also provides Las Vegas with additional opportunities to build around its next core. The Raiders already had the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. And, after the Crosby deal, they also hold the No. 14 pick along with extra first-round selections in future years. It gives the front office flexibility to reshape the roster.
But as Rapoport acknowledged, rebuilds rarely happen overnight. “It’s going to be a tough year this year,” he said. “They might not be very good.”
For Raiders fans, that reality may be difficult to accept. After all, they lost a player who embodied the franchise’s identity. Still, Rapoport believes the long-term outlook could justify the painful decision.
“It’s going to sting a little bit for Raiders fans,” concluded Rapoport. “But they should be happy with what’s coming.”
