49ers News: Why trading Maxx Crosby makes sense for the Niners

The NFL trade deadline is quickly approaching and trade season is already beginning.

Several big moves were made on Tuesday: wide receivers Davante Adams and Amari Cooper were traded to the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, respectively, while running back Cam Akers was traded to the Minnesota Vikings.

When it comes to the trade deadline, the San Francisco 49ers have been active contributors in each of the last few years. Most notably, they got a win for running back Christian McCaffrey two years ago before trading a third-round pick for Chase Young last year.

That could be the case this year as well, as the 49ers' performance at some positions has been disappointing while injuries have affected play elsewhere, leading to some questions as the trade deadline approaches.

One of those positions was along the defensive line, as San Francisco was unable to produce consistent production from the court opposite Nick Bosa, while injuries significantly impacted the depth at center.

The 49ers weren't afraid to use offense on defense. In 2020, they sent a seventh-round pick for Jordan Willis, who became a productive contributor in his limited role for a few years. They then traded Charles Omenihu for a sixth-round pick in 2021, which ultimately turned out to be one of the team's best deadline moves in recent memory.

Finally, in 2023, San Francisco made several moves, trading for Randy Gregory weeks before the trade deadline before landing Chase Young at the deadline last year.

Given the urgency with which the 49ers want to win a Super Bowl and the lack of consistent production against Nick Bosa this year, San Francisco could well look to make a splash and acquire a defensive lineman from a rebuilding team.

Look no further than Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, who has been one of the NFL's best since entering the league and is already up to 5.5 sacks this season. Would he be a realistic trade candidate for San Francisco, especially after Vegas just acquired star wideout Davante Adams?

“(Maxx Crosby) wants to be a Raider for life,” Brian Baldinger said this week on 95.7 The Game when asked if the 49ers would trade the star. “He texts me every week. He makes me watch every single game. He played a great game last week, but he's a raider. He went to school in Michigan. I am sure that if he goes to a franchise like this, he will uplift everyone around him.”

Las Vegas owner Mark Davis also quickly dismissed the idea, telling Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic that there was no move.

“It's unfortunate today, but there's so much outside talk that's not true,” Davis said of Crosby's trade market. “It doesn’t come from (legitimate) sources. It comes from nothing. My basic thing is to never answer all of these things because otherwise you get trapped in this black hole. It just doesn’t happen.”

That makes sense considering Crosby recently signed a contract extension with the team, which is an important building block both on and off the field. But it wouldn't hurt for the 49ers to find out about his availability.

But while Crosby may not be available, there could be a number of other quality defensive players that could be up for sale at the deadline, and San Francisco should be one of the top teams looking to secure top talent.

However, they could face major competition from an NFC rival as the Detroit Lions recently lost star pass rusher Aidan Hutchison for the season, creating a major void at the top for them.