Colin Cowherd Podcast - Reaction to Raiders trading Maxx Crosby to Ravens, Free Agency Predictions

Here we go. I was in Naples all weekend, puttered a little boat past those jaw‑dropping waterfront mansions, and now I’m back asking this: with the Raiders tearing it down, does moving Max Crosby make sense if they fortify the interior line with someone like Tyler Linderbaum alongside Jackson Powers‑Johnson?

It was time. Crosby quietly wanted a new shot, and Vegas landed serious capital, including that fourteenth pick, which separated their haul from late‑first offers; now they’ve got the ammo, but they’ve got to hit.

They can reshape the whole roster with two firsts and a pile of mid‑rounders, trade around the board, and build an interior wall with Colton Miller, JPJ, and maybe Linderbaum; they’ll still need to replace Max early.

Every playoff‑caliber team kicked the tires on Crosby, but no one could beat pick fourteen; that’s a premium slot, not a late‑twenties dart.

I loved DJ Moore to Buffalo because it eases pressure on Keon Coleman and lets him be a big‑play accessory, and it highlights how tricky the late first can be—great for grabbing traits but not always volume.

Ravens almost never spend a first on a player, which tells you how valuable they see this move; strange things happen around pick ranges like fourteen, and that’s where impact talent often falls.

Baltimore needed a closer for fourth quarters against elite AFC quarterbacks; Crosby spent too many late snaps in Vegas defending runs while trailing, and now he gets to hunt when it matters.

Vegas should overpay for a high‑character veteran who has won before so the kids have a standard to follow; coaches around the league revere Max, and he made the Raiders a chore to block every week.

Meanwhile, the Bengals let Trey Hendrickson leave for nothing, Burrow’s staring at Crosby and Myles Garrett twice a year, and their line is still bottom tier—classic Bengals.

Burrow took the bag with a flawed operation, so he may have to grind through it; if he stays upright they’ll compete, but that story could get weird down the road.

Are teams copying the Rams’ playbook with aggressive pick‑for‑player moves—Colts for Sauce Gardner, Ravens for Crosby, Rams for Trent McDuffie?

The Rams are the outlier because they win when they push their chips in; Buffalo and Baltimore are in a now‑or‑never window with MVP‑level quarterbacks, while the Colts’ swing blew up due to injuries and raised the stakes on young coaches.

I rarely love paying that much for corners; I’d rather invest in quarterback, tackle, the defensive front, and weapons, and I think centers are still undervalued.

Ramsey at his peak justified a haul, but Sauce relies on contact and flags limited that; Surtain and Stingley can just run with you; McDuffie’s a high‑end nickel who tackles, yet any all‑in bet invites variance you cannot control.

Lamar looked a tick slower post‑surgery; the McDuffie deal fit the Rams because corner was their only glaring hole, while I think Kansas City is quietly resetting and thin behind Mahomes.

Their next‑best player might be on the interior line, which says plenty; this draft is massive, they may draw hard lines with aging stars, and both sides in that McDuffie trade got offers they couldn’t refuse.

Early board for me: Rams on top, Bills right there, Seattle next, then the Chargers and Bears, with Detroit bouncing back under a new coordinator.

I’m high on the Chargers, and the NFC is crowded with Philly, San Francisco, Green Bay, the Giants, and a sneaky Saints team; in the AFC, Bills, Ravens, Chargers, and Denver shape the top tier.

Watch Tyler Linderbaum—Baltimore can’t pay everyone; I could see the Giants or Raiders swooping; what other fireworks feel real?

DJ Moore going for a late second complicates AJ Brown comps, Alec Pierce is a clean vertical fit for a rookie in New England, owners now greenlight big money trades, and even Jalen Carter rumors are floating.

The NFL now owns the big‑trade theater and the raw passion fans crave; Crosby’s heartfelt exit is why this league connects.

Football demands buy‑in, and stories like McCaffrey’s pedigree and Crosby’s grind from a non‑blue blood show how accountability and daily criticism forge pros who stay humble and hungry.

That’s why Kyler worries me; I’d have offered a haul to jump to three for a different kind of leader like Fernando Mendoza, and if I’m Arizona I either take the sure lineman or only trade down if the value’s undeniable.

I’d reject that offer if I’m Vegas, I wouldn’t take Ty Simpson in the first, and this class could push blue‑chips like Jeremiah Love or Caleb Downs very high—Tennessee at four could absolutely ride a star runner.

David Bailey is plug‑and‑play off the edge, while Arvell Reese is a traits bet who needs the right coach; the Jets at two should pick the sure thing, not a project.

The Jets feel messy enough to spook quarterbacks; tagging Breece Hall was a misread, and teams should avoid tags when they already know the answer—Seattle’s approach with Kenneth Walker is the right template, while Atlanta testing Kyle Pitts on a tag makes sense.

Free agency heats up midweek. Fun chat, fun time of year. Thanks for listening, and if you enjoyed it, please rate and review.