<\/p>\n
T<\/span>here was bound to be a resolution on the Maxx Crosby<\/a><\/strong> front ahead of the start of free agency, and it happened on Friday night. The Las Vegas Raiders<\/a><\/strong> got an offer they couldn’t refuse: two first round picks from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Crosby<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Ravens must feel like they’re very close to contending for a Super Bowl<\/strong>, even though they’re going into their first season with new head coach Jesse Minter<\/strong>. For a franchise that values draft picks, letting go of two of this magnitude for Crosby signals they want to win now<\/strong>. Did they give up too much, though?<\/p>\n That’s yet to be determined. If Crosby plays up to his talent level, the first round picks will be quickly forgotten<\/strong>. But history isn’t necessarily on Baltimore’s side, as many of the previous trades with a similar draft pick haul haven’t gone in favor of the team receiving the player<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Out of the players mentioned, it’s hard to find true successes overall aside from Matthew Stafford<\/strong>, Jalen Ramsey<\/strong> and Khalil Mack. Ironically, Stafford and Ramsey were both traded to the Los Angeles Rams, who developed a reputation for not caring about first round draft picks.<\/p>\n Ricky Williams<\/strong> and Eric Dickerson<\/strong> did find success on the ground with the Miami Dolphins<\/strong> and Indianapolis Colts<\/strong>, respectively, but they each had their own issues with their new teams<\/strong>. They also couldn’t bring any postseason success to their new franchises.<\/p>\n The jury is still out on Micah Parsons<\/strong>. He was living up to the trade in his first season with the Green Bay Packers<\/strong>, but a torn ACL cut his year short. Something similar happened with Sauce Gardner<\/strong>, who the Indianapolis Colts<\/strong> acquired at the trade deadline, only to see him struggle with a calf injury late in the season.<\/p>\n Not all of the other trades turned out terribly, but some of them were disasters. Russell Wilson<\/strong> to the Denver Broncos<\/strong> and Jamal Adams<\/strong> to the Seattle Seahawks<\/strong> particularly stand out. Jeff George<\/strong> to the Atlanta Falcons<\/strong> didn’t work out as planned, and neither did the Herschel Walker<\/strong> trade for the Minnesota Vikings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n What might be most concerning for the Ravens is that Crosby would be one of the oldest players on that list. He’ll be 29 years old<\/strong> before the next season begins. His playing style should age well, but Baltimore will have to round out their roster quickly in order to maximize their return on investment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nMatthew Stafford has arguably been the best multiple first round pick trade in NFL history<\/h2>\n
\n