It is still hard to believe that the Baltimore Ravens backed out of their Maxx Crosby trade with the Las Vegas Raiders. Unless a blockbuster trade involving a star quarterback goes down, the Ravens' pug-pull will go down as the biggest move of the NFL offseason.
It's unclear what it all means for Crosby's future. Trade interest in the five-time Pro Bowler has dwindled for obvious reasons. Teams would be silly to re-engage the Raiders right after the Ravens stabbed them in the torso.
Waiting for Las Vegas' price to come down is the obvious move, and that logic may apply to Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys, who still badly need a pass rusher.
Speaking to reporters while at an event in Arlington, Texas, to promote an IndyCar series race that will be run by A&T Stadium, Jones did not rule out trading for Crosby (h/t Jon Machota, The Athletic).
“We’re pretty far down the road relative to what our plans are. So while I don’t anticipate it, I don’t want to rule anything out.”
Jerry Jones is keeping the Dallas Cowboys' Maxx Crosby door open
Of course, Jones would leave the door ajar. Did you expect anything less? Cowboys fans thought their Crosby dreams were dead and buried. They might still be.
The team's doctor and premier knee specialist, Dr. Dan Cooper, examined Crosby's knee before he failed his physical with the Ravens. That is the excuse Baltimore used to pull out of the trade. It stands to reason that Cooper informed the Cowboys of his findings.
As such, multiple reports have said that Dallas won't reconsider a Crosby trade. It didn't fully shut the door, but it gave the impression that Jerry Jones would look elsewhere for pass-rush help.
If the Raiders still intend to trade Crosby, though, aren't the Cowboys a perfect landing spot? They finished as runners-up to the Ravens, offering as much as a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
It has since been reported that Dallas and Las Vegas had a dialogue about Osa Odighizuwa, who was traded to the San Francisco 49ers this week, to sweeten the pot.
Trading for Rashan Gary helps the defensive front, but Cowboys fans shouldn't expect the former Packer to wreak havoc as a pass rusher. He’s capable of creating pressure, but he’s more polished as a run defender, much like DeMarcus Lawrence.
Simply put, Jerry Jones would be setting Christian Parker up to fail if he doesn't add another starting-caliber edge rusher. They need more than just Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Sam Williams, and James Houston.
A lot more.
If the Cowboys get even the slightest of clues that Crosby is back on the market, they should absolutely re-engage.