For much of the offseason, San Francisco 49ers fans wanted the team to make a splash of a trade. It’s understandable, given the fact the Los Angeles Rams went out and traded for star edge rusher Myles Garrett.
The Niners instead decided to address the edge-rusher situation by drafting Romello Height and making minor signings, which didn’t seem like enough at the time and certainly seems inadequate now with all of the injuries up front.
One name that came up time and again was Maxx Crosby.
After it was clear he wanted out of his situation with the Las Vegas Raiders, the Niners seemed like a natural landing spot, especially since he’s seemed to hint he wouldn’t mind ending up back in the Bay Area in the past.
That hope seemed to be dashed after the Raiders agreed to trade him to the Baltimore Ravens, but once that deal fell through due to Crosby’s physical, that seemed to open the door for the Niners to swoop back in.
They didn’t make a blockbuster move for him, and Crosby has said he wants to stay with the Raiders, but the trade deadline could still provide an opening for the Niners to land him.
John Lynch leaves door open for 49ers trading for Maxx Crosby
General manager John Lynch recently spoke to Tim Kawakami and was asked about what it will take for the Niners to be aggressive at the trade deadline:
“I think the approach I take with that, is that’s kind of earned by a team to put yourself in position… That’s just a reality of this league.”
Crosby wasn’t talked about specifically, but he is the type of big-impact player San Francisco could make a run at if Lynch wants to be aggressive. It seems pretty clear the Niners aren’t going to do that unless they prove to Lynch they are capable of winning a Super Bowl.
He’s certainly been willing to swing big in the past. Whether it was landing Christian McCaffrey in 2022 or trading for Chase Young in 2023, Lynch hasn’t been afraid to put his foot on the gas even if the 49ers have been a bit shaky. Keep in mind, the GM traded for McCaffrey when the Niners were 3-3 and traded for Young when San Francisco was at 5-3 after losing three straight games.
So the Niners don’t necessarily have to be 8-0 and leading the NFC West for him to make a trade, but it has to be clear they are a legitimate contender that's one piece away from potentially winning a title.
Last season, Lynch determined the 49ers were not just one piece away, which is why he made a relatively modest addition by trading for Keion White. If the Niners have a similar season where they’re banged up by injuries, and it seems like the gulf between them and the rest of the NFC West cannot be bridged by trading for a player like Crosby, then he probably won’t go after him.
Still, Crosby is the big fish whom fans are going to be talking about, especially if the Niners are strong on offense but struggle with the pass rush again, which is what it seems like will be the case on paper.
Lynch isn’t going to be reckless, though. So, if the Niners want to get a player like Crosby, then San Francisco is going to have to earn it just like Lynch said.
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