Key Highlights
- The Seahawks have expressed interest in trading for Maxx Crosby from the Raiders.
- Crosby is a Pro Bowl player with 67.5 sacks over his seven-year career.
- The Raiders are asking for two first-round picks and a player for Crosby, which could be a steep price for the Seahawks.
- Seahawks fans wonder if Crosby could fill a position of need this offseason.
The Trade Speculation
You might think this is new, but… the Seahawks have been talking about trading for Maxx Crosby from the Raiders for years. Yes, even before his Pro Bowl performances and 67.5 sacks over seven seasons made him a star.
It’s not just speculation; it’s practically a tradition. The Seahawks were reportedly interested in trading for Crosby last year at this time, but the deal fell through when Seattle offered Geno Smith and DK Metcalf to the Raiders for a second-round pick and another player. Crosby wasn’t willing to go, so the Seahawks had to settle for Geno Smith instead.
The Price Tag
Now, the Raiders are asking for two first-round picks and a player for Crosby. That’s a steep price for the Seahawks, who have just under $55 million in cap space. A lot of that will go quickly over the next few months in re-signing some of their own free agents now and potentially signing Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon to big extensions later on.
The need to spend much of that cap to keep the team together also seems to increase the value to the Seahawks of future first-round picks and what are controlled salaries for the life of the rookie contracts. Crosby’s deal, signed last March 5, runs through the 2029 season and features a cap hit in 2026 of $35.7 million.
Seahawks’ Defense
The Seahawks have a defense that was one of the best in recent memory. Not that Seattle doesn’t have stars – Smith-Njigba won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award. But a defense on which any given player could be the star on any given play and any given day was the real key to the 2025 Seahawks.
The Seahawks finished tied for seventh in sacks in 2025 despite blitzing just 19.3% of plays – the seventh-lowest percentage in the NFL. No player had more than seven sacks, a tribute to Seattle’s overall defensive depth; what everyone involved described as a rare selflessness of key vets on the front.
Other Options
Crosby is “expected to be traded in the coming days or weeks,” according to The Athletic. But the Seahawks might not need him that badly, and if they do, it could cost too much. This is regarded as a pretty good draft for pass rushers and Seattle has picks in each of the first three rounds.
“It’s another exciting class, with some of the strengths of this draft really being along the defensive line, particularly the edge rushers,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said last month.
There are also some free agent vets available, like Trey Hendrickson and Khalil Mack, who could be less costly options.
The Seahawks will have to decide if trading for Crosby is worth two first-round picks and a player. But given the price tag and the depth on defense, it might not be.