New Raiders Rumors on NFL Draft Approach After Failed Maxx Crosby Trade With Ravens

The Las Vegas Raiders may have to pivot a bit now that they no longer have the first-round pick that was originally headed their way from the Maxx Crosby trade.

ESPN's Ryan McFadden detailed why the Baltimore Ravens backed out of the move for the star defensive end and the domino effect it created. He cited a team source who said the Raiders "might have reconsidered" signing Kwity Paye and bringing Malcolm Koonce back. That source downplayed any disruption that caused, though.

It could be a different story with the draft.

"A source familiar with the Raiders' thinking said the bigger issue is their approach to April's draft now that they no longer hold the No. 14 pick in addition to the top draft choice," McFadden reported. "The plan remains to draft former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at No. 1, but whatever plans they had brewing with the second Day 1 pick might now need to be addressed via trade or another signing."

Las Vegas could've gone in a lot of directions with a pick in the middle portion of the first round.

Having already signed center Tyler Linderbaum, it could've further fortified the offensive line in preparation for Mendoza's arrival. An upgrade at wide receiver would strengthen Mendoza's supporting cast in another way. Cornerback is an obvious area of need, too, when the defense lacks a true shutdown option on the edge.

Instead, that pathway totally closed.

Trying to fill the gaps in free agency or through a trade is complicated by a few factors. Keeping Crosby's $35.8 million salary cap on the books gives the Raiders less money to spend, and a lot of the good free agents have already signed. From a trade standpoint, they possess fewer assets than if they had two extra first-rounders at their disposal.

General manager John Spytek doesn't have to throw his rebuild blueprint out the window because the Crosby trade didn't come together. But the saga did present a setback.