Sports

Ravens sell the farm for Pro Bowl EDGE

admin March 7, 2026

Bullet point summary by AI

The Baltimore Ravens are acquiring five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby to bolster their already talented defense.
In return, the Las Vegas Raiders receive two future first-round picks, one in 2026 and another in 2027.
This blockbuster trade reshapes both teams’ trajectories, giving Baltimore an immediate defensive upgrade and Las Vegas valuable assets for their rebuild.

The Las Vegas Raiders are trading five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move will be officially completed next week when the new league year begins.

ESPN sources: the Raiders agreed to trade five-time Pro-Bowl DE Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for 2026 and 2027 first-round picks.

The trade cannot be processed until next week, but it is in place. And Crosby is expected to be a Raven with two 1s back to Vegas. pic.twitter.com/rfExCLpXfF

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2026

Crosby and the Raiders have been trending toward a breakup for months, even if Crosby refused to publicly feed into speculation. The Raiders held firm on a high asking price and got rewarded, with Crosby now joining one of the most talent-rich defensive rosters in the AFC under new head coach Jesse Minter.

Ravens trade grade: A-

Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders \ — Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The going rate for superstar edge rushers spiked last summer when the Cowboys acquired two first-round picks and Kenny Clark from Green Bay in exchange for Micah Parsons. By that metric, this is a win for Baltimore, acquiring a slightly lesser talent for a slightly less onerous return package.

Crosby put up 10.0 sacks, 28 tackles for loss and 20 QB hits in 15 appearances last season. He hasn’t appeared in a full 17 games since 2023, but Crosby has five straight Pro Bowls under his belt. He’s an overwhelming athlete and an even more ravenous (more like Raven-ous) competitor. This changes the alchemy of Baltimore’s defense for the better and sets the tone ahead of a critical 2026 campaign

Raiders trade grade: A

Las Vegas Raider — Tom Brady | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Raiders couldn’t ask for much better than this. Baltimore’s first-round pick this April sits 14th, giving the front office a chance to add another foundational weapon behind projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Next year’s pick probably falls a bit further down the board, but this is still excellent value for a disgruntled star with recent injury history.

Tom Brady’s second year as minority owner and shadow GM is now in full swing. The Raiders are reinventing themselves again, embracing the youth movement and cleaning out potential distractions for new head coach Klint Kubiak. Losing Crosby stings — don’t get me wrong — but four first-round picks over the next two years can rapidly expedite this rebuild.