With the NFL Draft approaching, discussions around potential trades involving star players are heating up again, especially in a class with few clear certainties and top-10 teams potentially looking for more proven talent before the season.
The Cincinnati Bengals hold the No. 10 pick in this draft and are in an interesting position to strengthen their defense, but a former NFL general manager suggested a potential trade that would address a key need while adding a proven piece for this season, keeping the team’s competitive window open.
Mike Tannenbaum Urges Bengals To Trade For EDGE Maxx Crosby
In early March, the NFL world was caught off guard by the sequence of events involving Maxx Crosby, his blockbuster trade to the Baltimore Ravens, followed by the franchise backing out of the deal and Crosby’s return to the Las Vegas Raiders. This situation involving a star player was unprecedented and only escalated in the days that followed.
Trey Hendrickson’s departure from the Bengals and his signing with the Ravens shortly after the franchise backed out of the Crosby deal increased the tension between the sides, and the need for Cincinnati became a reinforcement for Baltimore.
Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum advised the Bengals to consider a trade for Crosby during a segment on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
“Max Crosby traded from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Cincinnati Bengals for one first-round pick, the 10th pick overall,” Tannenbaum said. “Here’s the idea, six weeks ago, he goes for two ones. That’s not gonna happen.”
“You’re Vegas, you still get a top 10 pick. If you’re the Cincinnati Bengals, you desperately need a pass rusher, and this guy more than replaces Trey Hendrickson,” Tannenbaum added. “But if you’re in the business of keeping Joe Burrow happy, getting Maxx Crosby makes Joe Burrow happier to be a Bengal today.”
Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million contract with the Raiders in 2025, but suffered an injury late in the season that required meniscus surgery, which caused him to fail the physical during the trade to Baltimore. The expectation is that he will be healthy for the season and that this will not be an issue.
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In 2025, Crosby finished the year as the second-best edge rusher in the league according to PFSN’s EDGE Impact Metric, with an A grade and an impact score of 95.3, behind only Myles Garrett. He would arrive to strengthen a pass rush that needs a star, currently featuring Boye Mafe, Myles Murphy, and Shemar Stewart.
Despite giving up the No. 10 pick in the deal, Cincinnati would be acquiring a proven player at a premium position instead of someone who may or may not pan out in the NFL. Tannenbaum also pointed out that the window with Burrow is open, and the team needs to add a high-impact player to return to title contention.
