Raiders trade rumor could lead to monumental midseason deal with 49ers

Raiders trade rumor could lead to monumental midseason deal with 49ers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>With the offseason inching closer to the end with each passing day, several franchises will likely turn their attention toward the in-season trade market.

>Per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the San Francisco 49ers are a team to monitor closely, as there’s a particular move they could make on the defensive side of the ball to put the NFL on notice.

>To be specific, Breer has a hunch that the 49ers could partner with the Las Vegas Raiders to complete a trade that would land them a five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher.

>"I love the idea (of San Francisco acquiring Maxx Crosby), and I think the 49ers are always open to these types of deals,” Breer wrote Wednesday. "But if I were them, I think I'd wait a bit before diving all-in. Let's see how that core looks over the first month or two of the season.”

>“The last thing you'd want, I think, is to see a bunch of guys get old at once right after you sold off assets you'd need to get younger. But if the Niners are, say, 6-1, and the Raiders are 1-6, and Crosby is balling out, that's where, if I'm (John) Lynch, I'm thinking about picking up the phone.”

>The fact that the 49ers have been linked to pass rushers such as Joey Bosa, Alex Highsmith, and Jadeveon Clowney recently shows there are legitimate doubts about the organization’s current edge rushing unit.

>As Breer noted, though, even if the 49ers, who only finished with 20 sacks last season, perform well to start the new season, they could make their presence felt in the midseason Crosby trade sweepstakes.

>The Eastern Michigan product was nearly traded to the Baltimore Ravens earlier this offseason, but the Ravens didn’t like what they saw from the former fourth-round pick from a health perspective, causing them to back out of the deal.

>Crosby recorded 73 tackles, 53 total pressures, 31 hurries, 12 hits, 10 sacks,  and two forced fumbles with the Raiders in 2025-26, showcasing his ability to be a difference-maker on the edge regardless of his matchups.

>A potential Crosby-49ers pairing is one to keep tabs on during the upcoming campaign.

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