It’s the Maxx Crosby trade debate, part deux! Yes, that’s right, we’ve been through this before, as this was first discussed when it was believed that the Las Vegas Raiders defensive end could be on the block before the trade deadline. The Raiders quickly jumped in and said they had no interest in shipping off their star edge rusher, crushing the hopes and dreams of Cowboys Nation. Soon thereafter, the Cowboys traded for star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, and suddenly, fans were happy again. That’s the effect of landing a shiny new toy on the defensive line.
Fast forward to now, and once again, Crosby is in the news as the Raiders decided to shut him down. He was placed on injured reserve, ending his 2025 season, as Vegas sets its sights on other goals, specifically, securing the number one overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They are 2-14 and in the lead for the worst record in the NFL. Crosby wasn’t thrilled about the Raiders’ decision to shut him down and decided to leave the facility. This has again triggered many to suggest that his days in the desert could be coming to an end. And if the Raiders are contemplating trading him, you better believe the Dallas Cowboys will be mentioned as a potential suitor. Sports betting sites already have the Cowboys listed as having the best odds to acquire him in a trade.
The idea of having Crosby is certainly fun to entertain. The Cowboys desperately need a talented edge rusher after parting ways with both Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence this past offseason. Both, ironically, made the Pro Bowl for the NFC this season. And there is no denying that Crosby is a talented player. He also made the Pro Bowl, but for the AFC team, as he has now earned that honor for five consecutive seasons.
Crosby is a great talent, but the cost of obtaining him is just too steep. For starters, he’ll require some premium draft capital that could be as high as two first-round picks. The Cowboys, after the Parsons trade, had four first-round picks between 2026 and 2027, but dealt one of the 2027 first-rounders away to get Williams from the Jets, leaving them with three. Trading for Crosby could bring that total down to just one.
The problem with this is that the Cowboys need that draft capital. They have a plethora of defensive needs, not just acquiring an edge rusher. They need help at cornerback, linebacker, and safety as well. In fact, the Cowboys should be looking to use one of their 2026 first-rounders and trade back in exchange for multiple picks. Trading quality for quantity should be what they’re looking to do, not the other way around.
Two picks for Crosby are risky. He’ll be 29 years old next season, and he’s starting to show some signs of wear. Last year, he dealt with an ankle injury throughout the season and was finally shut down in December, undergoing surgery and missing the final four games of the year. And even before shutting him down this year, he was on the injury report every week of the season since Week 5. Between his knee, back, or shoulder, something was always ailing him.
Crosby is again expected to have surgery to clean up the meniscus in his knee. While this is not a major surgery like having a torn ACL, it is still a data point that shows us what we already know – the body eventually wears down. Is acquiring an aging asset like this worth giving up two fresh-legged rookies who would be under much cheaper player control for the next five years?
That is a significant part of the equation. While Crosby’s contract isn’t that expensive ($30 million-ish for the next four seasons), it’s still a good chunk of change, especially when considering the Cowboys have recently invested a lot of money in several other players.
With the team looking to extend George Pickens, they don’t have a lot of extra money lying around to also pay for Crosby. The team inevitably will be restructuring contracts to free up cap space, so that will happen regardless, but they also like to somewhat stick to a budget and not overinvest their future cap funds for the present day. Expecting them to take on the additional cost of Crosby seems like a tough ask for a team that operates like the Cowboys do.
The Cowboys got their prize. It was Quinnen Williams. They also have a young edge rusher in Donovan Ezeiruaku. They would be better served to re-sign someone like Jadeveon Clowney for cheap, and use those draft picks to one-by-one upgrade the defense.
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