Will the Buccaneers swoop in and trade for Maxx Crosby? They have the inside track to make it happen, that’s for sure
Jason Licht holds the key to Crosby’s services in more ways than one.
In case you missed the news – Maxx Crosby is staying in Las Vegas.
For now.
That’s right, the Baltimore Ravens backed out of the blockbuster trade they signed up for less than a week ago after Crosby failed a physical. According to reports, the failed physical shouldn’t have been a surprise, as everyone involved in trade talks didn’t expect Crosby to be ready to go until June or July in the first place.
Regardless, Crosby is back on the trade block. Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers swoop in and snag him from the Raiders after all this?
Jason Licht gives Buccaneers an edge after the Ravens debacle
Let’s go and cut to the chase: John Spytek is probably looking to work with someone he trusts after getting burned by Eric DeCosta (Ravens GM). Who else does he trust more than Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, the guy he worked directly with for nine years?
The Raiders have spent over $280 million in free agency so far with the idea that Crosby’s $35 million-plus cap hit for 2026 wouldn’t be on the books. Granted, $30.782 million of that cap hit is base salary, so that can be whittled down, but still, the point remains. GMs, for as much money as they’re allowed to play with, don’t like to just toss cash around willy-nilly without an advanced plan.
Either way, Spytek and the Raiders will still want to get rid of Crosby, but now, it’ll obviously be at a much lower price. Licht could use that to his advantage, while still working out a fair deal for Spytek and the latter knows this.
The Buccaneers have yet to get the top EDGE/pass rusher they desire and they shouldn’t wait until the draft to do this. There’s zero chance they’ll get a player as good as Crosby currently is with the 15th overall pick and there’s also no guarantee the guy they get in Round 1 is an impact player in 2026.
Crosby is a proven, elite player and his price/market should be a lot lower/more realistic for the Buccaneers after the Ravens’ chicanery. That’s worth the cost of admission, all day long.
Crosby’s contract is pretty manageable considering its weight
The extension Crosby signed is largely made up of giant base salaries, the lowest of which is the $26.5 million he’s set to earn in 2028. It’s a clean slate to work with from Licht’s purview and he could easily restructure that in whatever fashion that makes sense.
For instance, a max restructure would drop Crosby’s 2026 cap hit all the way down to $7,858,000 and just $6.513 million in dead money each year for the next five years (after adding a void year to the deal). That would buy Licht time to figure out how he wants to move forward in the coming years.
If the Bucs are serious about improving their pass rush, then they’ll take this new development even more seriously. It won’t be an indictment if it doesn’t get done or anything like that, but they need to swing as hard as possible at this fastball so they can knock it out of the park.
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