Details of Potential Buccaneers Trade for Superstar Edge Rusher Maxx Crosby Revealed

TAMPA — A concrete framework for a blockbuster deal that would send Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has surfaced, giving teeth to weeks of speculation surrounding the 26-year-old pass rusher.

ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak, projecting ideal landing spots for Crosby should the Raiders honor his reported desire for a fresh start, identified Tampa Bay as a “strong match” and sketched out a trade package built around veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin and premium draft capital.

Under Solak’s proposal, the Buccaneers would receive Crosby and a 2027 fifth-round selection, while shipping Godwin, a 2026 first-round pick (currently slotted 15th overall), and a 2027 second-round pick to Las Vegas. The structure, Solak argues, addresses positional priorities for both franchises without crippling either roster.

“Crosby would solve the edge-rushing problem Tampa Bay has been unable to fix for years,” Solak wrote, noting the Buccaneers have not produced a double-digit sack season since Shaquil Barrett’s 10-sack campaign in 2021. Crosby, by comparison, has recorded at least 10 sacks in each of the past four seasons.

From the Raiders’ perspective, the appeal is twofold. General manager John Spytek spent years under Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht, fostering a shared evaluation philosophy that could cause Las Vegas to value Godwin more highly than rival suitors. The 29-year-old receiver, signed through 2026 on a three-year, $66 million deal, would step into a target-vacant Raiders offense and provide head coach Kubiak with a reliable blocker on the perimeter. Pairing Godwin with an expected top-15 selection in 2026, plus an additional second-rounder the following year, represents a legitimate reboot package for a Raiders team entering transition.

For Tampa Bay, parting with a homegrown fan favorite is never painless, yet Godwin’s mounting injury history and corresponding dip in production lessen the sting. If the Buccaneers can secure an elite pass rusher while retaining the rest of their core and surrendering only one first-round pick, many league observers contend the move borders on larceny.

Cap flexibility also favors the swap. Crosby’s contract carries manageable figures over the next two seasons, coinciding with a championship window head coach Todd Bowles insists remains open in the NFC South. Inserting a relentless edge presence opposite 2025 breakout linebacker YaYa Diaby would transform a middling front seven into a potential nightmare for divisional quarterbacks.

Neither team has commented publicly on the specifics of Solak’s projection, yet the laid-out terms provide the clearest roadmap to date for how a Crosby-to-Tampa transaction could materialize ahead of the 2026 league year. With the draft roughly three months away, negotiations — if substantive — could accelerate quickly once the new league calendar opens in March.

For now, Buccaneers fans can envision a defensive front featuring Crosby’s ferocious first step, while Raiders loyalists ponder life after a franchise cornerstone. The outline exists; only the signatures are missing.