ESPN’s Mina Kimes believes the Las Vegas Raiders have some serious holes to fill despite Maxx Crosby returning after his failed trade to the Baltimore Ravens.
Speaking on ‘NFL on ESPN,’ Kimes explained that the draft capital Vegas was set to receive could have seriously helped the Raiders and their expected new quarterback, Fernando Mendoza. However, now that all signs point to Crosby staying in Las Vegas, they no longer have the draft picks to fill those voids.
While Kimes admits it’s certainly beneficial to Mendoza and the Raiders to have a game-changer such as Crosby on the defensive side of the ball, she pointed out that this still leaves concerns on the offensive line and receiving corps that need addressing.
“I think for Las Vegas, and let’s just spin this forward now. You have the opportunity here to get a motivated Max Crosby. Uh, he claims a healthy Max Crosby, and they have the money to afford him. That’s the crazy thing about all of this is like the LA Raiders have so much dang cap space and they still have so much cap space, they can afford it.
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“I do think it helps Mendoza to have a functional pass rush on the other side of the ball. To me, the bigger issue here for Vegas is that they really could have used that 14th overall pick because I do still think they need to add to the offense, to the receiving group, to the offensive line.
“And if I were them, I would endeavor to find a way to do so early in the draft, even though they don’t have another first-round pick other than the one they’re spending on Mendoza. But this is something that they can afford. And as Max says, it makes sense for him to go back to Las Vegas.” (04:35)
Also read: “Bro trying to act like he really happy” “Ravens dodged CTE bullet”: NFL fans react to Maxx Crosby’s cryptic post amid failed move to Baltimore
Also read: Maxx Crosby had issues with Raiders owner Tom Brady and his trainer Alex Guerrero before getting traded to Ravens: Insider
Maxx Crosby and his failed send-off to the Ravens
Initially, the Raiders agreed to send Maxx Crosby to the Ravens in exchange for the latter’s 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, respectively. However, after a failed physical, the trade was nixed. Baltimore later got their anchor on the defensive line by signing Trey Hendrickson from their division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, on a multi-year deal.
While the Raiders certainly aren’t complaining about keeping a player the caliber of Crosby, who recorded 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception in just 15 games played in 2025, the first-round picks Las Vegas would have acquired from the Ravens undoubtedly would have served the franchise well in building around Mendoza long term.
Now, Las Vegas will have to seek other means to fill the gaps in its roster, whether that be free agency or hoping to hit big on prospects in the later rounds of the draft.
