Should the Raiders trade Maxx Crosby next?

First-year Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco took care of the most pressing but somewhat easy business of finally trading unhappy wide receiver Davante Adams on Tuesday. Now comes the hard part for Telesco, who faces much tougher questions about the franchise's future.

How long should he continue to believe the quarterback-challenged Raiders can turn around their season and make an actual playoff push? When should he begin to focus on 2025 and start stockpiling draft assets in attempt to acquire or draft a franchise QB?

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And should he trade the team's best player — Maxx Crosby — to put Vegas into the best position possible at filling their quarterback void?

Even if Telesco was able to procure two first-round picks for Crosby (say, from the Detroit Lions, who just lost star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson to a broken tibia), there is no can't-miss QB currently in the 2025 draft class.

Cam Ward, Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe and Shedeur Sanders figure to be first-round picks. However, none of them are being projected to have an immediate impact like Jayden Daniels or C.J. Stroud.

And then there's the recent history of having traded a generational defensive game-wrecker. In 2018, the Raiders dealt future Hall of Famer Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears for two first-round selections. The 2019 pick (Josh Jacobs) turned out great. The 2020 pick (Damon Arnette) didn't.

Telesco will have to think long and hard if a team calls and offers two first-rounders for Crosby, a 27-year-old three-time Pro Bowler who's among the top defenders in the NFL. While it's difficult to find a franchise quarterback, it also isn't easy drafting and grooming an every-down defensive nightmare like Crosby.

The Raiders defense is banged-up, having lost defensive end Malcolm Koonce and safety Marcus Epps for the season and trying to make do without injured defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, the team's marquee free-agent signing. Crosby has been playing hurt with a high ankle sprain, too.

The 2-4 Raiders face the equally injury-ravaged Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood on Sunday. But after that, Vegas faces the Kansas City Chiefs at home and the Bengals in Cincinnati. The Raiders, losers of two straight, could be looking at a 3-6 record going into their Week 10 bye.

Two days after the Cincy game will be the NFL trading deadline. If his team is spiraling and going nowhere, Telesco should not fall to temptation and deal Crosby. He'd be better off keeping him in his plans for 2025 and beyond.

This season could become even more painful to watch, but keeping Crosby is arguably the best decision Telesco can make this year.

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