The Dallas Cowboys became the center of the NFL trade deadline when it was reported that they've checked in with the Las Vegas Raiders about a potential trade for Maxx Crosby, one of the game's best two-way edge defenders.
In a vacuum, this is a no-brainer move for the Cowboys, who only need a slight improvement on the defensive side of the ball to jump into the Super Bowl conversation, assuming Dak Prescott and the offense remain elite.
If Jerry Jones needed any more motivation to make a move, Crosby's contract, while top-notch, is much cheaper than what he would've paid Micah Parsons.
Maxx Crosby's contract is a perfect match for the Cowboys' salary cap
Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension in the offseason, which included $91.5 million guaranteed and averaged out to $35.5 million per year to make him the highest-paid defender in the NFL. The Raiders star is now the fifth-highest-paid EDGE in the league, and he will continue to drop in the rankings once young stars like Aidan Hutchinson and Will Anderson get new deals.
That's terrific value for the Cowboys, but it gets better.
According to Spotrac, the Cowboys would only be on the hook for $20.3 million this year. Meanwhile, Crosby's $29 million salary becomes fully guaranteed in March. Starting in 2026, he'll carry respective cap hits of $35.88 million, $29.78 million, and $27.28 million. Those are extremely manageable.
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Since next year's salary is guaranteed, Dallas won't have to make a decision on Crosby's contract until after the 2026 season. At that point, they could negotiate a new deal if he maintained a high level of production.
Crosby has produced at a Pro Bowl level throughout his career despite playing on some lousy Raiders defenses, so there's no reason to think that won't continue.
While the Cowboys don't have a world-beating defense, they have more pieces than the Raiders. It stands to reason that Crosby could be even more productive in Dallas playing alongside DeMarvion Overshown, Osa Odighizuwa, Kenny Clark, DaRon Bland, and Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Crosby is the exact caliber of player Dallas is missing (yeah, yeah, Micah Parsons, we know). He's a plus run defender and would go a long way towards solving the defense's inability to generate a four-man pass rush and create mismatches.
It's a no-brainer if there ever was one.