Maxx Crosby to Ravens: ‘Perfect Match’ for Contender

Maxx Crosby Joins Baltimore Ravens in ‘Perfect Match’ Move

The NFL landscape was buzzing on Monday, but one move in particular caught the eye of former NFL player and current analyst Marcus Spears: the potential acquisition of Maxx Crosby by the Baltimore Ravens. Spears expressed significant excitement for the defensive end, believing it to be a “perfect match” that will allow Crosby to showcase his talents on a true contender.

“I’mma go to the other side and talk about how happy I am for Max Crosby to actually play with a contender,” Spears stated on The Rich Eisen Show. “So, now people can see how good he really is in impactful games. And obviously, you expect the Baltimore Ravens to be in the playoffs as well. So, I’m looking forward to seeing that. And they needed to bolster their pass rush. They needed that type of mentality on defense to kind of bring that old thing back for the Baltimore Ravens.”

Spears elaborated on how this move benefits both Crosby and the Ravens. “Max getting out of the situation with the Raiders, even though I think they going to start progressing here and being able to go and play for a contender, now he’ll be able to put them talents on display on TV a lot and people will get a great appreciation for how good he really is as a football player, let alone how impactful he is during games.”

Locker Room Impact and Leadership

The addition of a player with Crosby’s intensity and leadership is expected to significantly jolt the Ravens’ locker room. Spears sees Crosby as a cornerstone player, aligning perfectly with existing Ravens leaders like Kyle Hamilton and Lamar Jackson.

“I think it changes the dynamic. I mean, once you now you have a cornerstone, which I believe Max Crosby is along with the guys that were there, Kyle Hamilton obviously still being there. And then you got your cornerstone and Lamar Jackson. You got a new ushering in of a new crew with the Baltimore Ravens from a coaching staff, Jesse Minter. Like it just makes total sense that both of these guys will carry the banner for each side of the football. They two leaders. They two uber competitors. I’m talking about Lamar and Max. And they probably align on a lot of things about how you go about trying to win games.”

Spears emphasized the synergy between Crosby and the Ravens’ new era. “So I just think it’s a perfect match for for especially for a new crew coming into Baltimore with the expectations of being Super Bowl champions.”

Miles Garrett’s Unfulfilled Potential

The conversation then shifted to Cleveland Browns star Miles Garrett, with Spears drawing a parallel to Crosby’s situation. Spears believes Garrett, despite his individual dominance, has been hampered by his team’s lack of consistent contention.

“What else can Miles Garrett give the Cleveland Browns? Like just from a football standpoint, what else could he possibly do in order to try to help this team win games than what he’s done already?” Spears questioned. “He’s been that good that they’ve at times been able to win games or be in games in the fourth quarter because of his talent alone, right? And that organization has a responsibility to players like that in my opinion. And I never was that type of guy, but they have a responsibility to players like that to try to position themselves to win championships and at least give him a window of a few years where he would have an opportunity.”

Spears argued that Garrett’s legacy could be even greater if he had played for a team that consistently competed for championships. “Think about this. If Miles Garrett played for a contender the last four or five years, y’all… Miles Garrett would be in the conversation for being the best defensive player to ever play football if he played for a contender.”

AFC North Arms Race and Bengals Concerns

The AFC North’s increasing defensive talent was a recurring theme. With Crosby potentially joining Baltimore, and facing perennial threats like T.J. Watt and Miles Garrett twice a year, the division is becoming a gauntlet.

Spears also weighed in on the Cincinnati Bengals’ situation, particularly Joe Burrow’s perspective. “What do you think’s going through Burrow’s mind? Because he could be sitting here thinking the same thing that you just described to potentially what Garrett’s thinking.”

Spears highlighted the Bengals’ defensive shortcomings as a major hurdle. “If offense was going to win you a Super Bowl and continuously keep you in the playoffs, you would be in the playoffs every single year when Joe Burrow is healthy, right? That’s another issue that has to get corrected. His availability needs to become more pressing and more prevalent than it’s been. But ultimately, we know where their issues lie, too. Defensively, if this team was middle of the pack last year, they would have made the playoffs.”

The departure of Trey Hendrickson adds another layer of concern for Cincinnati. “Unfortunately, this soccer with Trey Hendrickson has been going on for three years,” Spears noted. “I knew that because… I get the feeling and the tone and tenure of a lot of these teams in the NFL when it comes to certain individuals and certain players. But for Trey, he had publicly talked about how disparaging it was the contract negotiation and the things that they were trying to get done.”

Malik Willis and Mike Evans Landings

Beyond the marquee moves, Spears also offered his thoughts on other significant offseason acquisitions.

On Malik Willis joining the Miami Dolphins, Spears was enthusiastic. “I thought what he showed was quarterbacking, not some fly by night. Oh, I’m about to play and people can’t scout for me, so I’m going to have a good game because that happens with a lot of backups as well. I think Malik is ready to take care of of of to become what people thought he could be coming out of the draft. I think development is taking place.”

Regarding Mike Evans signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Spears expressed cautious optimism, contingent on his health. “If Mike can stay healthy, we obviously know what Kyle Shanahan can do from an offensive standpoint. We know how much that’ll ease things for Brock Purdy. But I would be as excited about that. It’s just Mike has missed a lot of time with these injuries. So if he can be available for the San Francisco team for majority of the season, it can be a problem for everybody else in that division.”

Dallas Cowboys’ Aggressive Approach

Spears also applauded the Dallas Cowboys’ aggressive free agency strategy, particularly their pursuit of Nico Dean and other defensive additions. “This will be the first offseason, Rich, that you don’t hear Marcus Spear say Dallas is not trying to win a championship or Jerry is not trying to win a championship. The moves that have been made have been leaning in that direction of being all-in.”

He acknowledged the team’s efforts to bolster the defense, including moves for a safety from Arizona and the potential revitalization of players like Rashawn Gary. “Dallas has done some tremendous things. So, uh, this will be the first offseasonason, Rich, that you don’t hear Marcus Spear say Dallas is not trying to win a championship or Jerry is not trying to win a championship. The moves that have been made have been leaning in that direction of being all-in.” Spears concluded, “I’m very excited about what we’ve been doing this offseasonason. And yes, I said we.”

Source: Marcus Spears is EXCITED for Maxx Crosby to go to Baltimore 🗣️ ‘PERFECT match’ | The Rich Eisen Show (YouTube)