It has been a week of trades in the NFL – and a Friday night blockbuster became a delectable appetizer with free agency beginning, officially, Wednesday, March 11.
The Las Vegas Raiders traded edge rusher Maxx Crosby, no stranger to the subject of trade rumors over the years, to the Baltimore Ravens for a package that included two first-round picks, according to multiple reports. The deal cannot be formally completed until the new league year at 4:00 p.m. ET (to be exact) on the 11th, but it is in place.
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As is the case in a trade of this magnitude, there are winners and losers.
WINNERS
Maxx Crosby
All of the reporting from the end of last season indicated Crosby and the Raiders were headed for a divorce. FOX Sports said Crosby left the building when broached with the idea of being shut down for the final two games of the season as Vegas sought the No. 1 pick (which they “earned”). Crosby, 28, had minor surgery to repair his meniscus in January.
Now Crosby has a fresh start on the opposite coast looking to revive a brand built around violent defense – certainly fitting Crosby’s own play style. Injuries have held Crosby back statistically during the past two seasons, but he managed 10 sacks a year ago, and 2024 was the first season he ever missed games.
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Ravens’ pass rush
Travis Jones led the Ravens in sacks last year with 5.0. They were 30th in hurry percentage (5.6%), tied for 30th in sacks (30) and 31st in sack percentage (4.6). Baltimore traded Odafe Oweh in the middle of last season, and other pass-rushers Kyle Van Noy and Dre’Mont Jones could leave in free agency. Adding Crosby should mean better production in 2026.
Nnamdi Madubuike’s neck injury eliminated his 2025 campaign and could be career-ending. Having Crosby in the fold means Baltimore’s hopes of getting after the quarterback don’t depend entirely on his recovery.
Lamar Jackson
Putting stars around other stars is never a bad idea when organizations are in win-now mode. Jackson is a two-time league MVP who has to play better in the biggest games, sure, but eliminating question marks on the other side of the ball can only benefit his ultimate pursuit of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. And it looks like Jackson knew well before the news hit everybody else’s social media feeds.
Fernando Mendoza
The Raiders are now picking first overall and 14th after acquiring the Ravens’ pick. Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and national champion from Indiana, will be pick No. 1. Now the Raiders can add a fellow incoming rookie with whom he can help transform the franchise.
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Eric DeCosta
The Ravens had never traded a first-round pick for a player before. Baltimore’s executive vice president and general manager made history by parting with not one, but a pair, to land Crosby.
According to Spotrac, DeCosta can convert Crosby’s salary for this upcoming season into a bonus and lower the acquired cap hit from $30.7 million to $7.73 million. Owner Steve Bisciotti is normally wise enough to make such a thing reality.
DeCosta paid a premium but ultimately landed the object of several contenders’ desires.
John Syptek
Las Vegas’ second-year GM took a distressed asset and nonetheless received market price set by the Dallas Cowboys’ acquisition of Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets last year. He added a top-half-of-the-first-round selection in 2026 to help kickstart the rebuild. And the cap flexibility moving forward can only be a positive if Mendoza can provide some juice while on his rookie deal.
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Jesse Minter
The first-year head Baltimore coach has said he expects to call defensive plays in 2026. The growing pains of installing a new system will inevitably become apparent early on. But the 42-year-old now has a potential magic eraser for any scheme mishaps with a game-wrecker such as Crosby lining up.
Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix
The trio of AFC West quarterbacks who no longer have to see Crosby twice a year. Which one called the Uber to take Crosby to the airport?
LOSERS
Las Vegas Raiders, Mark Davis
Not that collecting a paycheck – especially a record-setting (temporarily) one – is a sign of loyalty, but Crosby at least rewarded the Raiders by signing his massive extension (three-year, $106.5 million with $91.5 million guaranteed). To lose a player of Crosby’s ilk on the field and character off of it is a significant blow, however.
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Eric Decosta
The Baltimore GM likely will need to do a new Jackson deal with Crosby’s on the books. Baltimore has not been afraid to pay and extend its stars: left tackle Ronnie Stanley, safety Kyle Hamilton, linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Marlon Humphrey. That means the front office has to hit on filling out the rest of the roster while praying the big names can stay healthy. The formula can work. It’s also a gamble.
Jesse Minter
Replacing John Harbaugh, who led the Ravens for 18 years, was big enough shoes to fill. The added pressure of having a player of Crosby’s merit won’t do anything to limit the playoffs-or-bust expectations in Year 1.
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Ravens’ chances of signing Tyler Linderbaum
Linderbaum himself isn’t a loser – the center who was drafted by the Ravens in 2022 will be getting paid no matter what. But the Ravens being the team doing the paying became less likely with Crosby’s massive deal now on the books.
AFC North offensive line coaches
For more than one third of the season, their game plans will have to account for either Crosby, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt or the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in the Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett.
Joe Burrow
The lone team in the division without a stud on the edge? His own, assuming a Trey Hendrickson reunion is out of the question.
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Rob Leonard
Leonard spent the past three years coaching Crosby and was the run game coordinator/defensive line coach who first-year head coach Klint Kubiak promoted to defensive coordinator. Not having Crosby as part of the scheme won’t make his new job any easier.
Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots
Otherwise known as the teams left at the altar. Not that 31 other teams couldn’t have used Crosby, but man, the Patriots really could have used him. The Jags’ attempt to acquire Crosby, as reported by The Athletic, suggests they’ll be quite active over the next few weeks.
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Lamar Jackson
Unless Crosby starts channeling Mike Vrabel, Jackson won’t be throwing to Crosby. DeCosta and Co. have plenty to address on Jackson’s side of the ball – from Linderbaum to Jackson’s targets (tight end Isaiah Likely is a free agent) – now.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Maxx Crosby trade from Raiders to Ravens winners, losers
