Per Tony Pauline, the Bengals came close to a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
The deal never materialized because the Raiders refused to drop their asking price below two first-round picks, which is what they had believed they were getting from Baltimore before the Ravens backed out when Crosby failed his physical in their facility.
The Bengals were not willing to go that far. Trading away one first-round pick was stunning enough for a franchise not known for that kind of swing.
Two was a bridge too far.
How Cincinnati Got There
The Bengals had lost Trey Hendrickson in free agency and entered the offseason knowing their pass rush was the single biggest obstacle between Joe Burrow and a legitimate Super Bowl run.
Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Cincinnati was a late entrant into the Crosby sweepstakes, checking in after the Bills, Bears, Cowboys, and Ravens had already driven the asking price up.
"By then, over a quarter of the league's 32 teams had shown some level of interest in Crosby," Breer wrote.
Wow: The Bengals were interested in sending the 10th pick to the Raiders in exchange for Maxx Crosby, per @TonyPauline
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 22, 2026
“But the Bengals were unwilling to match the pair of first-round picks the Baltimore Ravens initially sent to Vegas for Crosby before a failed physical nixed… pic.twitter.com/URSwYxOMje
That level of competition meant the Raiders had a lot of leverage and were not in any hurry to discount what they felt was a fair price.
Crosby, 28, signed a three-year extension worth $106.5 million in March 2025 and is owed base salaries of $30 million in 2026, $29 million in 2027, and $26.5 million in 2028, with a potential out after 2027 that carries no dead cap.
That contract, combined with the draft price, made this a massive commitment.
What They Did Instead
Unable to close a deal for Crosby, the Bengals pivoted.
They used the No. 10 pick to acquire Lawrence from the Giants in a deal that immediately addressed their interior defensive line needs.
Lawrence is also 28, also coming off a contract standoff, and immediately changes Cincinnati's defensive identity at the point of attack in a way few interior linemen can.
ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum had publicly argued that the Bengals should be making the call on Crosby, noting that the price had dropped significantly from the original two-first-round-pick ask following the failed Baltimore deal.
The #Bengals were interested in sending the 10th pick to the Raiders in exchange for Maxx Crosby, according to @TonyPauline
— SleeperBengals (@SleeperBengals) April 22, 2026
“But the Bengals were unwilling to match the pair of first-round picks the Baltimore Ravens initially sent to Vegas for Crosby before a failed physical… pic.twitter.com/VDK7RNFS5B
"Beyond the production, he is seen as the type of tone-setter who strengthens the locker room," Tannenbaum said. "For Joe Burrow, adding Crosby would be a clear boost."
Crosby himself acknowledged the uncertainty of his situation publicly, saying he feels like a Raider for life but adding: "Honestly, you never know in this league."
Whether Lawrence proves to be the right choice over Crosby is a question that will answer itself over the next few seasons.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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