Bleacher Report put a blockbuster Cowboys trade back into circulation before the 2026 NFL season kicks off, and it centered on Maxx Crosby. Kristopher Knox predicted Dallas would send 2027 and 2028 first-round picks, plus edge defender Rashan Gary, to Las Vegas for the five-time Pro Bowler.
The idea landed now because Knox tied it to a simple opening: Jerry Jones said in July that Dallas had never fully closed the door on Crosby. That makes the prediction less like a random thought exercise and more like a reminder that the Cowboys have at least kept the possibility alive, even if the price is enormous.
Knox’s case leaned on what Las Vegas could want next. After taking Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall, the Raiders would not be shopping for a quarterback in next year’s draft, and the team would instead be looking for long-term pieces around him. In that frame, moving Crosby could bring back a strong return, especially if the Raiders were stuck in late October and rethinking how far they could push a veteran centerpiece.
That is where the prediction starts to strain. The Raiders were said to be content keeping Crosby after their offseason trade with the Baltimore Ravens fell through, and the timing of a possible move was pushed to around Nov. 10 if the season starts going sideways. The article also pointed to the Cowboys’ own edge-room math: they already traded for Rashan Gary this offseason, drafted Malachi Lawrence in the first round and still had Donovan Ezeiruaku from the 2025 second round. On top of that, Dallas team doctor Dr. Daniel Cooper was part of the Ravens’ review team for Crosby’s knee this spring, a detail that underscores how much scrutiny already surrounded the player before any new deal was even imagined.
That is why the trade feels more like a stress test than a forecast. Dallas would have to empty out major draft capital and duplicate what it already added at the position, while Las Vegas would have to decide whether a 29-year-old Pro Bowler is worth holding through another season or turning into future pieces. For now, the story is not that Crosby is moving. It is that the league can still picture the price, and that alone keeps the rumor alive.
