Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby didn’t like the team’s decision to shut him down due to a knee injury with two games left in the season and his reaction led some to wonder if he might like to move on to another team.
Crosby expressed doubt about the direction of the franchise early last offseason, but wound up signing a three-year extension with the team. The Raiders didn’t move in the right direction on the field before Crosby was shut down, which hasn’t tempered the speculation about a potential trade.
During a press conference on Monday, General Manager John Spytek was asked if the team considers Crosby untouchable in trade talks. Spytek’s answer included positive things about Crosby, but it did not include calling Crosby untouchable.
“I have a lot of respect for Maxx and how much he loves to play the game,” Spytek said. “I’ve had the opportunity the last several weeks to spend a lot of time with Maxx. I think it’s been well documented that he didn’t love the idea of not playing football and I think you always want that from your best players. In fact, I think that’s why they’re your best players. So, I love Maxx. He embodies what a Raider is. I’ve been pretty upfront about that from the day I sat up here almost a year ago and I continue to believe that.
The Raiders will be hiring another new coach after firing Pete Carroll on Monday, so any personnel decisions are likely to go on the back burner for the immediate future. Nothing about Spytek’s answer is likely to keep teams from calling to see if Crosby might be available once that changes.
