If the Dallas Cowboys want Maxx Crosby, they can’t flirt with the idea; they have to commit to it. The offers they’ve reportedly floated already read like escalating confessions. One included a 2026 first-round pick (No. 20 overall) and Osa Odighizuwa. Another leaned into draft capital, pairing the 12th overall pick with a 2026 third-rounder. And then there’s the version that feels the most like a final offer slid across the table: the 12th overall pick and a 2027 second-round selection.
Why Trading for Maxx Crosby Is a Risk Worth Taking
Regarding this situation, former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum sounds like someone urging a leap of faith. In his view, the Cowboys are standing right on the edge with Crosby, and they’re hesitating over hypotheticals.
Here’s how Maxx Crosby could still be a Dallas Cowboy, according to @RealTannenbaum and @danorlovsky7 👀 pic.twitter.com/zCo3CKPhrM
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 25, 2026
“Dallas is probably saying, ‘I don’t wanna give up the 12th pick in the draft if I worry about where he’s gonna be in 3 years.’ My pushback to that is, ‘No certainty that your first round pick is gonna be on your team in 3 years.’ … This is an opportunity they need to take advantage of,” Tannenbaum said on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
Nevertheless, the Las Vegas Raiders aren’t in a rush to say yes. Crosby is a foundational athlete for the team. This means if Dallas is serious, the price won’t just be steep; it’ll feel like overpaying. That’s usually how you know it’s real.
Taking on Crosby’s contract, fresh off a three-year, $106.5 million extension, requires more than space. His $30 million base salary in 2026 reshapes the cap sheet. And yet, the appeal is immediate. Crosby doesn’t only rush the passer; he disrupts the rhythm of an entire offense.
Put him alongside Kenny Clark, and suddenly the Cowboys’ defensive front feels less like a unit and more like a problem no one quite knows how to solve. There’s something steadier, too, beneath the chaos he brings. Dallas has had a hard time on the edges, especially against the run, where discipline matters as much as explosiveness.
Crosby brings both. He has a score of 95.3 on PFSN’s EDGE Impact Metric and ranks second. Maybe the most important part isn’t measurable at all. Crosby plays like effort is a language, and he’s fluent in it.
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This kind of presence changes how a locker room feels on a Wednesday practice and how it responds in the fourth quarter on Sunday. Still, this isn’t a one-sided story. Crosby has said he wants to stay in Las Vegas, and the Raiders have acted accordingly. They’re not looking to let go of something this rare without being overwhelmed.
