The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in serious need of pass rush help. Naturally, when one of the league’s most dominant pass rushers became available for trade, the Bucs seemed like a perfect fit.
A potential Maxx Crosby trade was the talk of the offseason in Bucs circles, especially when considering the relationship between Jason Licht and members of the Raiders’ front office including Jon Spytek and Tom Brady. But that dream came to an end after the Baltimore Ravens pulled off a blockbster trade to acquire Crosby.
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.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2026
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
Crosby is coming off a 10-sack season in 2025 and has recorded double-digit sacks in four of his seven career seasons. He has never finished a season with fewer than seven sacks. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, have not had a double-digit sack artist since Shaq Barrett did it in 2021.
Buccaneers will look to free agency, NFL Draft to find an EDGE after Ravens-Raiders trade
Since becoming the Bucs general manager in 2024, Licht has yet to make a blockbuster trade. It’s simply not in his DNA. The closest he came was trading a 3rd-round pick to the New York Giants in exchange for Jason Pierre-Paul in 2018.
Licht values his draft picks and has historically preferred paying his own homegrown talent rather than handing out massive contracts to outside players.
A trade for Crosby would have required Licht to do both. Baltimore gave up two first-round picks to land the star pass rusher, and Crosby is making more than $30 million per year on his deal. Despite how perfectly Crosby would have filled the Buccaneers’ biggest need, a trade was always unlikely due to Licht's philosophy.
The Bucs will now have to travel to Baltimore next season to face the Ravens and their new addition. It will be a tall task, and Tampa Bay can only hope Crosby does not put on a clinic and show the Bucs exactly what they missed out on.
With Crosby officially off the board, the pressure now shifts squarely onto Tampa Bay’s front office to find a difference-maker on the edge through free agency or the draft.
The Cowboys were willing to offer a first- and second-round pick to the Raiders for Maxx Crosby but, logically and understandably, Las Vegas opted for the two first-round picks from the Ravens. https://t.co/v6z4Uum1Lh
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2026
One of the biggest remaining options is Trey Hendrickson, who has expressed interest in playing for the Buccaneers and would be another strong schematic fit. However, after finishing as the runner-up in the Crosby sweepstakes, the Dallas Cowboys will be aggressive in the Hendrickson market and potentially present an offer Tampa Bay is unwilling to match.
Ultimately, the Buccaneers still need to find a true game-wrecking pass rusher. Crosby would have been the perfect solution, and now the responsibility falls on Jason Licht to find another option.