Bears-Raiders blockbuster trade pitch sends $106 million 10-sack star to Chicago
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Bears-Raiders blockbuster trade pitch sends $106 million 10-sack star to Chicago originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It’s almost as though the Chicago Bears are unaware they’re in desperate need of a top-tier edge rusher who can work his way to opposing teams’ backfields and disturb the peace.
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The NFC North franchise hasn’t had a standout offseason in that regard, leaving many to question whether they're serious about bolstering that aspect of their defense. In a blockbuster trade idea crafted by Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport, Chicago would finally beef up their pass rushing and run defense by landing a 10-sack Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end.
“We'll close this out with a blockbuster that didn't happen even after a blockbuster fell through,” Davenport wrote Thursday. “It's been that kind of offseason for Las Vegas Raiders edge-rusher Maxx Crosby. Crosby was originally supposed to be traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a pair of first-round picks.”
“But the AFC North team backed out of the deal amid concerns about his surgically repaired knee. The Chicago Bears were also reportedly suitors for Crosby's services but balked at the Raiders' asking price, with head coach Ben Johnson telling reporters that the franchise has to balance the present and the future.”
“Despite a clear need at edge-rusher, the Bears did little in free agency or this year's draft to address the position. Crosby is saying all the right things, but there is no way his relationship with a team that shut him down against his wishes last year and then tried to trade him to Baltimore is perfectly harmonious.”
“Chicago has Super Bowl aspirations in 2026, and the Raiders will be fortunate just to be chasing a playoff berth by 2028. Vegas needs to add young assets. Think about that long-term vision Chicago's head coach mentioned.”
Davenport’s trade proposal would send a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to the Raiders for Crosby. What better way for the Bears to elevate their defense than to add one of the most skilled and technically sound edge rushers in the game?
Crosby, a well-documented match-up nightmare, contributed 73 tackles, 10 sacks, and two force fumbles with the Raiders last year, finishing the year with an impressive 79.7 overall Pro Football Focus grade.
Needless to say, the Eastern Michigan Product is exactly what the Bears need heading into the new season. Still, it’ll be up to Chicago to turn Davenport's hypothetical trade idea into a much-needed reality.
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