The Maxx Crosby Debate
January 11th, 2026
Pros and cons.
Look, Joe has been hollering for a legitimate edge rusher since Father Time caught up with Jason Pierre-Paul and Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles’ public indifference to an edge rush drives Joe bananas. Joe will take to his grave the belief the only more important player on a football team than an edge rusher is a quarterback.
(At this point of the story, the quarterback pressures/almost-sacks/horseshoes-and-hand-grenades crowd will quickly jump on a keyboard.)
Think about it: The only times the Bucs have won a Super Bowl, they had a ferocious edge rusher(s). And when the Bucs have had horrid defenses, they’ve had virtually no edge rush to speak of.
Joe rests the case.
So the lacking edge rush — YaYa Diaby is a nice player but Joe thinks he’s more of a No. 2 to complement a stud on the other side, sort of like a Leonard Floyd — has finally reached a point where it seems the Bucs might have to take the position seriously.
The Bucs tried last year and signed Haason Reddick — which Joe not only applauded, but strongly supported. Why not take an expensive shot on one of the premier edge rushers in the game, one year removed?
But, given how Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht is spooked by edge rushers nearing the age of 30, Reddick’s subpar season might have reinforced Licht’s philosophy of steering clear of older edge rushers.
Enter future Hall of Famer Maxx Crosby.
He had a cryptic Twitter on Saturday that may or may not suggest he wants a fresh start from the lowly Raiders, who put him on the shelf late in the season despite his public protests.
(Memo to players: Joe wants to do a Sam Kinison with your juvenile cryptic messages. If you want to say something, “SAY IT! SAY… IT!!!” Don’t waste everyone’s time. SAY IT! You aren’t being cute. You’re being stupid.)
Would Joe love to have Crosby on the Bucs roster? Hell yes! But Joe just doesn’t see Licht doing this after just getting singed by Reddick.
Now if you want to argue Reddick was misused, that’s a whole different discussion.
First, Crosby is due $30 million in base salary for 2026, per Spotrac.com. Then, there is the ransom for Crosby. And on top of that, the Bucs would be trading for damaged goods. Crosby just had surgery on his left knee.
Even if one could get Crosby cheap, there’s that massive contract. Would Mark Davis be willing to eat a chunk of his salary to get draft picks?
And that’s another obstacle. Licht covets his draft picks. Would he cough them up for a damaged goods edge rusher pushing 29? And then hope the guy is used right?
That is a whole lot of what-ifs at what likely would be a very expensive price tag.
Trading a haul of draft picks for an aging, expensive, damaged-goods player is a good way for a general manager to get run.
Everything Happens For A Reason. What’s Meant To Be Cannot Be Denied. What’s Already Known Doesn’t Have To Be Explained. When It’s All Said & Done… I Will Be A Champion & One Of The Greatest To Ever Do It. They Can Sleep & Doubt All They Want But Cream Always Rises To The Top….… pic.twitter.com/5TtAK2dARb
— Maxx Crosby (@CrosbyMaxx) January 10, 2026
January 11th, 2026 at 1:03 pm
Would be a huge help, this dudes mentality would permeate throughout the locker room.
Dudes the definition of a dawg
BUT, none of that matters if coaching puts him in the wrong spots and schemes cancel him out
Mike McDaniels and Brian Flores would be huge improvements
January 11th, 2026 at 1:05 pm
I wonder how many care anymore about these ‘moves’ by HC/DC/and GM? I do not. I wait to see the results next year. It will be mediocre as usual and a run for .500 that will be hyped in to a Super Bowl Run in the spring as usual. Most will fall in to ‘The Fan Trap”…..move along….nothing to see here. Works every time.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:05 pm
Not happening
January 11th, 2026 at 1:07 pm
Matt Ryan hired by Arthur Blank as President of Football Operations
That is a CLASS organization!
Meanwhile the G’s have Jason Lite in one ear and Bruce Arians in the other.
Then the family gets together and makes decisions my family consensus.
Meanwhile Part 2 Ronde Barber is scratching his head and wondering why he hasn’t taken up offers from around the NFL
Folks prepare for more suffering!
January 11th, 2026 at 1:07 pm
Maxx is a beast. JL and Bowles need to give their heads a shake. Pass rush wins championships, just look at Houston. No chance they make it without their d line.
As much as I love Maxx, the cost to go get him is tough wirh so many needs. I blame Licht for not doing a better job in FA to address the front 7. Now they need 2x ILBs an Elite edge, and a DT bc Kancey is never healthy. A corner is needed as well to replace Dean.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
To finish my thought on above, why not go get Hendrickson. Will cost more pwrhaps but it saves a first rounder to be used to address other areas in the front 7
January 11th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
Clownzo would have Maxx plying like Joe Tryon in no time. And then Maxx would drop deep. It’s genius.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
If you are going to play in this neighborhood of Beast Edges, you got to pay. Licht can’t draft one, so get a proven commodity. If Bowles missuses him, then that is on the whole organization for not telling Bowles to get a DC.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:20 pm
Love Maxx, but no. Should have kicked the tires when he was a FA last year and have a say in a sign and trade. We need too much on D.
Herbig for Pitt, young part time player, RFA in 27. Give a third for him. Dude has a nonstop motor. 7.5 sacks and hardly plays.
S8gn Nak9bi Dean as a FA. Trade AWJ. Draft Downs at 15. Straight playmaker at S and can return punts. Mesidor round 2. Get back into round 3 for Jacob Rodriguez
Boom, 2 ILB, 1 OLB, S and an edge. Still have money leftover.
Watch Herbig Monday night.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
I dont know about Crosby — how are his pass coverage skills? Can he cover a WR 20 yards downfield?
If he can’t, Bowles has no use for him.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:26 pm
8 out of 14 Playoff teams did not have a 10 sack guy. 10 of the 17 sack guys this year did not make the Playoffs…You still win a game with Points allowed.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:28 pm
dude is just about to start down cycling…he’s getting up there…
but he probably has 2-3 good years left in him…probably 2…
will brady and spytek let him go tho
January 11th, 2026 at 1:28 pm
Not worried about the $$. But give up a first for a guy with that many miles is too risky. Now a two….that would work. If we got three years out of him it’s better than 4 years of brasswell or Logan hall.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:33 pm
The Bucs have a lot of needs. Not all can be filled by the draft. Bucs need to be active and smart in Free Agency and make really good draft choices.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:34 pm
The ONLY attraction to come play for the Bucs is MONEY!
We have sadly seen that movie too many times.
This team is missing starters on both sides of the ball and the Bucs have questionable coaching issues.
Success is going to have to come from the draft!
January 11th, 2026 at 1:39 pm
Tom Brady has a massive pile of [well-deserved] Glazer loot. We love you, Tommy! How’s bout you do your pals here in Tampa a solid by trading Crosby for a 6th rounder + eating 25% of Maxx’s 2026 salary? You, of all people, know how life-changing the right 6th round pick can be.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:45 pm
TampaAtl
Brady is going to LOVE studying film with the Raiders new Quarterback!
January 11th, 2026 at 1:47 pm
Whatever the Bucs decide it will be a disaster.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:47 pm
Max Crosby would be a great addition but he’s never coming here. He’ll watch tape of Todd’s D and throw up. He was sooo mad when he was forced to sit out.
His head would explode when Todd tells him he has to drop in coverage on the slot receiver going 30 yards down field.
I agree we cannot develop a top tier DE so we need to purchase one in FA.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:51 pm
I hope the Glazers are glued to their TV’s like Alex DeLarge with his eyes propped open in A Clockwork Orange watching Liam Coen today!
January 11th, 2026 at 1:52 pm
Trey Hendrickson is a much better option and you give up no draft picks.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:55 pm
You got me on board with the knee injury, Joe. We definitely need a top Edge via free agency (can’t trust Licht to draft one or Bowles to develop one), but the price is too high for the risks that come with this one.
January 11th, 2026 at 1:57 pm
I’d rather see this team trade up in the draft to get a young edge were can improve
January 11th, 2026 at 2:04 pm
Oh Yeah we have been Sooooooooo Goooooooooooood at drafting Edge
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 11th, 2026 at 2:05 pm
Love you Maxx, but dont waste your talents here….. toilet bowls will have you covering receivers 20 yards downfield.
January 11th, 2026 at 2:11 pm
You won’t be a champion if you come to Tampa!
They’re at least 2 years and another HC away..
January 11th, 2026 at 2:16 pm
Thanks to our “ring of honor” GM – this roster is far away from just one player from making it to the Super Bowl…
Giving up our next two first round picks for Crosby seems delusional and extremely short sighted.
Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans will all be better than the Bucs in 2026.
Mark my words folks.
January 11th, 2026 at 2:18 pm
Our draft picks have been NFL average to above average starters, but we don’t have the coaching staff to make them stars.
January 11th, 2026 at 2:26 pm
All the anger from the fans is not going to change anything.
The fans saying that they are done with the Bucs but yet are here on every post to see what the Bucs are going to do next.. lol
January 11th, 2026 at 2:32 pm
He will become our number 1 CB if he joins us. That would be awesome.
January 11th, 2026 at 2:32 pm
Wasted effort just wants paid
January 11th, 2026 at 2:36 pm
I just can’t see Licht trading for Maxx, even if LV was open to dealing him & eating some money in the deal. Bowles would misuse that guy & not get the best out of him.
Frankly, it’s wishful thinking when it comes to how Licht builds a roster.
He won’t give up the draft capital to trade for a premier talent or want to pay $30M/yr for that guy… He will look for another teams reclamation project or aging vet FA on his last hurrah.
January 11th, 2026 at 2:36 pm
Lol covets picks he cant use. Make that one make sense. This guy sucks at drafting defense. Period. Bain Bailey these are the guys you trade up for idc. Gets some fing balls and get the guy. Sign a lb in free agency and sign another vet edge
January 11th, 2026 at 2:37 pm
Joe Licht is already risking being on the hot seat especially if he doesn’t have a good offseason so what are you talking about. Licht isn’t safe. Bowles is on the hottest seat entering 2026 but Licht if he does not have a good offseason may find himself in just as hot of one. Especially if he once again bombs on his top defensive picks which he’s done a lot of since 2021.
January 11th, 2026 at 2:37 pm
The most compelling reason to fire Bowles (aside from his incompetence) was that his players play like zombies. Doesn’t matter if Baker or LVD scream and yell. Glazers really screwed the fans again.
January 11th, 2026 at 2:41 pm
I’m sorry, but I’m old-fashioned and have not adapted to the notion of “edge rusher.” Give me a good old DE (4-3) or OLB (3-4) and he’ll get the job done; it’s part of the job description. If such a player can’t rush the passer, he’s incomplete; if he can only rush the passer, he’s also incomplete. But it has to be in the context of an overall defense. A player who racks up sacks while his team only wins five games is probably going just for sacks on every play to get stats. As for the Bucs, they need more than one new piece, so I don’t think spending a fortune on a single defensive player is in order, but spreading the dough over several major upgrades who would improve the overall defense–not hard to imagine– would be a better way to go.
January 11th, 2026 at 2:43 pm
We have had a plethera of chances to acquire top notch pass rushers. Both this year and the last. And what was said? they are to exoensive. No Bucs, YOU are to cheap. You Gotta Wanna Be Great People. Sure you are gonna pay big. But the return just might get you over the hump. The Glazers have not shown they want a winner. They want profits and 500 or slightly above. Watch both carolina and Atl leap grog us next year. Bowles for President..LOL
January 11th, 2026 at 2:53 pm
Then how do we solve the edge rusher issue? When Todd Bowles chalked up Anthony Nelson having to cover James Cook on a go route out of the backfield to scheme, I lost my damn mind.
Didn’t JPP say somewhere or imply that he free lanced?
January 11th, 2026 at 2:57 pm
Maxx hasn’t played a full season in 3 years. No more health gambles.
Hendrickson isn’t healthy either, and is too old to make him worth a trade.
January 11th, 2026 at 3:05 pm
When the Bucs won the SB in 2021 Ndamakong Suh was 34 and JPP was 32,
You people that think 31 or 32 is too old don’t know spit.
January 11th, 2026 at 3:22 pm
Why in the world would MC leave one disaster for another disaster?
January 11th, 2026 at 3:25 pm
I would lean towards saying the cost of this trade would be way too high with all the holes we need to fill this off season. Edge, interior, ILB, Corner depth, O-Line depth all need to addressed. Not sure we can afford to put this type of investment into this trade. Crosby is an animal who has 4-5 great years left. Vita does not, Kancy isn’t reliable, YaYa is the only rusher, we have no ILB, probably will lose Dean in FA. We need a lot of help and I don’t see Licth coughing up any picks, especially if they truly don’t believe in Bowels. He will want his picks in 2027 as well.
January 11th, 2026 at 3:31 pm
Jason Licht is more likely to draft a Bing Crosby than a legitimate edge rusher. He loves his draft picks because it makes him feel important. He probably had all his scouts at a D3 school looking for a TE to convert to an edge rusher.
Everyone knew Riddick was finished before the Bucs signed him. Hope does not replace facts. Our edge is more likely to have more pass break ups than pressures or sacks.
January 11th, 2026 at 3:32 pm
Too expensive. Better signing 2-3 players for what he would cost.
January 11th, 2026 at 3:33 pm
Good player but all that intensity and locker room leadership got the Raiders a 3 win season.
January 11th, 2026 at 3:40 pm
We need to get Max Crosby and draft Sony in the first round to be next to David, get a top corner in free agency
January 11th, 2026 at 3:57 pm
You wasted a lot of effort on a non-story, Joe.
January 11th, 2026 at 4:12 pm
Hell no
January 11th, 2026 at 4:21 pm
For Chris Braswell and a third? Go for it!
January 11th, 2026 at 4:35 pm
Jason Licht is too weak and a loser to make the move.
Jason Licht is scared of his own shadow.
Jason Licht is garbage.
Jason Licht has a .449 winning % – one of the worst for a 12 year GM all-time
Jason Licht gives the Joe’s freebee’s like dinner passes and other special treatments that make the Joe’s call him fake names
Jason Licht is TRASH and we will lose as long as this POS is GM
January 11th, 2026 at 4:35 pm
You guys are ridiculous!!! Who was our DC in 2020! Shaq and JPP had Mahomes running for his life in the SB. If Bowles has studs out there he can scheme just fine. It’s the shtty players we have drafted that has been the real problem.
January 11th, 2026 at 5:24 pm
What does Reddick have to do with anything? He’s not even in the same conversation as Crosby.
Crosby would certainly, at min, cost a 1st rounder, and probably a 3rd as well (at least) – it’s an all-in move, and that’s why I doubt it happens. Who in the world is going all-in with Bowles and Baker? Licht, if he wants to survive, can’t be giving up valuable pieces in the future to go 8-9 again next year.