Cowboys’ Pursuit of Maxx Crosby
The Las Vegas Raiders leveraged the highest bidders to get maximum draft capital out of the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes. The Dallas Cowboys were left disappointed. Dallas kept a hard line throughout the negotiations.
The Cowboys weren’t willing to part with two first-round picks. They hoped its 12th pick in April’s draft, plus a future second-rounder, would be enough to entice Las Vegas. Dallas was also willing to package a veteran player to sweeten the deal, but Vegas wasn’t interested in that; the Raiders prioritised picks.
After dealing first- and second-round picks for Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, Dallas set hard limits for how far it would go for Crosby, despite the pain associated with losing him. A Dallas source said of the Crosby pursuit, “We loved him.” This was a player the Cowboys eyed for a long time.
The Chicago Bears monitored the situation, but the feeling was they weren’t major players in the end.
That Baltimore was willing to give up two firsts is a bit shocking. Green Bay gave up two first-round selections for Micah Parsons in August, serving as a reminder of just how crucial elite pass rushers are to contention for teams in win-now windows.
Dallas must now pivot to free agency to land its pass rusher. It has monitored Trey Hendrickson dating back to the trade deadline. He’s now a free agent. Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh and Boye Mafe will be firmly on Dallas’ radar in the coming days.
One person involved in the trade made an interesting point about the Patriots’ chances at Crosby: ‘No way Tom [Brady] was sending Maxx to [Mike] Vrabel.”
Eagles’ Plans and A.J. Brown’s Price
The Philadelphia Eagles are worth watching for reasons beyond A.J. Brown. Philly is asking for a steep price for Brown — one executive said it wants a first- and second-round pick for him. Perhaps that changes. New England is in the mix.
While I never sensed Philly heavily pursued Crosby, the Eagles are active in the pass-rush market. People inside the league believe Philly is attempting.
Potential Payday for Pierce and Walker
League executives and coaches are buzzing about a huge potential payday for Alec Pierce and the market for Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.
The NFL’s free agency negotiation window begins Monday at noon ET, and teams have been hard at work making trades and preparing for the coming frenzy.
Make sure you visit our free agency tracker throughout the week to check on the latest moves throughout the league.