“Bring A Battering Ram”
February 15th, 2026
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Catch him if you can.
It’s still debatable whether the Raiders will make Maxx Crosby available on the trade market, but if John Spytek and Tom Brady are willing to listen to offers, Jason Licht needs to apply.
Forcefully.
Crosby is a game-changing defensive end, a five-time Pro Bowler who twice led the league in tackles for loss and has been named one of the NFL’s top 22 players on three separate occasions in voting by his peers.
Everyone in this league knows Crosby is a special player, perhaps a transformative player for a Buc defense sorely missing a pass rusher of his caliber. Should the Raiders make Crosby available, there would be no shortage of suitors from New England to San Francisco.
Yes, he’s that good. Let’s not be naive … the Las Vegas front office would surely demand a steep price. If the Raiders won’t take less than a pair of first-round picks, move on.
But if Licht is willing to sweeten the pot by adding a veteran player to the mix, especially one Brady is familiar with, that could change the dynamics of the trade discussions.
Tampa Bay’s pass rush is in dire need of an upgrade. Nobody knows that more than Todd Bowles, who blitzed extensively in 2025 and received few dividends in return.
There were a lot of reasons the Bucs went 2-7 after the bye week. Baker Mayfield’s play leveled off, Emeka Egbuka’s production cratered and the defense couldn’t cover backs in the flat.
But there’s also this: During the 6-2 start, the Bucs registered 25 sacks. In the final nine weeks, Tampa Bay was limited to 12 takedowns. If sacks are drive-killers, the Bucs spent the second half of the season letting opponents breathe easy.
Crosby turns 29 in August and he’s a tough guy to keep off the field, even when injured. He has played at least 94 percent of defensive snaps in each of the past four years.
“For me, every time I step on the field I feel I’m the best player,” Crosby says.
He’s not far off.
Ira Kaufman has orders for Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Except for Myles Garrett, who is in a league of his own, Crosby has few rivals as a relentless force off the edge. He’s got power, he’s got moves and he has the determination to beat anyone with the gall to try and block him.
“I love Maxx,” Garrett says. “He plays the game with a helluva motor.”
Bowles doesn’t have enough guys on defense with that sheer drive. And Crosby is hardly one-dimensional. He has averaged four tackles per game during his 7-year career, a strong total for a lineman.
“He’s 100 miles per hour on every play,” says Andy Reid, who has watched helplessly as Crosby created havoc against KC pass protectors twice a season.
Imagine how much more effective YaYa Diaby would be with Crosby on the other side. The Haason Reddick move didn’t work out — acknowledge the mistake and move on.
That $14 million hiccup shouldn’t give Licht pause to pursue Crosby, who would bring a swagger and bravado this defense is sorely lacking. Buc fans appreciate effort, and Crosby brings that every snap.
“The guy I’ve always been a fan of is Maxx Crosby,” says Saints center Erik McCoy. “He plays the hardest of anybody in the NFL.”
If Brady and Spytek deem Crosby a foundational piece of a sad-sack franchise, too valuable to part with, so be it. But if the Crosby door is left open, even a crack, the Bucs need to bring a battering ram to the negotiating table.
February 15th, 2026 at 12:13 pm
If he’s on the block and the Raiders won’t come off two 1st rounders, hard pass.
February 15th, 2026 at 12:16 pm
With less pressure on him than a tenured professor at Left of Lenin University in Lakeland, Licht will “stay of course” with below the radar/belt picks. Mad Maxx opposite YaYa could be a great thing. Probably a crack pipe dream, however.
February 15th, 2026 at 12:22 pm
Absolute meth pipe dream. Never going to happen.
Licht holds on to his draft picks like a hoarder keeps their “treasures”.
And what good would it do in the Swiss cheese Bowles scheme?
He’d be told to drop into coverage too often to be effective.
The price will be way too high to even ponder such a decision.
Glazer kids are happy to tell the fans, “Let them eat cake”.
February 15th, 2026 at 12:24 pm
Well Joe let’s get the battering ram ready. It’s the only way to try and make it happen.
February 15th, 2026 at 12:30 pm
Solid relationship with John Spytek and the ability to trade Maxx outta the AFC would work in the Bucs favor one would think. Draft picks can be fool’s gold in the wrong hands. Graham Barton ( 1st rounder ) and Benji Morrison ( 2nd ) for a Maxx Crosby ( not those players…strictly hypothetical picks/draft compensation ) would be worth the risk me thinks.
February 15th, 2026 at 12:41 pm
How many productive seasons do you think that guy has left?
February 15th, 2026 at 12:49 pm
If Bucs were one player away on defense, I would be on board but this defense needs everything. Again, if I am wrong, which Bucs defender other than VV could start for Rams, Seahawks or NE? This very opinionated group never answers this question.
February 15th, 2026 at 12:56 pm
One more for The Gipper:
It’s a fair question. I’d argue a Mad Maxx vs Retired Reddick last year would have led to at least to more wins…with big plays leading to turnovers while closing out tight games. The timing will never be perfect…doing the same ol’ things makes it boring and predictable. I’d rather take a big swing vs early extending a draft pick who regresses for top dollar.
February 15th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
Max’s versatility and ability to play CB, Safety and ILB will certainly be a consideration in how much Two Todd would be willing to let Jason part with. Confusion and chaos is the Two Todd mantra.
February 15th, 2026 at 1:24 pm
two 2nds and only that!!!
February 15th, 2026 at 1:28 pm
I agree with the sentiment but it will never happen. Even if they did acquire Crosby, Bowles would be dropping him into coverage forty percent of his snaps.
February 15th, 2026 at 1:59 pm
@LynchMob50
What’s your secret for remaining so consistently positive and optimistic?
Lol 😂
February 15th, 2026 at 2:07 pm
Tom Petty Says:
“What’s your secret for remaining so consistently positive and optimistic?”
It’s my complete blind faith in the genius of Todd Bowles that allows me to see the forest for the trees.
But I do enjoy the sarcasm. Keep it coming my way sir!
I’ve noticed a few posters are tired of being shouted down and moderated and have switched to over the top sarcastic comments that are quite comical.
I may have to join them in that endeavor to keep from going insane.
February 15th, 2026 at 2:40 pm
Not the same team when Brady came here ,you know 1 player away..please tell me why he would come here???? Somebody anybody??
February 15th, 2026 at 2:47 pm
Something to bear in mind is how weak this draft class is- this #15 overall is effectively a second rounder. The players the Bucs have to chose from would be day three guys in any draft going back to 2013 at least. So pairing this pick with next year’s hopefully late round first for Max Crosby annd his current contract isn’t unreasonable to me. It’s functionally two seconds.
February 15th, 2026 at 2:53 pm
So you practice reverse blind faith ?
No matter what anyone says or does it’s going to be failure! Gloom and doom. No hope!
Quick question on the “Swiss cheese” scheme. Is that cover 3? Cover 2? Cover 0?
Never mind. I suspect you have never bothered to learn much about defense aside from how close to the LOS corners line up.
It would be nice if the mob would show some knowledge of defense beyond surface level casual fan IF they are going to show up daily to criticize ours. Just saying.
February 15th, 2026 at 2:54 pm
Raiders would want a deal that exceeds what Green Bay gave up for Parsons, not a good deal.
February 15th, 2026 at 3:36 pm
“which Bucs defender other than VV could start for Rams, Seahawks or NE?”
Winfield, Parish, Tykee, YaYa
February 15th, 2026 at 4:06 pm
Oops: I meant day two picks above. Cassius Howell, Anthony Hill Jr, Zion Young and others in the conversations for the Bucs first pick in 2026 can help cure what ails the Bucs but they’re all second and third round prospects in any other draft. This defense needs a Max Crosby level injection of “trying.” Send 2026 and 2027 firsts to Spytek. They aren’t going to add up to the impact of Crosby.
February 15th, 2026 at 4:07 pm
Apparently the notion is that Crosby will fire up the rest of the Bucs’ defense and we’ll be off to the races. Well, Maxx was drafted in 2019 by the Raiders, and since then here’s what Crosby AND the Raiders have acheived …
o 2019: Maxx-10 sacks … Raiders – 32 sacks … Record 7-9
o 2020: Maxx – 7 sacks … Raiders – 21 sacks … Record 8-8
o 2021: Maxx – 8 sacks … Raiders – 35 sacks … Record 10-7
o 2022: Maxx-12.5 sacks … Raiders-27 sacks … Record 6-11
o 2023: Maxx-14.5 sacks … Raiders-46 sacks … Record 8-9
o 2024: Maxx-7.5 sacks … Raiders-37 sacks … Record 4-13
o 2025: Maxx-10 sacks … Raiders-36 sacks … Record 3-14
Looks like Crosby has 69.5 sacks in his 7 years (10 per year average) which is fantastic, while the Raiders have only generated 234 sacks in those 7 years as a team, which is rather dismal. Maxx has 30% of their total sacks.
Bucs have generated 316 total sacks as a team in those same 7 years … 35% more … without any really big-name sack artists. Shaq did have 19.5 sacks one year (2019), plus 10 sacks one other year (2021), but that was it in that 2019-2025 timefame. Bucs have long relied on smaller amounts of sacks from more players, and yet we seem to be very consistent in the total sacks we get each year (averaging about 45 sacks/year as a team).
Would trading for a Maxx Crosby help us INCREASE that 45 sacks/year number appreciably so as to be worth the exorbitant cost of the trade? Maxx is averaging 10 sacks/year himself, while Diaby looks like he’s averaging about 7 sacks/year. Instead of mortgaging our future, maybe we’d be better off beefing up the interior of our DLine with a couple of true ‘beasts’, find another young guy like YaYa to attack from the other side, and maybe that approach will yield good pass rush results AND improve our Run Defense (it’s not nearly as good as many seem to believe; the significant increase in explosive plays and the horrific 70% Red Zone TD percentage allowed should give us a clue).
February 15th, 2026 at 4:09 pm
Never say never. Did anyone actually think Brady would come to Tampa or gronk. Gronk we traded for Brady we did not but still. Y’all’s crack pipe dreams might come true lol
February 15th, 2026 at 4:12 pm
Defense I like that too. I would love to have Crosby but realistically it might be to much so beefing up someone or 2 with vea to wreck havoc in the middle shoot even move kancey outside opposite of yaya might work. Bring in miller who I read had 9 sacks last year for the redskins lol in part time. Better than yaya in full time.