Analysis: Making a case for why the Bills should trade for Maxx Crosby
"The Bills should go all in this offseason on a trade for Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby," writes Jay Skurski. "Yes, the cost will be steep. Here’s my response to that: So what?"
Brandon Beane has taken a big swing before.
Nearly three years ago, the Buffalo Bills’ general manager hid in the weeds before pouncing early in unrestricted free agency, shocking the NFL by landing edge rusher Von Miller.
The move never quite panned out, as Miller tore his ACL midway through his first season with the team.
Perhaps Beane had that in the back of his mind Thursday during his end-of-season news conference when he said, “You’re never one player away. That’s a dangerous mindset to get into.”
Maybe so. But let’s live dangerously, shall we?
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby would be an ideal trade target for the Bills this offseason. David Becker, Associated Press
The Bills should go all in this offseason on a trade for Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
Yes, the cost will be steep.
Here’s my response to that: So what?
Beane said he learned at a young age that chasing a player, or even a position, is not the right answer – even if his pursuit of Miller suggested otherwise. But in the next breath, he brought up just how close this team is.
“This team had championship ability. I do believe that,” he said. “Sometimes, you leave the season and you say, ‘Man, I don’t know if we if we gave ourselves a chance,’ but ultimately, like … it’s down to a few plays.”
If we’ve learned anything over the past five seasons, four of which ended with playoff losses to the Chiefs, it is that the Bills don’t have enough players capable of making those plays. If they did, the results would be different.
It is on Beane to go get more of those players this offseason. That’s where Crosby comes in.
Raiders owner Mark Davis has stressed that he won’t trade Crosby, but he would be wise to at least consider it. Las Vegas is in the middle of a rebuild, and years away from contention in the stacked AFC West. If Crosby’s not up for that, he could gently get his point across that a trade would be preferable.
Crosby is signed through 2026, and would have salary cap hits of $22.9 million and $19.7 million for any team trading for him. By NFL standards for an elite edge rusher, that’s a team-friendly deal. Of course, Crosby would probably want a new deal if he were to be traded, and the Bills can accommodate that.
The team will be able to free up some cap space this offseason by cutting Miller. That also opens up a spot in the defensive line rotation for Crosby to slide right into..
Crosby turns 28 shortly before the start of the 2025 season, and is coming off something of a down year by his lofty standards. He played in just 12 games because of an ankle injury in 2024, but he still finished with 7½ sacks and 17 tackles for loss. In the two years before that, he was an absolute force, with 27 sacks, an NFL-leading 45 tackles for loss and 67 quarterback hits. He is elite at rushing the passer and defending the run. He’s young enough that he should be able to overcome the ankle injury.
He is the type of game-changing talent the Bills should be searching high and low for this offseason. The No. 1 reason the Bills can’t get past the Chiefs in the playoffs is their defense. That can’t sit well with Sean McDermott – a defensive-minded head coach.
The Bills don’t love to blitz, preferring instead to rely on four-man rushes to create pressure, allowing them to cover with seven. The problem is, the four-man rush isn’t good enough as constructed, and the Bills have no reasonable path improving their four-man rush next season without making a bold move. Crosby would be that.
You want to make life easier for Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver? You want to give them more one-on-one rush opportunities? Put Crosby on the line and let opposing offenses figure out how to block all of them.
By all accounts, Crosby would also fit perfectly in the locker room. He was a team captain for the Raiders and is one of the most respected players in the league. The Bills showed during their 2024 run that the culture matters. Yes, talent trumps all, but when there is an opportunity to add a player who would strengthen the bond inside the locker room, that’s an added bonus. Crosby certainly looks like he could do just that.
Understandably, the Raiders won’t be eager to move Crosby. Hiring the 73-year-old Pete Carroll as their new coach also isn’t a move a rebuilding team would typically make. Crosby himself has said all the right things about being excited to be a part of the Raiders’ turnaround. Again, that is what you would expect from a team captain and leader.
Still, the Bills can put together a package of draft picks to at least make Las Vegas consider it. There is no harm in picking up the phone.
Beane has an extra second-rounder acquired last year in the Stefon Diggs trade to Houston. He can start his offer with this year’s first- and second-round picks, plus a young player or two. Maybe the Raiders roll the dice on Kaiir Elam’s talent, or would be intrigued by young edge rusher Javon Solomon.
Let’s be real here: It’s not as if Beane is getting tremendous value out of the bottom of the first round. His last three top overall picks – wide receiver Keon Coleman (with the first pick of the second round last year), tight end Dalton Kincaid and Elam – were difference-makers for the wrong reasons against the Chiefs.
That’s the No. 1 reason trading picks for a proven player – in this case, Crosby – is a great idea this offseason. The last time Beane traded away his first-round pick for a player, he landed Diggs, who will go down as either the second- or third-best receiver in franchise history, depending on how you rank him with Eric Moulds behind Andre Reed.
That’s the type of impact Beane needs to find this offseason. That’s the type of impact Crosby can have on the Buffalo defense. Priority No. 1 this offseason has to be to build a defense that doesn’t crater in the biggest moments.
“One to two plays can change the outcome of a game, which ultimately changes the outcome of the season,” Beane said Thursday, speaking of the loss in the AFC championship game. “We wouldn’t be sitting here. So, it sucks. It hurts. But I’m not in the mood of thinking you have to blow it all up. I don’t think that’s rational.”
We’re in agreement there. Don’t blow it up, at all. Instead, add to what’s been built by finding the player who can make those one or two plays. Add to it by adding Maxx Crosby this offseason.
