Las Vegas Raiders are now living a reverse déjà vu thanks to how the Maxx Crosby situation worked out
The Raiders have been here before.
The Las Vegas Raiders appeared to have traded Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens this past weekend. However, on Tuesday, the Raiders announced the Ravens had backed out of the deal, a scenario reminiscent of situations they’ve faced before.
According to several reports, the Raiders had been fielding trade offers for some time and reportedly agreed to send Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens were set to give up two first-round picks—one in 2027 and the No. 14 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. This would have allowed the Raiders to embark on a serious rebuild, possibly bringing in two blue-chip players for the future and freeing up salary for free agency.
However, with the Ravens backing out, this scenario did not materialize. Other reports say Crosby did not pass his physical in Baltimore on Thursday. The Raiders were looking forward to getting that extra first-round pick, and it had them in a very good position this offseason alone, let alone next offseason. So, what happened in 2014 that was similar to this Maxx Crosby situation?
Some Raiders fans may remember a decision the Raiders made with Rodger Saffold. That move ended up backfiring, and the Raiders pulled the same move the Ravens did, but it wasn’t a trade. I talked to A to Z Los Angeles’ AJ Schulte to remember exactly what happened between Vegas and Saffold in 2014, and what happened afterward.
The Raiders have been in a similar situation before with Rodger Saffold in 2014
It is a little ironic that this situation is happening to the Raiders after the Rodger Saffold debacle back in 2014. The Raiders had a deal in place to bring Saffold in away from the St. Louis Rams, who drafted him back in 2014. The Raiders gave Saffold a mammoth five-year, $42.5 million deal, but reportedly, owner Al Davis pulled out at the last minute due to concerns about Saffold’s shoulder. Saffold quickly rebounded, taking a smaller deal to return to the Rams, where he played another four years.
He missed 11 games in 2015 after a labral tear in his shoulder he suffered in Week 5, but only missed 2 games over the next three seasons in STL/LA, making an All-Pro as a key piece of Sean McVay’s initial success with the Rams. Perhaps even funnier is Saffold making two Pro Bowl appearances nearly a decade after this debacle with the Raiders, with the Titans and Bills.
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