Maxx Crosby to Los Angeles makes a lot of sense in Rams want Hollywood ending

With Matthew Stafford very much at the tail end of his career, the urgency for the Rams to maximize the time they have left with him is at a peak level.

But they also have to be cognizant of a future without Stafford. That means threading a narrow needle: balancing their win-now mindset with their longer-range aspirations.

What if I told you there could be a path available this offseason to do both? One that enables them to enhance the now, while also protecting their future?

Like, say, making a big trade to add a proven NFL game-changer while simultaneously drafting Stafford’s heir apparent?

But more on Raiders’ edge rusher Maxx Crosby and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in a bit.

In a chat with local reporters on Tuesday, Rams general manager Les Snead dropped a bit of a bomb when he said he’d be open to dipping into this year’s draft capital to add an impact veteran player through a trade.

Yes, Snead mentioned the possibility of adding a player in the secondary. But nothing helps your pass coverage on the back end more than a lethal pass rush. 

Crosby could single handedly provide a jolt of electricity to that phase of the Rams defense. Although he wouldn’t have to thanks to the stacked Rams defensive line he’d be joining. 

Turning a Rams’ strength into a superpower is a Snead speciality. Remember, back in 2014 people thought he was nuts for drafting a perceived luxury in Ptt’s Aaron Donald, when he already had Chris Long, Robert Quinn and Michael Brockers in the fold. 

In truth, he was building an impenetrable wall.

Hence, on Tuesday, it was impossible not to connect the Rams with Crosby, the Raiders’ dominant pass rusher who could be available in a trade for the right price.

Beyond raising a few eyebrows, the door Snead cracked open not only makes sense, but it’s literally right up the Rams’ alley as one of the most progressive and proactive organizations in professional sports.

First, Snead has never been afraid to use first-round picks to reel in veteran impact players capable of putting the club over the top. He knows the difference between the certainty of proven assets and the gamble of draft prospects, and he’s never hesitated to part ways with one in exchange for the other.

For the same reason he traded first-round picks for Stafford, Jalen Ramsey, and Brandin Cooks over the years, you’d be foolish to rule out him doing the same for Crosby.

Snead also has confidence that the Rams’ well-oiled draft and development machine won’t just find talent beyond the first day of the draft; the long track record of honing that talent into viable and reliable contributors makes it far easier to trade away first-round picks.

Secondly, thanks to some shrewd work during last year’s draft, he’s holding onto two first-round picks in this one. It’s not like Snead and the Rams have ever needed an excuse to be aggressive. But just in case, the extra draft capital this year leaves them in an even better position to take a big swing.

Which brings us to the possibility of the Rams not only stealing the offseason by trading for Crosby and putting themselves right back in the hunt for the Super Bowl. But also reeling in Simpson, a young quarterback they can eventually hand the reins to when Stafford eventually retires.

The 28-year-old Crosby has not come out and demanded a trade from his beloved Raiders, but he’s also had plenty of chances to squash the speculation that he wants out, too.

And hasn’t.

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Meanwhile, while the Raiders insist they would love to have Crosby back next season, general manager John Spytek has not definitively said Crosby will be back, either.

So what is really going on?

Understandably, Crosby could be balking at yet another Raiders rebuild after multiple others over his career yielded just one winning season and one playoff appearance. With no guarantee that the club’s most recent reset will put them in a position to play on the game’s biggest stages in the next two years, does anyone blame Crosby if he wanted to go to a team that offered a more immediate chance to win?

No doubt, losing Crosby is a definite blow for the Raiders. But good organizations know how to make the most out of every situation, even the tough ones. The key for them is to maximize the return on Crosby to help expedite their rebuild around Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and new coach Klint Kubiak.

What they won’t do is just give him away, though.

That brings us to the Rams, who have the arsenal to put together a compelling package. Not just in draft assets – say one of their first-round picks this year, and a first or second next year – but also by sweetening the pot with a veteran player.

The Rams have a bit of a situation brewing along the defensive line, where talented youngsters like Byron Young, Jared Verse, and Braden Fiske will all be up for new contracts soon. It’s a good problem to have, and it could make one of them expendable in a trade package for Crosby.

Can you imagine a defensive line consisting of Crosby, who is due a very reasonable $59 million in base salary in 2026 and 2027, and Verse and Fiske or Young? A group like that helps every level of their defense.

As importantly, the Rams would keep one of their first-round picks this year, and potentially be in position to select Simpson, whose Alabama performance for most of last season, and the traits he put on display at the NFL scouting combine, put him on track to be a legitimate NFL starter.

Simpson can learn and develop behind Stafford, and be ready to take over in 2027 or 2028.

For all of those reasons, you’d be foolish to rule the Rams out as a landing spot for Crosby.