PHOENIX — Maxx Crosby is back in the fold for the Las Vegas Raiders, and general manager John Spytek is treating the star defensive end’s return as a major offseason acquisition. Speaking at the NFL Annual Meetings, Spytek acknowledged that the team continues to field trade inquiries for multiple players but emphasized that having Crosby on the roster is a significant boost.
“We’re getting a lot of interest on a lot of people,” Spytek said. “This is the time of year where there’s deals made before the draft, and so there are a lot of exploratory calls made on a lot of the players on our roster, too. So I don’t want to single any one guy out.”
The drama surrounding Crosby began March 6 when the Raiders agreed to trade him to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks. However, the Ravens backed out four days later, citing concerns from Crosby’s medical examination. Spytek declined to detail the breakdown, saying, “I think we all know how trades work, and there’s a process that you have to go through, and I took the information as it came. But I knew we were organizationally in a great place that no matter what the result was, that we would be OK.”
Ravens president Sashi Brown acknowledged the reputational hit the franchise has taken. “I don’t want to at all downplay the experience that Maxx had, that we all had,” he said. “Raiders, Ravens, Maxx, our locker room. As (general manager Eric DeCosta) said, we were incredibly excited and just as equally, if not more, disappointed that we weren’t able to pull off that transaction.” Brown expressed hope the damage would not be lasting, noting the team’s strong relationships across the league.
Spytek said the Raiders quickly pivoted after the trade fell through, honoring all the contract agreements they had made during Crosby’s brief absence. “We never would operate like that,” he said of backing out. “We targeted the guys we wanted to. We gave them what we felt were good deals. We added what we thought were really good football players, so we were in a place to keep them all.” He compared Crosby’s return to signing a top free agent, echoing coach Klint Kubiak’s sentiment.
Despite the fractured relationship that led to trade talks, Spytek believes there is no lingering resentment. “Maxx and I have continued to have great conversations since then and I know him and Klint have had a lot of great conversations too,” he said. “We just try to tell each other the truth and not have a lot of mystery and unknowns.”
